For whatever the opinion of this lowly little pastor in the wilderness of Utah
is worth, I think today's Gospel lesson and sermon on Luke 14:15-24 is very
important for the people of the kingdom of God.
Soli Deo gloria!
Rev. Kurt (Aqualung) Hering, Pastor
Trinity Lutheran Church
Layton, Utah
www.trinitylayton.org
"The LORD did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in
number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples; but
because the LORD loves you, and because He would keep the oath which He swore
to your fathers." Deuteronomy 7:6-8
"Welcome to the Table of the Lord"
TEXT: 15When one of those who reclined at table with [Jesus] heard these
things, he said to him, "Blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the kingdom
of God!" 16But he said to him, "A man once gave a great banquet and invited
many. 17And at the time for the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who
had been invited, 'Come, for everything is now ready.' 18But they all alike
began to make excuses. The first said to him, 'I have bought a field, and I
must go out and see it. Please have me excused.' 19And another said, 'I have
bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them. Please have me excused.'
20And another said, 'I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.' 21So
the servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of
the house became angry and said to his servant, 'Go out quickly to the streets
and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and crippled and blind and lame.'
22And the servant said, 'Sir, what you commanded has been done, and still there
is room.' 23And the master said to the servant, 'Go out to the highways and
hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled. 24For I tell
you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet.'" Luke 14:15-24
Dearly beloved of the Father,
You are welcome to the table of the Lord, that is, a seat at the heavenly
banquet, NOW!
This is really that simple and straight forward of a Gospel parable to
understand and preach.
Many are called. Few are chosen. The few who are chosen feast forever with the
Father, His beloved Son, and His Holy Spirit and have every blessing He has to
offer through His Word for them in the kingdom of heaven. The many who are
called yet have better, more pressing things to do and spurn the invitation
will have none of it.
And this is not the worst of it as we remember from last week's Gospel
illustration of the rich man begging for a drop of water from the depths of
Hades where he watched poor Lazarus feasting with Abraham at the heavenly
wedding banquet.
That's it really. Easy and straight forward to preach, but not necessarily so
easy or pleasant for hard headed, freedom loving, recreation minded,
independent souls to hear, to accept, and especially to live. After all, our
world today is so full of fields for us to see and pleasures to experience,
oxen for us to examine and weekend chores to do, and wives for us to marry and
people to visit and keep happy-not to mention pillows to hug--that are all so
much more compelling, urgent, and appealing than the Word and Sacrament of our
Lord in the Divine Service of the Church. And without Sunday mornings, the
weekends simply are not long enough to accomplish and enjoy them all fully.
But anyone who does not like the Gospel and the kingdom of heaven as it is for
what it is, that is their choice and they will get to live with it-forever. But
God will not be there and they will not be part of the heavenly wedding party.
It really is just that simple.
Luther doubted the Christianity of anyone who did not receive the Lord's Supper
at least 4 times a year. Not that he was claiming to be able to read anyone's
heart, but that their behavior was indicative of not keeping God's gift of the
Sabbath day, that is they be guilty of despising preaching and the God's Word
as per the Third Commandment.
Now you must remember the time and conditions in which Luther lived as well.
Getting to church was a much more difficult and time consuming proposition than
it is today when just about anyone can hop into a car or make use of some other
transportation and find themselves at a place where the Divine Service is being
offered according to God's Word within a couple of hours at most. Not many of
us these days even have the excuse of having to tend to the daily needs of
livestock, as the oxen master of our parable. It is without doubt or argument
far less burdensome and time consuming for us to keep Sabbath Day holy in 21st
Century America--even given our high fuel prices--than ever before. How many of
us could really in all honesty and good conscience argue that we could not
reasonably be expected to attend church once a month, let alone 4 times a year?
But that is to talk and think according to the Law. The truth of the matter--or
as Jesus would say--"Verily, I tell you the truth," according to our parable,
the wedding banquet of the Sabbath Day's Divine Service is a gift of God, not
of works lest any man should boast. We have received the call and invitation of
the Holy Gospel. We have been given the wedding clothes of Holy Baptism. We
have been gathered in God's holy congregation of people at Trinity Layton (or
whatever faithful congregation gathered around God's pure and holy Word and
Sacrament to which you may be blessed to be a member). And we have set before
us on a weekly basis the wedding banquet wherein we sup in the very presence of
God, indeed are given to eat of His very body and blood at the holy table of
His altar. All compliments of our heavenly Host --God the Father, in honor of
His Son Jesus Christ the bridegroom of the Church, through the work of His Holy
Spirit the helper of baptized sinners like you and me.
Thinking of it in those terms-feasting in the very bodily presence of the Lord
our God at His heavenly table-and truly believing it to be so according to
God's holy promise and good and gracious will for us, what in the world could
be more important, more appealing, more beneficial? If you really believe what
our Lord God promises and gives us in His holy Word, that is. And talk about
bang for your buck, there is no admission fee, hidden tax, or baggage charge.
Our Lord Jesus Christ has bought it all for you with His holy precious blood
and with His innocent suffering and death, that you may be His own and live
under Him in His kingdom and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence,
and blessedness just as He is risen from the dead, lives and reigns to all
eternity.
But the seats are limited. There is a capacity number for this banquet as
represented by the 144,000 of Revelation, a perfect and complete number of
God's elect though unknown number, which is indeed countless to men. But it has
yet to be reached. Tickets have been unclaimed. Invitations remain to be sent.
Until they are, the Church remains to distribute them to the world. And you,
dear people, are the ones given to do it as the Lord has prepared for you-even
lives in you to do.
So welcome to the table of the Lord, where God forgives you all of your sins
and gives you a seat at the heavenly wedding banquet here today; every Lord's
Day and other holy days until the Last Day; and even forevermore. Oh, and by
the way, why not send out a few invitations to family and friends so that His
house might be filled and they too might taste His banquet? It is the
neighborly thing to do--in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the
Holy Spirit. Amen
Please rise.
The peace of God that surpasses all understanding keep your hearts and minds in
Christ Jesus. Amen
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