I never attended Cotillion class. My mother and grandmother attempted to pass along good graces to me, but I could never quite grasp the finer aspects of how to behave at a dinner party. I still put my elbows on the table, which I will point out is not as big a faux pas throughout the rest of the world, like in France, as it is here. With an elaborate table setting I always wait to discover what utensil I am required to use with what course. Perhaps most embarrassingly I often forget to pause for all the ladies to be seated before I myself sit down, leaving me looking like anything but a gentleman. However, despite all my unruly manners I have learned one paramount rule of etiquette: never sit in a place of honor without the host inviting me to do so first.
Today’s Gospel lesson begins with what Jesus says is a parable. This seems far more like some sound dinner party advice rather than a challenging story in which one must re-imagine existence in light of the Kingdom of God, like the story of the Prodigal Son or the Good Samaritan. Instead Jesus paints a picture of a wedding banquet. We can recall a scenario in which we have attended such a gather at which we cautiously had to discern our place at one table or another. Who would possibly dare sit next to the Father-of-the-Bride if one were not his best friend, child, or spouse? Instead of assembling at the head table we would do well to find a place near the back of the room and have the host come tell us to move up closer. What happens though when we think about this advice in other settings?
While it was not a meal, I can distinctly recall a time when I felt like I was sitting in the worst seat imaginable. A couple friends and I decided to attend a Coldplay concert in Nashville a few years ago. As we were not making a lot of extra cash we had to scrape together money just to get seats near the back of Bridgestone Arena. We were almost as far away from the stage as one could be while still being in the venue.
In the middle of the show the band took a short set break. I thought they were going to change outfits or instruments, but all of a sudden the band appeared about 50 feet away from where we were sitting. They said that at some point they had been the boys in the nosebleed seats, but that those way in the back are no less fans. Then, they proceeded to play an acoustic set dedicated to the fans in the back of the coliseum. This was the first time I had seen a band show such a heartwarming gesture, but as I reflect upon it what they did is like the host of a party coming to raise up a lowly guest.
If Jesus truly is telling us a parable and not just giving us good advice about being exalted through staying humble, then this story must lead us somewhere more than just something that Emily Post might have written. The band coming and performing at the back of the auditorium is like the host raising up a lowly guest, and this is like what God does with us. God, in the person of Jesus, stooped down to come and dwell among us. Becoming incarnate in Jesus God came to lead us to the biggest feast, the most extravagant banquet imaginable.
If this is a parable, then we must move a little bit from where we started to see how the Kingdom of God looks, so what does it look like? Well, in the Kingdom of God the Table looks a little different than the Sabbath feast at the table of the leader of the Pharisees. Instead of only those who had the means to pay the leader back, Jesus recommended inviting “the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind.” In other words, Our Lord challenged the host to invite everyone to the meal because that is what will happen at the banquet in the Kingdom of God. While this appears uplifting, is it even pragmatic or possible?
In the Episcopal Church, we are fantastic at hosting events. I am so impressed when we have potluck occasions. So many people bring delicious food. So many hands help to prepare and clean up the parish hall or other venue. So much time and energy goes into these feasts, but inevitably someone will say, “Well, I can’t believe we do not have more visitors,” or “I wish we had more diversity here.” Me too. I want this so much, but so often I hear it and express it myself as an afterthought. So what?
In the wake of these statements I have a hard time discerning what to say. Instead of relying on the little wisdom I have we would do well to observe not the practical advice Jesus offered in today’s Good News, but rather how to reveal the Kingdom of God right now. If we want this community to grow as God dreams it can, we have two tasks that Jesus lays out for us. First, we must invite people who cannot pay us back, who may not have the same manners, who come from different backgrounds, and who look different than we do. This is not always easy. We sometimes fall into the trap of saying we are bad at Evangelism in the Episcopal Church. I think this is baloney! How do we invite people? We tell them of the ways that God is working here at St. John’s Church at Banks-Caddell, in our community garden, in our altar, flower, and bread guilds, in our children’s ministries, in our youth group, and in our Christian formation! This is actually the easy step.
The second step stands out as more challenging. We must also must be willing to give those who may not be able to give back the seats that we so often occupy. The most difficult thing for a new family or visitor to see when they walk into a church is no empty pew. If there is no spot for them they won’t come back. And, this extends not just to our Sunday worship, but to ministry in general. If there is no open spot for someone to join a ministry, then it is very hard for someone to feel welcome.
At this altar all people have a place, but we must extend this Table out into this community, into this city, and into this world. Jesus came to be with us and to show us the way back to the greatest feast. We are all invited to join in the festivities. God charges us to invite others into this feast and not just in insignificant ways, but God calls us to give up our places of honor, so that we might all share in a rich feast! In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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