The parable we just heard in the Gospel sounds pretty harsh; and that was quite intentional on Jesus’ part. His public ministry was quickly coming to an end. He had told the people a number of important parables which we have heard over the last few Sundays. Each one of these parables ramps up the importance of the choice that everyone has to make. Each one of the parables also imply that the religious authorities of that time had failed to accept Jesus as the Messiah.

     He wants them to make the decision whether to accept him as the Messiah and follow him; and to do this he places before them an increasingly stark set of choices. It also becomes more and more obvious as to who each of the various characters in the parables represent.

     Here with today’s parable of the Wedding Feast, Jesus is making one last ditch effort at trying to win over the hard-hearted Chief priests and elders. The wedding banquet in the parable obviously represents the Heavenly Banquet that only Jesus can lead us too. The invited guests are God’s own Chosen People who, unfortunately, decide not to come to the banquet. A second invitation is issued but they still do not come, but instead some of them even kill the servants who come bearing the invitation. We understand these servants to represent the prophets.

     The King, in his fury destroys them and their town. This is seen as a direct prophecy of the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. and the subsequent dispersal of the Jewish people.

     Then the King said, “The feast is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy to come. Go out, therefore, into the main roads and invite to the feast whomever you find.” We see this as a reference to the Church in the first century becoming less and less Jewish, and more and more Gentile. The chosen people largely rejected the invitation from Jesus; but huge numbers of non-Jewish, Gentiles flocked into the Church.

     There is another warning at the end of the parable when we hear that the king noticed someone at the wedding banquet not wearing the proper wedding garment and ordered him to be thrown out. We can understand this to mean that the man was not living a good life; not living like one invited by God to his banquet. In the Book of Revelation, we are told that the Bride of the Lamb, the Church, wears a clean white linen garment which is the righteous deeds of the holy ones. Yes, we are all invited to the feast in the Kingdom of Heaven, but we are to come to the feast properly dressed, that is, having cast off our sinfulness.

     So, while this parable is addressed to the chief priests and elders and demands that they must make a choice as to whether to embrace Christ or not, it also has a message to all of us today, warning us not to revert back to old sinful ways. While all are welcome into God’s Kingdom, just showing up is not sufficient. Actual, real change is also required in our lives. When we accept the invitation to become part of God’s family, we are expected to leave off old sinful ways and live a new kind of life according to God’s laws.

     What Jesus is trying to tell us in his parables is that heaven is going to surpass all of our hopes and expectations. It’s going to be more wonderful than we can imagine. It’s hard for us to imagine things we’ve never experienced, so all he can do is use images that we are familiar with a great banquet, a wedding feast, wealth that cannot be exhausted, as in the hidden treasure, or the pearl of great price, or the mansion that God is preparing for us.

     As Jesus tells us, to have all this, we must respond to an invitation; and we must be wise enough not to turn it down. His invitations have come to us in many ways: “Come to me all you who labor and are burdened, and I will refresh you.” Or “I am the good shepherd. A shepherd whose sheep hear his voice and follow him.” We hear his invitation in the Sermon on the Mount when he tells us “Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.” Or from the Book of Revelation: Behold I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, then I will enter the house and dine with him and he with me.” Jesus doesn’t promise everything will be wonderful in this world if we respond to his call. He tells us straight out, “If anyone would come after me, let him take up his cross and follow me.” But for those who do respond, he promises, “I will be with you always. I will not leave you orphans.” In a special way he invites us to begin enjoying the wonderful banquet that heaven will provide when he tells us, “Unless you eat the flesh of The Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you.” He invites us every Sunday to “Take this and eat.” For Catholics this is part of his invitation to “Keep holy the Lord’s Day.”

     God does give us commandments and tells us there are things we must do for our salvation. But let’s face it. We don’t always like doing what were told. We learn that from a very early age. Kids often like to push the boundaries of rules to see what they can get by with. And usually, quickly learn the consequences when rules are broken. But even though God gave us rules to follow, he doesn’t want to make us do anything. He gave us a free will. He invites us to join him at the heavenly banquet. He wants us to come because we want to. He wants us to come out of love.

     Jesus is telling us that eternal happiness is not to be taken for granted. The way to eternal happiness is open for all, but we have a free will as to how we will respond. May the banquet we come to today, eating his body, lead us to the eternal banquet he has prepared for us.