I enjoy going out to a restaurant or a really exquisite meal. A good time had with friends and family with conversation, wine and food all in an elegant setting. Who doesn't? Well it appears that when a King gives a feast for his son's wedding there are some who do not (Matt. 22.1-14). Thinking about what that would mean in terms of the time; killing fattened beasts, high expenditure on wine, catering for large numbers all ready to go. Just think of the costs that have been outlaid just for a party. Weddings today have nothing on this but just think of one of those fancy weddings and no-one turns up. Egg on one's face to say the least so it is not surprising that he went out an invited all the commoners and those in need. At least the expense was not wasted and most got something out of it through the Kings grace. Yet, one person did not have the curtesy to be dressed in clothing that was provided (dissing the tux for the work clothes). He used his wealth to the betterment of all not just his friends who despised him (Yes, behind the scenes there is political commentary but lets just leave that one for the moment).
Isaiah puts it slightly differently, in that the destruction comes first, i.e. the guests are destroyed before rejecting the good things and the banquet is put in place for those who are impoverished (Is. 25.1-9). Again it is the extravagance that is laid out for those that are without. A grace filled giving with no thought for God's self only for those that are at the end of their tether and are sheltered by God. It almost puts the king to shame in the offering that there is for the downtrodden. The wealth that is present is not hoarded but given freely in food and shelter, in love and hospitality. There is no thought of holding back from those that are in need. It is almost as if the whole is too much to contain and must be released into the lives of the community for the community to grow. Gathering around feasts and an abundance of food demonstrates not only extraordinary grace but also love and hospitality. This is only so when the offer is gratis and filled with love for all so that the benefit is not just for a favoured few but for the whole of God's people.
Sometimes we give freely with extraordinary extravagance but not for the other rather for ourselves and for our well being or supposed well being. This becomes detrimental in so many ways for our own faith and well being in the world. Our Exodus reading from today takes us back to the shameless ecstasy of the golden calf and its effects on the community and on Moses (Ex. 32.1-14). There is a sense of generous giving in this episode just as much in the Isaiah and Gospel stories but the giving here serves a very different purpose. It is not one filled with grace but is rather a commentary on our own self centeredness that denies the possibility of change in our lives. It perhaps has more to identify itself with in our modern era then the other two parables and is in distinct contrast to them. The centeredness of their dance, like ours, is on the object of their desire which disables the ability to transform into generosity as it is not centred in prayer. Rather our focus, like theirs, becomes centred on our ability to disregard the depredations of everyday life and live in blissful ignorance of the suffering around us. We ignore the trauma that sits within our community focussing solely on our on needs and not those of the other.
We are called into a generosity of spirit that ignores those that are part of our lives so that we can reach out into the community. The foundation upon which we as a faith community build our lives is the ever generous Spirit of God that comes to us in love. It is we who must reciprocate with God's love flowing into our community through our generosity of time, talent and finances to uphold the prayer filled centre of our lives. We cannot think of this as a exercise in theory but actually become a part of God's presence through our own hospitality of love ensuring that our bounty is given freely. Only in our working out of God's commandments and incarnating God's love can we truly become a Christ follower. The question then for us becomes one of commitment to being hosts that are faithful to God's overflowing love and so ensure that all, no matter who they may be, are filled with that love which fills us.
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