After Jesus had spoken, a Pharisee invited him to dine at his home. He entered and reclined at table to eat. The Pharisee was amazed to see that he did not observe the prescribed washing before the meal. The Lord said to him, “Oh you Pharisees! Although you cleanse the outside of the cup and the dish, inside you are filled with plunder and evil. You fools! Did not the maker of the outside also make the inside? But as to what is within, give alms, and behold, everything will be clean for you.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
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Three brothers met for their annual steak dinner. As the conversation started flowing, so did the expensive red wine, a Caymus Cabernet.
Next came the appetizers – bacon wrapped scallops, crab cakes, and a large Caesar salad – followed by three T-bone steaks, espresso, and tiramisu.
When the check came, the first brother saw the total, winced, and said somewhat jokingly, “How generous, brothers! I’ll pray for you in thanksgiving.”
The second brother said, “Yeah, and I’ll fast for you in the morning.”
But the third brother extended his hand and said, “Give me the check.”
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Which of the three made the biggest sacrifice?
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The one who paid the check.
While prayer and fasting are important spiritual practices, almsgiving may be the most important – and difficult – if we follow Mother Teresa’s advice, “Give until it hurts.”
Which does not necessarily mean pick up the next check at dinner, but give anonymously to a person or cause in need.
“Give until it hurts.”
Doing so is a balm for the soul, capable of saving even the religious authorities of Jesus’ day whom he indicted in today’s Gospel as being “filled with plunder and evil.”
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Pray.
Fast.
Give alms.
But give until it hurts.
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Image credits: (1) woodforestpc.org (2) Fogo de Chao, Thetravel.com (3) AZ Quotes.com
While still more people gathered in the crowd, Jesus said to them, “This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it, except the sign of Jonah. Just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. At the judgment the queen of the south will rise with the men of this generation and she will condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and there is something greater than Solomon here. At the judgment the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation and condemn it, because at the preaching of Jonah they repented, and there is something greater than Jonah here.”
The Word of the Lord.
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Ninevah served as the ancient capital of the Assyrian Empire, located in modern-day Iraq. The Assyrians were known for their brutality, invading foreign nations by force, including taking over northern Israel in the 8th century BC.
Thus, the Jews – including the prophet Jonah – held a deep-seeded hatred for them. The Ninevites were not only their enemies; they were also seen as enemies of the God.
This is why Jonah was so reluctant to enter their capital city, urging its residents to repent.
But to his absolute surprise – and chagrin? – they did.
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Why was Jonah such an effective instrument of God’s will?
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He had nothing to gain.
He traveled a great distance and risked his life, even spending three days and three nights in the belly of a whale, in order to share this divine message with his enemies. When they heard his voice, the Ninevites realized Jonah had no reason to lie.
And wisely, they repented.
We see the same dynamic at work in the Acts of the Apostles.
Imagine Saint Peter preaching his first public sermon at Pentecost. Speaking before the same crowds who called for Christ’s death, he proclaims, “This man killed, using lawless men to crucify him But God raised him up!”
Peter risked his life to tell this truth – as did every other Apostle. Each of them preferred death to denying Christ.
Here we find the key to authentic Christian witness. We are called to live in this world in a way that doesn’t make sense… unless God exists.
Namely, love our enemies, pray for those who persecute you, and labor for the salvation of all, even to the point of risking your life.
So, what might that look like for me today?
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Image credits: (1) Words for the Heart, WordPress (2) The Story of Jonah, Willow Creek Community Church (3) Prayables
Jesus again in reply spoke to the chief priests and elders of the people in parables, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son. He dispatched his servants to summon the invited guests to the feast, but they refused to come. A second time he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those invited: “Behold, I have prepared my banquet, my calves and fattened cattle are killed, and everything is ready; come to the feast.”‘ Some ignored the invitation and went away, one to his farm, another to his business. The rest laid hold of his servants, mistreated them, and killed them. The king was enraged and sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city. Then he said to his servants, ‘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.’ The servants went out into the streets and gathered all they found, bad and good alike, and the hall was filled with guests. But when the king came in to meet the guests, he saw a man there not dressed in a wedding garment. The king said to him, ‘My friend, how is it that you came in here without a wedding garment?’ But he was reduced to silence. Then the king said to his attendants, ‘Bind his hands and feet, and cast him into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.’ Many are invited, but few are chosen.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
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Dress in society has become increasingly casual.
