The coolest party!

Our decisions and choices can make us better, or can ruin us.

22 Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying: 2 “The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. 3 He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come.

4 “Then he sent some more servants and said, ‘Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.’

5 “But they paid no attention and went off—one to his field, another to his business. 6 The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them. 7 The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.

8 “Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. 9 So go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.’ 10 So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, the bad as well as the good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.

11 “But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. 12 He asked, ‘How did you get in here without wedding clothes, friend?’ The man was speechless.

13 “Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

14 “For many are invited, but few are chosen.”-Matthew22:1-14

The original invited guests were the people of Israel. Unfortunately, many did not heed the invitation to the

wedding banquet (kingdom of heaven or reign of God in their hearts). The servants (prophets and judges) were sent to once more invite the guests to the banquet, but they were mistreated and some were killed as in the case of John the Baptist. The king was enraged and destroyed the cities of the guests. Perhaps, this was the exile, the fall of Jerusalem, or a metaphorical way of describing the heavy yoke of the Law that continues to burden those who remained in the old ways. The king invited the unlikely people - pagans, prostitutes, tax collectors and the like to fill the banquet hall. This invitation to the wedding banquet (kingdom of heaven or reign of God in our hearts) is still given out to all of us to this day. Then there was a man who was thrown out because he was not wearing a wedding garment (change) despite being invited and already on the party.

The kingdom of heaven is like a grand party that is freely open to all - the good and the bad alike. We already have passes to it. But, there is a dress code named CHANGE AND REPENTANCE. There were those who gladly wore it, attended the party and had a wonderful time. While there are those who ignored it and still lived in misery and dissipation (and wondering where God is despite fully knowing that God is just waiting for him/her to go to the 'banquet'). Still others attended but are not willing to change at all because they prefer the worldly ways, the ways of the flesh, the ways of perversion and crookedness, the ways of selfishness, the ways of pleasurable destruction, the ways of commercialism, the ways of secularism, and so much more.

Did they really throw out the man? For me, as I reflected, I believe that the man repented. I believe he snapped out of it. I believe there is a change of heart. Upon seeing and realizing what he was about to lose - hey, not all are invited in a king's banquet and given free clothes all the time - I believe it is normal for anybody to find some way to remain. Just saying, "I'm sorry, Lord." is enough to melt the heart of Jesus. God will respond by giving us many chances to change and repent. And for as long as we repented, regretted, stood up and kept trying to be a better person, we are walking in His ways. It is not the many times that we have sinned that matter, but the times that we stand again and change our ways. No one can say, "You are hopeless." to another person simply because s/he sinned, because life is a continuous journey of renewal, resurrection and conversion. Sometimes, this conversion can even happen on one's deathbed only.

Notice that the king instructed his servants to gather anybody and everybody on the streets - the good and

the bad alike. Normally, no one attends a party at such a short notice. "What will I wear?" "I have other priorities." "I have something already for this day." are some thoughts of the surprised invited guests. The king definitely knew that there will be people who were invited, who would like to attend but have no proper outfit for the occasion - such as the poor. And so, he will be the one to dress them. To be given an invitation, admittance to a banquet and garment are privileges. Therefore, it is a great dishonor and lack of respect to not wear the outfit that the king himself has given to the man. Throwing him out in the dark is but just, but if the man repents, then that is a different story.

“For many are invited, but few are chosen.” Sometimes this sentence applies to those who seek religious life. Some are invited, embraced the religious life and happily died in the arms of God. Their invitation can be

 tangible (very visible and known) or "hidden" (unknown to them until one experience changes everything). Others find themselves packing their bags and leaving the religious life. It is not because God changed His mind or the person does not have a vocation, for God never makes a mistake when He decides whom to call. It is the decision and choices that a person makes that sometimes 'destroy' him/her. It might make them turn away from their original vocation for good. However, if the person rises from his/her mistake, repents, changes and would like to return to religious life, God gives them a second and many more chances just like the father to the prodigal son.

Because when He calls a person, s/he is already set apart for Him alone forever.

Thanks for the images!