Matthew 22:1-14, September 14, 2025, Osaka Church
In the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit
A king decided to hold a wedding feast for his son. When preparations were complete, he sent his servants to the people he had previously invited, calling out, “Come!” However, no one showed up. According to Luke, the people declined, giving various excuses: “I have bought land and must go see it,” “I have bought cattle, and I have married a wife, so I cannot come.” The king persistently appealed to them again and again, but to no avail. Furthermore, the people killed the king’s servants who came to invite them, calling them “annoying.” Finally, the patient king became angry, destroyed them, and burned down the city. The Parable of Jesus…
At that time, wedding feasts were the most joyous and festive occasions. It was a beautiful occasion with a feast, plenty of wine, and endless singing, dancing, and laughter. Everyone wanted to be there. But for the people, buying land and increasing their wealth, buying cows and streamlining farm management, accompanying newlyweds on shopping trips, and tending to the children and household needs were more important than attending the most lavish banquet hosted by the king.
This parable is told by Jesus. The king is an analogy for God. The wedding feast represents the joy people share in being united with the prince, God’s only Son, Jesus Christ. Those who continue to refuse the invitation are those who, despite being invited to the joy of life with Christ, believe that money, power, hobbies, entertainment, “getting along” with neighbors, school, work, and relatives is what promises secure happiness to humans, and so do not come into the joy Christ brings.
People often say this. “The teachings of Christianity are beautiful, but they are all just a fantastical illusion. They are nothing more than elaborate fairy tales to provide a temporary comfort to people who are exhausted by the troubles of this world.”
But is that really the case? Is it really a fantastical illusion to believe in God, in Christ, to follow His teachings, and to think that true joy and happiness lies in being kept alive by the Lord? Is it really a fantastical illusion to live by Christ’s simple and powerful teachings to love one another and forgive one another? Is it really a fairy tale that Christ offered himself on the cross for the forgiveness of the sins of each of us, and that we may be resurrected to new life?
You might dismiss this with a “Of course it’s just a story!”
And many will say that. Yet countless people risked their lives on this “fantastical illusion,” this “elaborate fairy tale,” convinced that “life has meaning” and “love is not an illusion.” They fell asleep in the Lord, believing in the Lord’s promise of resurrection. They were all ordinary people, just like us.
On the other hand, many people have mistakenly believed that money, power, social status and prestige, education and career advancement, the various pleasures of this world, hobbies and culture, are what will make people happy. They have become embroiled in interpersonal conflicts over money and power, and after struggling for fame and success, many have become obsessed with these fantastical illusions and perished.
This is not to say that everything in this world is meaningless. When we believe in God’s love and grace, each and every experience regains meaning as an irreplaceable gift to us, and we are able to find God’s love in it. Even a moment spent chatting with friends at a bar can become a place of worship and praise for God, if we recognize it as a gift from God. However, if we do not believe in God and His love and entrust ourselves to Him, then that place will be nothing more than a dumping ground for the sorrows of this world. We must not get our priorities confused about what is most important. The Lord’s call to “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” is a call to restore our proper priorities and enter the feast of the kingdom of God. That feast is right here.
Thanks to the Lord God, we have been gathered together today at this feast called the Eucharist, a feast of the “Kingdom of God,” or “heaven,” offered to us by God’s grace even though we are in this world. We are not listening to a fairy tale in a fantasy. We are taking part in a very real joy that can be received by anyone who asks.