Matthew 22:1-14 - by Don Neuendorf
Alright, so heaven is a grand celebration, a great banquet. Got that.
And we can "rejoice in the Lord always" because his coming is near. Got that.
So now... why do I find it so hard to rejoice? Why does this feel so little like a party?
Have you ever tried to throw a party? I mean a really big party - like a wedding. We have had some experience with that recently...
Weddings are great. Seriously. I have always said that, as a pastor, I would rather do 3 funerals than 1 wedding. That's because the people who come to funerals are ready to hear the comfort of the Gospel, but the people who attend a wedding are there (at least more often) to see the lovely bride and groom. It's hard to preach law and gospel at a wedding. People want only happiness.
And yet, when the wedding is your own family wedding - and the guests are your own - and you are planning how you may share God's word with those you know and love - that's a different thing. And it is a blessing also to help a Christian couple that is aware of this and wants to use their own wedding service to lift up their Savior.
But then there's this: a wedding, even a simple wedding, is a TON of work. If you haven't done it, you can scarcely imagine the quantity of details to arrange. Even when everyone gets along and agrees and smiles and cooperates, it is still exhausting. If you invite friends and family to a wedding and banquet you quickly discover how much you depend upon the help of others. And... in this life... that is often not there.
Fact: many people are willing to help if you lay all the work out for them, provide all the materials, and tell them exactly what to do. Few people are willing to get dirty - take responsibility - take risks - or go the extra mile.
The old common complaint is that "we have too many chiefs and not enough indians." (no offense to any Native Americans who may be reading this) But in the church our dilemma is the opposite. We have lots of indians - people who will do a little of this or that. But we do not have self-starting chiefs - motivated people who will call others to serve with them - "take the ball and run with it."
Ministry then becomes so wearying. I remember vividly the reason I cited for accepting a call and leaving my first parish. After 5 years there many, many things were going so well. We could have stayed and enjoyed our ministry. But I was exhausted. I felt like the stereotyped plate juggler. No activity would ever proceed on its own. Every ball had to be pushed up the hill - every plate spun again and again. They never began to spin on their own.
Jesus pictures heaven as a wedding banquet. There the angels, at the last judgment, will bring in people who were never expected to be there. And the angels will have done all the work of preparing the feast. But here in our worship we have a foretaste of that feast, and WE are the angels - we are the messengers (that's what the word "angel" means) - we are the ones who prepare a banquet each week of God's Word and Sacraments.
Do we have the energy and desire to do it? Where does it come from? At times I am weary of the idea of writing another sermon - until I think of what it is that I am called to preach. We have the good news, the great news, the wonderful news! We have the invitation to a party!!!