Daily Readings - Thu Aug 23 2018
Ezekiel
23And I will vindicate the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, and which you have profaned among them. And the nations will know that I am the LORD, declares the Lord GOD, when through you I vindicate my holiness before their eyes.24I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries and bring you into your own land.25I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you.26And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.27And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.28You shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers, and you shall be my people, and I will be your God.
Matthew
1And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying,2"The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son,3and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come.4Again he sent other servants, saying, 'Tell those who are invited, See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.'5But they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business,6while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them.7The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.8Then he said to his servants, 'The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy.9Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.'10And those servants went out into the roads and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests.11"But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment.12And he said to him, 'Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?' And he was speechless.13Then the king said to the attendants, 'Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'14For many are called, but few are chosen."
Sermon
The readings today offer a powerful message about God’s invitation, transformation, and our response to His call. In the first reading from Ezekiel, we hear of God’s promise to restore His people. He vows to pour clean water over them, cleansing them from their sins and idols, and to give them a new heart and a new spirit. This is not merely a physical cleansing but a spiritual transformation, enabling them to live according to His will. Ezekiel’s prophecy speaks to a people in exile, separated from their homeland and their covenant with God. Yet, God’s mercy and faithfulness shine through, as He promises to gather them back and renew their relationship with Him.
In the Gospel, Jesus tells the parable of the wedding feast, where a king invites guests to celebrate his son’s wedding. Despite the king’s generous invitation, the guests refuse to come, some even mistreating and killing the servants sent to call them. The king’s patience is met with ingratitude, leading to judgment. Yet, the feast is not canceled; instead, the king opens it to anyone who will come, both good and bad. However, when the king enters, he notices a guest without a wedding garment—a symbol of the spiritual preparation and reverence required to truly participate in the feast. This guest is cast out, reminding us that responding to God’s invitation requires more than just presence; it demands a willingness to be transformed and to live in accordance with His will.
Together, these readings remind us that God’s invitation to us is both gracious and urgent. Ezekiel emphasizes the transformative power of God’s Spirit, which cleanses and renews us. The Gospel, on the other hand, highlights the need for a proper response to this invitation—a response marked by repentance, gratitude, and a commitment to living as children of God. In our daily lives, we are called to accept God’s invitation with humility and openness, allowing His Spirit to transform us. Let us not take His mercy for granted, but rather, let us strive to live in a way that reflects our identity as His people, clothed in the garments of faith, love, and obedience.