All In

The Gospel brings us another parable.  The parables you find later in Matthew tend to have darker themes and definitely hit the eschatological ideas differently than in earlier parables.  As Jesus gets closer to the cross, he tells stories that challenge us to make decisions and spur us to action.  Following Jesus is not for wimps.  The parable of the wedding banquet has some violent themes that make us cringe a bit—but you get the point—if you get invited to the banquet, say yes.  And there will be all kinds of folks invited to the banquet, so get over it.  And after you have said “yes”, be sure to be prepared for the banquet.  Jesus wants fully committed followers who are “All In.”

We are invited to a feast of generosity through many opportunities to share our gifts with others less fortunate than ourselves. Do we willingly donate time, energy, resources to others? We are invite to a feast of relationships within family, workplace, neighborhood. Do we share our values and spirituality with others? Which is the feast we choose? Are we all in?