Do we have confidence in God’s promise of salvation?
In Matthew’s Gospel, after Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, the ire of the chief priests and elders becomes particularly fierce, but they do not immediately arrest Jesus because they fear the response of the crowds. Jesus replies to each of their challenges to his authority with parables. One of these is the parable of the nuptial banquet, in which a king gives a wedding feast for his son, sending his servants to summon the invited guests to the feast. But one after another, these guests find excuses not to come; eventually, the man orders his servants to invite to the feast whomever they find, so the servants return with good and bad alike. The bad, in the eyes of the chief priests and elders, would have included both tax collectors and prostitutes, all of whom Jesus was known to have dined with. The invitation offered by the king is an offer of mercy; the chief priests and elders fail to recognize their own need for mercy and, by extension, salvation. In fact, however, we need to be open, willing to accept God’s invitation, that we might be saved by his mercy.
Upon hearing this parable, the chief priests and elders would doubtless have recalled God's promise of deliverance in Isaiah: On this mountain the Lord of hosts will provide for all peoples a feast of rich food and choice wines; they might even have realized that they were the ones who refused to come to the feast. Isaiah promises a time when the people will no longer fear death, but they must be open to and accept the salvation the Lord offers them. King David would remember, in his trials, that the Lord was with him through every difficulty: Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil, for you are at my side, he sings in Psalm 23. David trusts in God’s promise of salvation. Likewise, Paul’s trust in the Lord’s care and concern is manifest: I can do all things in him who strengthens me, he writes to the Philippians. Paul is sustained by his faith in Jesus Christ, both in humble circumstances and in moments of abundance.
How confident are we in the Lord’s promises? How convinced are we that the Lord’s salvation is ours, if only we are open to it? How grateful are we when we know, in the depths of our being, the extent of his care and concern, and believe with all our core in the salvation he offers? How ready are we to come to the feast?
This post is based on Fr. Pat’s Scripture class.
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