You can walk into some of the best restaurants in New York City and see diners wearing t-shirts and jeans. Ironically enough, what sticks out these days is not casual dress, but a shirt and tie!
I first noticed this change with the dot-com revolution. Mark Zuckerberg, the founder and CEO of Facebook, became known overnight for his collarless t-shirt. Meanwhile, Steve Jobs, the late CEO of Apple, wore a black turtleneck, jeans, and New Balance sneakers.
Their fashion style eliminated the traditional difference between the living room and the boardroom.
Eventually, this trend trickled down to young people. What we once wore only at home has become the default dress code, weakening the distinction between the public and the private square.
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So, what does this cultural shift mean? And what might it tell us about today’s Gospel?
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Psychologists suggest that this shift reflects our preference for comfort, practicality, and the freedom to wear whatever we want wherever we want.
But the downside to dressing casually, certainly if you’re an honored guest at a wedding, is the fact that it can convey a lack of preparation or appreciation for the importance of an event.
Have we gone so far as to dress informally in front of anyone, from brides and grooms, to presidents or the pope?
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In today’s Gospel, this seems to be the case.
A king throws a wedding banquet for his son – and the guest list is extensive. But to the king’s utter surprise, nobody shows up!
As the champagne begins to warm, the steaks turn cold, and band members place their instruments down, the king sends out a second invitation to his distinguished guests.
Some ignore the invitation, claiming they have more important things to do. Others go so far as to kill the messengers delivering the invitations! It sounds so absurd it’s almost laughable.
Enraged, the king sends out his servants a third and final time, desperate to fill his banquet hall with warm bodies – seemingly anyone willing to celebrate with him. Eventually, the streets are emptied and the hall is filled.
Everyone shows up dressed to the nines with the exception of one person, whom Matthew describes as arriving without a “wedding garment.”
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What is this “wedding garment”? Is it a physical piece of cloth? Or does it symbolize something deeper?
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In Jesus’ day, nobody had a neatly pressed tuxedo or a lace-frilled dress hanging in their closet. But many, even the poor, had their “Sunday best.” Some outfit to wear on an important occasion.
Apparently, this man didn’t. Or, in the least, he chose not to change.
Perhaps he was a farmer who strolled in after a long day of working in the fields with his sweaty straw hat and muddy boots on, dragging dark sludge across the marble floors.
Even in our modern culture, he’d stick out like a sore thumb.
But his dress was not the real issue. It pointed to something deeper – his heart. Celebrating in the presence of the king stirred no awe, no excitement, no respect, no affection, not even fear inside of him.
To him, this wedding was no different than a Friday night at the local watering hole, with the exception of champagne and caviar.
Maybe he felt the king was lucky to have him on his guest list. Maybe he felt he was doing the king a favor by eating his food lest it go to waste.
Whatever his logic, this man showed no appreciation for his host or the occassion. So, the king addresses him and casts him out.
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Let’s be clear.
The “wedding garment” is not something physical. It’s the fabric of our lives.
The man without a wedding garment, whom I imagined with sweaty clothes and muddy boots, represents a person whose life has been muddied by sin, who has no real affection for God.
Christians, on the other hand, are called to be people who weave their years together with patterns of love, forgiveness, justice, mercy, kindness, and peace.
Something which we can do in a black turtleneck, jeans, and New Balance sneakers because the Lord is not concerned with how we look as much as who we are.
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Dress in society has become increasingly casual, perhaps challenging us to see more like God does – beneath the surface, into the heart.
May we always live with blameless hearts, ready to meet our King.
