Risky business - Matthew 22:1-14 - Living by the Word - Column

Christian Century, Sept 25, 1996 by Edgar Krentz

Matthew 22:1-14

THE GOSPEL is dangerous precisely because it has such awe-full consequences. We usually think of the gospel as gracious, a forgiving message from a loving God. But the gospel is also a fearsome, powerful word. That is the message in this parable that Jesus spoke in the temple precinct of Jerusalem a week before he died. It's an insight that grates on modern ears, because it underscores how radical the gospel is in what it does. The story is told in a straightforward, almost prosaic style, which makes it all the more impressive.

Let's set this parable in its context. Jesus has already announced the arrival of God's royal rule: "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near" (4:17; also the parables in chapter 13). The parable reminds us that God is a king, and kings have power. He sends his slaves twice to call the guests to dinner. But some excuse themselves, while others mistreat the slaves, as in the parable of the unjust sharecroppers (cf. 23:34-36). In his rage the king sends out an army to execute the murderers and burn their city--a reference to the destruction of Jerusalem.

The severity of the king's reaction surprises the unsuspecting reader--though it reprises many notes in Matthew's Gospel (the rejection of the sons of the kingdom in 8:12, the desolate streets of 12:19; the parables of chapter 13, and the parables of the two sons and the unjust sharecroppers in 21:28-45). In subsequent discourse, Jesus laments the future desolation of Jerusalem. He predicts the fearful events to come and counsels his disciples not to fall prey to false messiahs. According to this parable, Vespasian and Titus carry out the judgment of God when they destroy Jerusalem.

There are political consequences to Christian proclamation. The parable warns against any attitude--of an individual, church or nation--that assumes that one's favorable position before God cannot be lost. Lands that were once Christian are such no more. Pleading the Christian tradition politically is no guarantee of survival; in deed, this parable reminds us that it can be dangerous. Proclamation and baptism, which lead to life before God in the Christian community, are dangerous. In the history of the church, complacent Christians have often lost their place.

The refusal of the invitation by those invited opens the possibility for the hoi polloi, the masses "both good and bad," to attend the wedding feast. The invitation goes out to them and the banquet hall is filled. Strangers sit at the wedding table. But the king sees that one guest does not wear a wedding garment. This guest is bound hand and foot and thrown out, a strong symbol of rejection. "For many are called, but few are chosen" (22: 14).

Evangelism has serious consequences. Proclaiming Christ issues an invitation that confronts people with a choice. It is like Dame Wisdom in Proverbs 9:1-6, who builds a house, slaughters her animals, prepares the wine and sends out her servant girls to invite people to live with her. But her invitation leads to division, for Dame Folly also invites people to dine. Her home turns out to be Sheol, the home of the dead. Matthew is blunt about this choice: Rejecting the evangelical message means separation from God.

The church should recognize the deadly serious character of proclamation. Richard Caemmerer, who first taught me to preach, said that the worst thing one can do is preach the gospel to one who rejects it. Why is that? Because the gospel rejected is still a powerful word. It unmasks our idolatries, illuminates the dark corners of our hearts and lays bare our thoughts. It calls us to action and judges us when we do not respond. According to Paul (Gal. 2:14), Peter did not walk uprightly in the truth of the gospel, so Paul called him to account. Be careful how you listen!

There are serious consequences for the evangelizing church. Fearful words. Hans Asmussen said that a church that cannot pronounce a curse cannot pronounce a blessing. His statement reminds us of the significance of proclaiming the gospel: it calls us to create communities that will nourish faith. It illuminates the awesome meaning and significance of evangelism. One shouldn't invite lightly, for it has ultimate significance. It's a risky proclamation, but invite we must.

A postscript on meals: The banquet is a rich biblical metaphor. The Old Testament uses it as a picture of God's rule that brings the future salvation of Israel. Isaiah describes that salvation as a new king's feast for his supporters.

The table was also a place of worship, for there people joined in blessing "the Lord, our God, King of the universe." To eat together in the eschatological banquet is to share in its blessings. That is why Jesus "came eating and drinking" and was called "a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners." His eating with them established a relationship. Earlier in his Gospel, Matthew spoke of many from East and West reclining at table with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The parable is thus filled with allusions to future hope and Jesus' earlier ministry. Jesus' words at the Last Supper about not drinking wine again until he drinks it new with the disciples in his Father's kingdom underscore the significance of common meals.