St Luke 14:15-24/Proverbs 9:1-10/Ephesians 2:13-22
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.
Come, for everything is now ready. Wisdom has built her house; she has mixed her wine; she has set her table. All things are prepared. Nothing is lacking. It is finished. Creation is restored. God has made peace with man. He has given His Son to us. He Himself is our Peace. You who were once far off have been brought near by the Blood of Christ.
He gives. He gives His Body and His Blood, broken and shed for you on the Cross, now given here for you to eat and drink for the forgiveness of sins. The curtain is torn from top to bottom. The Temple is destroyed. It is no longer needed. There is no reason to wail at those ruins. God has broken down the dividing wall of hostility in the flesh of Christ. We are reconciled. Come, leave your simple ways and live, walk in the way of insight; of true Wisdom.
Yet still men make excuses. Poor babies: this is their only day to sleep in; they work late; gas prices are too high; golf is really important; Church is boring and they don’t like being bored. We’ll make extreme efforts to get to the doctor or to a family wedding because those things are important. We’ll wait in line for hours of boredom to see Avengers or Harry Potter. But don’t ask too much effort of us to come and be fed by God. That is pretty shallow. Our excuses are as thin as those in the parable.
Which of us has not sat in this very room and wished it were over already? Which of us has not been bored in church and daydreamed? Not just about lunch and appointments for the week or the coming family vacation; not just of fame and fortune and dreams come true; but sat in these very pews and dreamed of evil? Even plotted to sin? We’ve lusted and coveted, lied and blasphemed within sight of the Altar while the Word of God was read and His great love proclaimed! It is not just those who are missing or absent who are guilty. Excuses are cheap and they are plentiful.
Thus do proud and arrogant men think they can prey on the generosity and patience of God. Like the wife of Hosea, they seek to take advantage of and abuse His grace and good will.
Who hasn’t wanted to best of both worlds – the pleasures of the flesh, honor among men, luxuries, freedom, constant amusement AND the joys and peace of heaven? Who is ready to forsake all? Ready to lose his job, her family, his reputation, her life for the Kingdom of God? We promised that at confirmation. Did we really mean it?
That was true wisdom – the fear of the Lord, faith in Him; learning the Ten Commandments, Creed, Lord’s Prayer. Have we exchanged them for the pretty things of this world? Eaten of the forbidden fruit because is was pleasing to the eye and promised “wisdom”? It is written, Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you; reprove a wise man, and he will love you. How do we react to godly reproof? Do we defend our sins? Dig in our heels? Refuse correction? Assert our stubborn wills?
Repent. Hear the warning: I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste of My Supper. Jesus tells this parable for the Pharisees. St Luke records it for us. The Master of the House will not be mocked. Do not think you can enjoy the forbidden fruit now and grasp heaven for cheap when it is more convenient. Now is the hour of salvation. Tomorrow may never come.
No one buys a peace of land without seeing it first. No one buys oxen without first testing them. These excuses are ridiculous! God is not fooled by superficial acts and lip service; by going through the motions. He is not appeased by excuses. He desires mercy, not sacrifice. He commands the circumcision of the heart.
Stop playing games with your fate, planning to sin now and repent later. Stop posturing before men and spewing lies like David pretending to be a noble hero for bringing the war-widow Bathsheba into his house. Stop thinking your sins are reasonable and bring no guilt or that you have some special relationship with God where He indulges your sins.
Repent. Repent now. There is but one case of death-bed repentance in all of Scripture. And it teaches us that no man should despair or think it too late, but neither should anyone presume. The invitation is not for tomorrow. It is for today. It is right now. All things are prepared.
That is, God has done all things for you. He has taken up your flesh, lived and suffered, died and rose for you. He has endured Hell’s fury and fire. He has left the enemy spent and dead on his own sword. He has crushed the serpent’s head and dissolved the chains of guilt and shame that held you. He has flung wide open the gates of heaven and removed the guards. The flaming sword of Eden has been quenched in the Blood of the Lamb.
You were once far off, separated from the Father by sin and death, by the seriousness of your sin and death; but now you have been brought near by the blood of Christ. You are no longer strangers and aliens. You are saints, members of God’s own household. There is no one to accuse you, no one to keep you out, nothing to stop you from this victory and joy given for free from on high. God Himself, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, who calls you by His Name in Holy Baptism loves you and beckons you to come to the feast. He wants you. He is not ashamed to be your God.
