Gospel: Matthew 22: 1-14
On the surface level, we find today's parable somewhat difficult to understand: people are being invited to a royal wedding and no one wants to attend! We in our day are fascinated by royal weddings and would jump at the opportunity to attend such an event if invited. Even the lowest commoner in modern society dreams of attending such a regal affair, even though the odds of being invited are rather low.
Perhaps that is why no one wants to attend this wedding in the parable: everyone is invited. If everyone is invited it's not all that special in people's eyes, but that is the point of the story. Everyone is special in God's eyes. Everyone is invited to the banquet of God's kingdom. You need not be of aristocratic blood or wealthy status. You need not be a particular race or gender. The celebration is open to all.
In our own time, however, people do not accept the invitation not because they lack interest in God but because they have lost interest in religion. They find religion just as corrupt, hypocritical, and elitist as any other institution in society, so what is the point of trying to belong if it is not there to help us be better persons? When we make religion a place of encounter with God, a place of healing and growth, people will come.
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