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.
When Jesus had driven out a demon, some of the crowd said: “By the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons, he drives out demons.” Others, to test him, asked him for a sign from heaven. But he knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste and house will fall against house. And if Satan is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that it is by Beelzebul that I drive out demons. If I, then, drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your own people drive them out? Therefore they will be your judges. But if it is by the finger of God that I drive out demons, then the Kingdom of God has come upon you. When a strong man fully armed guards his palace, his possessions are safe. But when one stronger than he attacks and overcomes him, he takes away the armor on which he relied and distributes the spoils. Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.
“When an unclean spirit goes out of someone, it roams through arid regions searching for rest but, finding none, it says, ‘I shall return to my home from which I came.’ But upon returning, it finds it swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and brings back seven other spirits more wicked than itself who move in and dwell there, and the last condition of that man is worse than the first.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
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The Gospels are filled with drama.
In a matter of pages, we encounter demons, lepers, prostitutes, murderers, and even Satan himself.
At first glance, many of us are probably glad we didn’t live back then. Satan seemed to wreak havoc on people’s lives, making Jesus look like a custodian sent to clean up the mess.
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But is our world much different today?
The mark of evil is division. As Jesus says in the Gospels, “A house divided against itself will fall.”
By extension – a family, a community, a nation, a world – divided against itself will fall because its members constantly fight amongst themselves.
Do we ever contribute to that division, even in little ways?
If we gossip about other people; if we nurse a grudge or refuse to forgive; if we post negative or false things online, then we do.
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Instead of sowing division, the Lord urges us to join him on the clean-up crew, as it were, striving to build bonds of unity. After all, this is part of his final prayer before his crucifixion and death: “That they may be one, Father, as we are one.”
How can I help to answer Christ’s prayer for peace?
Be the first to apologize after an argument. Pray for those who hurt you. Write a note of encouragement. Call a friend who’s lonely.
As Saint Francis of Assisi prayed some 800 years ago:
“Lord, make me an instrument of your peace: where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; and where there is sadness, joy.”
Timeless words that remind us the most important thing we can be in this world is on clean up crew, an instrument of God who longs for peace.
May we find a way to be just that today.
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Image credits: (1) churchsermonseriesideas.com (2) Gotoheavennow.com (3) Holly Brough Blog
