The Collect for the Second Sunday after Trinity
O Lord, Who never fails to keep and govern those who You bring up in Your steadfast awe and Love ; Keep us, we ask You under the protection of Your good Providence, and make us to have perpetual awe and love of Your Holy Name ; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Epistle. 1 St John 3:13-24
13 Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters if the world hates you. 14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death. 15 Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him.
16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. 17 If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.
19 This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: 20 If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. 21 Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God 22 and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him. 23 And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. 24 The one who keeps God’s commands lives in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.
The Holy Gospel of St Luke 14:16-24
16 Jesus said: “A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. 17 At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’
18 “But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, ‘I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.’
19 “Another said, ‘I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.’
20 “Still another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’
21 “The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.’
22 “‘Sir,’ the servant said, ‘what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.’
23 “Then the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the roads and country lanes and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full. 24 I tell you, not one of those who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.’”
Bishop Ian’s Thoughts
Today’s Epistle Reading is taken from the First Epistle of St John Chapter 3 Verses 13-24
St John begins our Epistle Reading by making a bold statement that we should not be surprised to learn that the world hates us as Christians:
“13 Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters if the world hates you.”
“The world” means that great body of the earth’s population, both past, present, and future, who have no regard for the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ, but rather revel in the pleasures and lusts of Satan.
St John then declares that all Christians have assurance that they have passed from spiritual death to Life because of the Love that exists between them. This Love emanates from God.
Those persons who do not Love, remain spiritually dead, in this present world, and, after the Great Judgment, for eternity,
“14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death.”
St John gives an extreme example of a person who hates their brother or sister:
“15 Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him.”
We then have a very challenging truth laid down before us:
“16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.”
Even in the First Century AD, when St John wrote his First Epistle, it was not common for any person to be called to lay down their life for another person, other than when serving as a soldier in a battle.
What St John may have had in mind is a person who loses their life attempting to save a drowning person, or defending a person who has been set upon by robbers.
St John gives us another practical example of the Love of God dwelling within a Christian who may be a rich person:
“17 If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?”
The social divide that existed between the rich and poor was much greater in the First Century AD then today.
It is the willingness to act, or speak up, at the risk of our own life that is a manifestation of God’s Love in us:
“18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.”
St John then tells us how we know that we belong to God, in Truth, and gain confidence knowing that we are right with God. God’s Knowledge is greater than the sum total of all earthly knowledge and His Judgements are based on all things, many of which we are unaware of:
“19 This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: 20 If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.”
St John then tells us that the secret to having confidence before God is to keep His Commandments:
“21 Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God 22 and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him.”
We are then told by St John what it is to keep the Commandments of God.
We are Commanded to believe in the Person and Work of Gold’s Only Begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. If we believe in the Holy Gospel of the Lord Jesus we are clothed with the Holy Righteousness of the Lord Jesus.
Our belief in the Holy Gospel of the Lord Jesus enables us to love others as ourselves, and this love is most pleasing to God:
"23 And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. 24 The one who keeps God’s commands lives in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us."
The proof of our right standing before God, through the Holy Gospel of the Lord Jesus, is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, Who testifies to our hearts and minds, and gives us peace within ourselves, even in a world that hates us.
Let us give thanks to God for the Gift of the Holy Gospel of the Lord Jesus and the confidence that the Holy Gospel gives us in heart and mind. Let us also thank God for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit who shows the things of the Lord Jesus to us, and comforts us until the Lord Jesus comes again. Amen.
Today’s Holy Gospel Reading is taken from the Holy Gospel of St Luke Chapter 14, Verses 16-24.
St Luke opens this portion of his Holy Gospel with the Lord Jesus’ and His Disciples attending a banquet, at the house of a prominent Pharisee (a member of the Jewish Religious party).
St John uses Verses 12-15 set the scene for the portion of scripture that is set forth as our Gospel Reading today.
Some scholars suggest that the Lord Jesus’ parable (an earthly story with a Heavenly meaning) was based on a Jewish story about a Tax Collector (not a highly esteemed job in the Lord Jesus’ time) who was trying to gain social standing, among the Jewish aristocrats and so he prepared a banquet, and invited many of the aristocrats.
Most of the aristocrats, in the Jewish story, rebuffed the Tax Collector by declining his invitation.
In the preface to our Reading the Lord Jesus spoke to the host and told him that true hospitality and generosity is shown by providing a blessing to those who are unable to reciprocate in kind:
“12 Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbours; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. 13 But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, 14 and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”
15 When one of those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus, “Blessed is the one who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.”
When the Lord Jesus heard this blessing spoken by one of the other guests at His table, he immediately responded by telling the parable that makes up our Holy Gospel Reading today:
“16 Jesus said: “A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests.”
