"Sorry, I'm Too Busy" - October 9, 2011 Sermon

Scripture: Matthew 22:1-14

The Sermon:
I want you to think back to a time when you were in school or college. Were you ever late with some homework or a term paper? Did you try to come up with an excuse or a reason for not having your work completed on time? I read about one young boy who had failed to do his term paper on time and gave the following excuse: "I got mugged on the way to school. I offered the mugger my watch, my money and my gold necklace, but all he wanted was my term paper." Certainly more elaborate than, "My dog ate it."

We have all made excuses for not doing something! As adults, we sometimes make excuses for not attending a professional seminar or someone’s anniversary party or a funeral or a wedding…or any number of gatherings that may interfere with something else we would rather do. We are continually confronted with opportunities to either say "YES" or "NO".

This brings us to today’s parable. A king was having a banquet for his son, who was preparing to marry. No expense was spared, his oxen and fattened cattle were butchered and everything was ready. He sent out his servants to those who were invited, to tell them to come now, but they refused. One went to his field, another to his business and some even mistreated the servants and killed them. The king was enraged…he sent his army and destroyed the murderers and burned the city.

Then, the king told his servants, "Those I invited did not deserve to come. Go into the street corners and invite anyone you find." So, the servants obeyed the king and went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, both good and bad, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.

I know you probably recognize this story, but what you may not know is that something very similar actually happened. A Ms. Kathleen Gooley was all set for her wedding. A non-refundable deposit of $4,000 dollars had been given to the caterer. Then she learned that the groom had changed his mind…he was a no show. She decided, that since everything was already paid for, she would contact the local homeless shelters, and the drug and alcohol rehab centers and the salvation army center and invite all of them.

She wanted someone to enjoy the banquet.

The meaning of this parable is that the so-called righteous people of that time rejected Jesus as the Christ. So what does God do?…He gave an open invitation into His kingdom to all who would come, righteous and unrighteous alike.

What really touched a nerve with me, personally, is the excuses that were used by those who refused the invitation. They did not refuse the invite because they were mean or wicked…they were absorbed by the activities of their daily lives…all of which they deemed more important than the call of Christ. This begs the question, "Are we so absorbed with living our lives that we miss the call of Christ? " How often does our day to day conversations revolve around the weather, new cars, price of gas, clothes, furniture or sports or restaurants? These are all really trivial when compared to discussion about human destiny or our claims as Christians. Most people are uncomfortable talking about such things and when serious sickness comes or the dark shadow of death is near, they are tongue-tied, because they are only used to talking about mundane things.

Many times in life, we find ourselves allowing "worldliness", that is, material affairs to take precedent over our relationship with Christ. We find ourselves constantly exploring the path of material goods and wealth, looking for the happiness and joy that we all want, not leaving time to seek out God and embrace His promises. However, God’s plans are not defeated. The Banquet is still held for those who want to learn the ways of true Joy! The heritage of the Jews was extended to the Gentiles !

Of course, our number one excuse for not attending "Gods Banquet" is that we don’t have enough time. It makes me think of the Queen of Hearts in Alice in Wonderland when she said, "It takes all the running you can do just to keep in the same place. If you want to get somewhere else, you have to run twice as fast." We get so caught up in a hectic lifestyle… so busy doing things…that we don’t have time for God’s Banquet!

At some point in life, we have to decide what really matters most and make certain that the important things get done. We can sit sown and make a list of the things we deem important…and it can be a long list: family, job, self-improvement, service in the community, relaxation time, etc. However, our first priority should be time with God. If you are too busy to listen for God, then you are too busy…If you are too busy to help out in God’s kingdom, then you are too busy!We must all remember that there will come a time when our relationship with God is the only thing that will matter.

I’ll end with this anecdote: A mental hospital had a unique way of determining if some of its patients were ready to be returned to society. They would bring the patient into a room that had a sink overflowing water and the faucet was still running with water. They would hand the patient a mop and ask them to clean up the mess. If the patient turned off the faucet before starting to mop, they would be released. If the patient started mopping first, more treatment was needed.

You and I need to stop mopping long enough to see if the faucet is still running! We need to center our lives on God and God’s purposes, and we will discover that life truly is a feast. We all have been invited to His feast…let’s RSVP with a strong "YES".

AMEN