Do not be afraid. Do not be sad. Do not think yourself unworthy or dwell upon your past sins. They are gone. They are forgiven. The hostility is killed. He has made peace in Himself and comes and preaches peace to you. So come, weak and weary, heartbroken and lonely, trembling sinners wracked with guilt and uncertainty. Come. All things are ready. Come to the feast. It has been made ready for you.
This is for the greatest and the least, the outcasts and losers, the athletes and scholars, the druggies and rehab cases, the widows and the fatherless. Come. One and all, come to the Feast! Leave behind those temporary things. Get lost in the love of Christ that has loved you beyond all telling; that has forgiven every single flaw and sin and makes you new in Him. Die to yourself and find your Life. Eat and drink without money or cost.
We have nothing to give anyway. For we are beggars, this is true. But here is it God who begs – begs that you come and feast. He wants you. He feeds and nourishes you to the depths of your soul that you may never thirst again. You belong to God, His Name is upon you. You are Baptized and He abides in you. You, the Church of God, elect and glorious, you are the Body of Christ, His Temple, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the Cornerstone.
You are strangers and aliens here, in this life, but you are fellow citizens with the saints. These highways and hedges are not your home. He brought you here this day to His holy House and to His Feast. Come. Be wrapped in perfect, selfless Love. Eat His Body. Drink His Blood.
All things are prepared. Nothing is lacking. He desires that you call upon Him and rest in Him. He wants you here. This is where you live.
Whatever you’ve done, whatever evil things you’ve dreamed and thought, whatever lies you’ve told and slander in which you’ve engaged, whatever prejudices you’ve harbored, adulteries you’ve committed, no matter what, God has paid for it all in His Son. You are clean and worthy of the Bridegroom. He wants you to feast, to be washed clean and reunited again in Him, to be at peace. He wants reconciliation and justification for you and for all. God desires all to be saved and come to the knowledge of Christ. He desires His House to be filled. There is always room for one more sinner. So, come. Listen. Believe and live, for Jesus’ sake. Amen,
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.
Come, for everything is now ready. Wisdom has built her house; she has mixed her wine; she has set her table. All things are prepared. Nothing is lacking. It is finished. Creation is restored. God has made peace with man. He has given His Son to us. He Himself is our Peace. You who were once far off have been brought near by the Blood of Christ.
He gives. He gives His Body and His Blood, broken and shed for you on the Cross, now given here for you to eat and drink for the forgiveness of sins. The curtain is torn from top to bottom. The Temple is destroyed. It is no longer needed. There is no reason to wail at those ruins. God has broken down the dividing wall of hostility in the flesh of Christ. We are reconciled. Come, leave your simple ways and live, walk in the way of insight; of true Wisdom.
Yet still men make excuses. Poor babies: this is their only day to sleep in; they work late; gas prices are too high; golf is really important; Church is boring and they don’t like being bored. We’ll make extreme efforts to get to the doctor or to a family wedding because those things are important. We’ll wait in line for hours of boredom to see Avengers or Harry Potter. But don’t ask too much effort of us to come and be fed by God. That is pretty shallow. Our excuses are as thin as those in the parable.
Which of us has not sat in this very room and wished it were over already? Which of us has not been bored in church and daydreamed? Not just about lunch and appointments for the week or the coming family vacation; not just of fame and fortune and dreams come true; but sat in these very pews and dreamed of evil? Even plotted to sin? We’ve lusted and coveted, lied and blasphemed within sight of the Altar while the Word of God was read and His great love proclaimed! It is not just those who are missing or absent who are guilty. Excuses are cheap and they are plentiful.
Thus do proud and arrogant men think they can prey on the generosity and patience of God. Like the wife of Hosea, they seek to take advantage of and abuse His grace and good will.
Who hasn’t wanted to best of both worlds – the pleasures of the flesh, honor among men, luxuries, freedom, constant amusement AND the joys and peace of heaven? Who is ready to forsake all? Ready to lose his job, her family, his reputation, her life for the Kingdom of God? We promised that at confirmation. Did we really mean it?
