Trinity XX
Bishop Ray Sutton

A Sunday school teacher decided to have her young class memorize one of the most quoted passages in the Bible; Psalm 23. She gave the youngsters a month to learn the verse. Little Rick was excited about the task -- but, he just couldn't remember the Psalm. After much practice, he could barely get past the first line. On the day that the kids were scheduled to recite Psalm 23 in front of the congregation, Ricky was so nervous. When it was his turn, he stepped up to the microphone and said proudly, "The Lord is my Shepherd, and that's all I need to know."

In a sense our Gospel lesson from Matthew 22:1-14 tells us all we need to know. If we don’t forget the message of this little story, we’ll not go too far wrong. In fact, the church had to have a reformation over the failure to remember its great teaching.  It is a wisdom teaching from Jesus Christ. In Matthew’s Gospel His teaching is presented as surpassing the wisest man who ever lived, Solomon. In this remarkable Gospel, Jesus is the Son of David, the true Solomon. Accordingly, Matthew records more of the teachings and wisdom stories than any of the other writers. Our Gospel today contains one of them in which He compares the kingdom of heaven to a wedding feast.

The story goes according to the following… A certain king had a son who was about to get married. Invitations were sent out by personal envoys. The king’s own servants went to the invited guests to ask them to come for the momentous occasion. They were simply not willing to come. Then each invitee, according to the text of Scripture (v. 5) was told just how special the occasion. The king was going to kill his choicest cattle to prepare a spectacular meal. Yet, the intended guests “made light” of the invitation. One by one, they gave various reasons why they couldn’t come. They even mistreated the very servants of the king who had brought the good news. Some of the king’s messengers were also killed. When the king heard what had happened to his gracious offer, he sent out an army to destroy those who were originally invited.

The king still did not give up on securing guests for his son’s wedding. He sent out more servants into the highways and the byways to find other guests. The texts states that they brought in both good and bad. Finally the wedding hall was filled with the mix of guests. All sat in the wedding hall awaiting the king.

When the monarch entered, he found one man in the crowd without his wedding garment. In an ancient Hebrew wedding, the host provided a special wedding garment to cover the soil from the streets. Apparently, the man in our story wanted to come to the feast but he didn’t want to wear the wedding garment. This was a contradiction that upset the king. When asked how and why he did what he did, the man was speechless; in other words, there was no excuse for what he had done. Remember, he was one of the replacement guests. He had come from the highways and byways. Whether he was a good or bad person before he came to the wedding, we’re not told; that’s not the point. What we do know is that he had refused the gracious offer and requirement of a wedding garment. For this, he was thrown out. The parable ends with the words, “Many are called but few are chosen” (v. 14).

The last verse teaches us how hard it is to miss all that you need to know when it comes to God. The story is about salvation, indeed all of salvation history. The first guests are the chosen people of God. They reject and eventually kill the messenger(s). Other guests are brought, the Gentiles. All types, any type of person can come to the wedding feast. The key to complete admission, all you need to know, is the wedding garment. It is what covers all the dirt and sin accumulated in the world.

So, what is the wedding garment? The wedding garment is Jesus Christ. He is the clothing that atones for our sin. Elsewhere in the New Testament, St. Paul tells us to “put on Jesus Christ.” This reference from Ephesians 4 to put on Christ as our clothing before God was used in our Epistle lesson for last week. It refers to the covenant in which clothing is exchanged as a sign of a union made. Two people give clothing to each other to symbolize their unique union. Thus, Christ is our covering when we believe in Him. He is the means of entrance. It’s not anything in us or what we do that can offset all our sin. Only His sacrifice can wash away our impurities. And the good news is that this salvation is offered like a garment given at a wedding feast. We can’t buy or secure it ourselves. It can only be accepted by faith.

Martin Luther, the great German reformer (whom my good friend Bishop Myer reminds), loved to use the image of a prince who marries a harlot. Luther observes that the prince who marries a harlot doesn’t marry her because she’s pure. He doesn’t ask her to reform her life before he marries her and takes her in. He unites with her in marriage because he loves her. And as she enters his love, her life is changed. Luther says this is Biblical justification. Elsewhere he writes,

 I do not come because my soul is free from sin and pure and whole and worthy of Thy grace;

I do not speak to Thee because I've ever justly kept Thy laws and dare to meet Thy face.

I know that sin and guilt combine to reign o'er every thought of mine and turn from good to ill;

I know that when I try to be upright and just and true to Thee, I am a sinner still.

I know that often when I strive to keep a spark of love alive for Thee, the powers within leap up in un-submissive might and oft benumb my sense of right and pull me back to sin.

I know that though in doing good I spend my life, I never could atone for all I've done; But though my sins are black as night, I dare to come before Thy sight because I trust Thy Son.

In Him alone my trust I place, come boldly to Thy throne of grace, and there commune with Thee. Salvation sure, O Lord, is mine, and, all unworthy, I am Thine, for Jesus died for me.

This is the Gospel, the Good News, all we need to know in the final analysis. Indeed, “The Lord is my Savior, that’s all I need to know.”