The Lord Jesus had also observed the other guests at the banquet and their actions. Many of the guests sought to secure the best seats of honour at the banquet table, no doubt to enhance their own prestige, and to appear important in the eyes of others.
In the Lord Jesus’ parable, the host of the banquet had prepared a magnificent feast and had sent all the invitations out. He had no doubt invited all the prominent citizens of his area.
The host then sent his servant to tell the invited guests that the banquet was ready and that they should now come to enjoy it:
“17 At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’
This double invitation was quite a common Jewish custom in the Lord Jesus’ time, the guests would be invited prior to the banquet to advise them of the upcoming event, and invited, or called, a second time when the banquet was prepared and ready to eat.
The Lord Jesus then told His Disciples of some of the guest’s responses to their second banquet call:
18 “But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, ‘I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.’
19 “Another said, ‘I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.’
20 “Still another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’
Just like the guests in the story of the Jewish Tax Collector, the guests in the Lord Jesus’ parable each decline the call due to prior commitments.
Each excuse was perfectly feasible in the daily routine of running each invited guest’s household, however each task cited for not coming could have been rescheduled.
Although the reasons given for the invitees' inability to come were valid and truthful, they failed to consider the dishonour and offence accorded to the host of the banquet, in their refusal to come.
The host of the banquet, on hearing the excuses for not attending, understandably became angry and ordered his servant to go into the streets and alleys of the town and call in guests from the lowest social class in town, the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame:
“21 The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.”
The servant reported that he had carried out this order but yet there was still room at the tables:
“22 Sir, the servant said, ‘what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.”
The host then told his servant to go out into the main roads and country lanes and call in yet more people, that the banquet would be full of guests and could proceed in honour and joyfulness:
“23 Then the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the roads and country lanes and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full.”
The servant is told to “compel” the people, he came across, to come to the banquet. The word “compel” indicates that the servant was to be passionate, and overwhelmingly persuasive, to ensure that the banquet hall would be full.
A half full banquet hall would not please, or honour, any host in the Lord Jesus’ time.
The host then makes a stunning declaration:
“24 I tell you, not one of those who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.”
Those who were invited to the banquet and dishonoured the host by refusing the invitation will now never share in the banquet.
This parable told by the Lord Jesus alludes to the Great Heavenly Banquet prepared by God and to be held immediately after the Great Day of God’s Judgement of all mankind.
This Great Judgement will be held at the time of the Lord Jesus’ Second Coming to this world.
In the Lord Jesus’ parable the original invitees were the ancient Jewish nation and the Jews of the Lord Jesus time. When the Jews rejected God’s Invitation by rejecting and crucifying God’s only Begotten Son, God sent His Invitation to the Gentiles (non-Jewish People).
The Gentiles were considered, by religious Jews as being totally outside the Covenant of God, and beneath the beggars, the cripples, and the blind within the Jewish nation.
God’s invitations to His Great Heavenly Banquet have been sent out in every age of history, through Noah at the time of the flood, through Abraham at the time of God’s calling of him, through Moses at the time of the giving of the Law, through the Holy Prophets of the Old Testament era and through the Earthly Ministry of the Lord Jesus and His Holy Apostles.
The invitations to God’s Great Banquet are still being sent out in our day and age by the faithful preaching of the Holy Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.
It was also customary, in Jewish Banquets and Wedding Feasts, that the host would provide a special garment, usually a robe worn over the guest’s garments, to signify that the guests were blessed, and honoured by the host.
To not wear this special garment was a great insult to the host.
God’s Holy Banquet Invitation and Banquet Garment is offered to all.
God's Banquet Garment is the Holy Righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ, which clothes any person who has faith in, and accepts, the Gift of the Lord Jesus’ Perfect Work of Redemption on the Cross.
This Perfect Work of the Lord Jesus is known as The Holy Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ,
God’s Great Heavenly Banquet will be a joyous celebration of God’s Bounteous Provision and Faithfulness throughout all ages of History.
This Great Heavenly Banquet will be composed of people from every nation, Redeemed by the Holy Gospel, and all enjoying the Presence of God and giving Worship, Praise and Thanksgiving and to our Holy God and His only-Begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.
Let us always give grateful thanks to God for His Gracious Invitation to His Great Heavenly Banquet, and also thank Him for providing the essential Garment for us to wear. May we ever be ready to proclaim God’s Invitation to His Great Heavenly Banquet, and may we ever be thankful to God for providing the Banquet Garment at the highest cost: the Death of His Only-Begotten Son, the Lord Jesus. Amen.
Bishop Ian