That was true wisdom – the fear of the Lord, faith in Him; learning the Ten Commandments, Creed, Lord’s Prayer. Have we exchanged them for the pretty things of this world? Eaten of the forbidden fruit because is was pleasing to the eye and promised “wisdom”? It is written, Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you; reprove a wise man, and he will love you. How do we react to godly reproof? Do we defend our sins? Dig in our heels? Refuse correction? Assert our stubborn wills?
Repent. Hear the warning: I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste of My Supper. Jesus tells this parable for the Pharisees. St Luke records it for us. The Master of the House will not be mocked. Do not think you can enjoy the forbidden fruit now and grasp heaven for cheap when it is more convenient. Now is the hour of salvation. Tomorrow may never come.
No one buys a peace of land without seeing it first. No one buys oxen without first testing them. These excuses are ridiculous! God is not fooled by superficial acts and lip service; by going through the motions. He is not appeased by excuses. He desires mercy, not sacrifice. He commands the circumcision of the heart.
Stop playing games with your fate, planning to sin now and repent later. Stop posturing before men and spewing lies like David pretending to be a noble hero for bringing the war-widow Bathsheba into his house. Stop thinking your sins are reasonable and bring no guilt or that you have some special relationship with God where He indulges your sins.
Repent. Repent now. There is but one case of death-bed repentance in all of Scripture. And it teaches us that no man should despair or think it too late, but neither should anyone presume. The invitation is not for tomorrow. It is for today. It is right now. All things are prepared.
That is, God has done all things for you. He has taken up your flesh, lived and suffered, died and rose for you. He has endured Hell’s fury and fire. He has left the enemy spent and dead on his own sword. He has crushed the serpent’s head and dissolved the chains of guilt and shame that held you. He has flung wide open the gates of heaven and removed the guards. The flaming sword of Eden has been quenched in the Blood of the Lamb.
You were once far off, separated from the Father by sin and death, by the seriousness of your sin and death; but now you have been brought near by the blood of Christ. You are no longer strangers and aliens. You are saints, members of God’s own household. There is no one to accuse you, no one to keep you out, nothing to stop you from this victory and joy given for free from on high. God Himself, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, who calls you by His Name in Holy Baptism loves you and beckons you to come to the feast. He wants you. He is not ashamed to be your God.
Do not be afraid. Do not be sad. Do not think yourself unworthy or dwell upon your past sins. They are gone. They are forgiven. The hostility is killed. He has made peace in Himself and comes and preaches peace to you. So come, weak and weary, heartbroken and lonely, trembling sinners wracked with guilt and uncertainty. Come. All things are ready. Come to the feast. It has been made ready for you.
This is for the greatest and the least, the outcasts and losers, the athletes and scholars, the druggies and rehab cases, the widows and the fatherless. Come. One and all, come to the Feast! Leave behind those temporary things. Get lost in the love of Christ that has loved you beyond all telling; that has forgiven every single flaw and sin and makes you new in Him. Die to yourself and find your Life. Eat and drink without money or cost.
We have nothing to give anyway. For we are beggars, this is true. But here is it God who begs – begs that you come and feast. He wants you. He feeds and nourishes you to the depths of your soul that you may never thirst again. You belong to God, His Name is upon you. You are Baptized and He abides in you. You, the Church of God, elect and glorious, you are the Body of Christ, His Temple, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the Cornerstone.
You are strangers and aliens here, in this life, but you are fellow citizens with the saints. These highways and hedges are not your home. He brought you here this day to His holy House and to His Feast. Come. Be wrapped in perfect, selfless Love. Eat His Body. Drink His Blood.
All things are prepared. Nothing is lacking. He desires that you call upon Him and rest in Him. He wants you here. This is where you live.
Whatever you’ve done, whatever evil things you’ve dreamed and thought, whatever lies you’ve told and slander in which you’ve engaged, whatever prejudices you’ve harbored, adulteries you’ve committed, no matter what, God has paid for it all in His Son. You are clean and worthy of the Bridegroom. He wants you to feast, to be washed clean and reunited again in Him, to be at peace. He wants reconciliation and justification for you and for all. God desires all to be saved and come to the knowledge of Christ. He desires His House to be filled. There is always room for one more sinner. So, come. Listen. Believe and live, for Jesus’ sake. Amen,
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