OCT 9, 2011  SERMON ARCHIVE

In the name of the Father and of the X Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Our text for today is the Holy Gospel read a few moments ago, the parable of the wedding banquet. There we read these words:

(Mat 22:1-14 NIV) Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying: {2} "The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. {3} He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come. {4} "Then he sent some more servants and said, 'Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.' {5} "But they paid no attention and went off--one to his field, another to his business. {6} The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them. {7} The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. {8} "Then he said to his servants, 'The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. {9} Go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.' {10} So the servants 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. {11} "But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. {12} 'Friend,' he asked, 'how did you get in here without wedding clothes?' The man was speechless. {13} "Then the king told the attendants, 'Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' {14} "For many are invited, but few are chosen."

In the Name of Jesus Christ, AMEN.

Today is a special day. NO, I do not mean that it is the 21st Sunday After Pentecost, although it is. NO, it is not Super Bowl Sunday. NO, I do not mean that it is the first day of the rest of your lives, although I would like to think that I wrote such a great sermon that it may well be exactly that for most of you as you see the errors of your ways.

Today, somewhere in this world, people witnessed the kingdom of Satan overthrown, the powers of hell turned back, and the Kingdom of God breaking into our harsh and unforgiving world. When did all of this happen? Where did all of this take place? Dear friends, somewhere today these words were spoken over a sinner’s head, I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the (+) Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

With these words and water, all of Christ's work on the cross was given to another of God’s beloved children, and that person became a child of God and heir of eternal life. With those words somewhere in the world today, the kingdom of Satan was again overthrown, the powers of hell were once again turned back, and the Kingdom of God broke into our harsh and unforgiving world once more. Moreover, since each of us here has received such a wonderful gift ourselves, it is appropriate that we reflect on this, and hear what our Lord would say to us today about His wonderful gift of Himself.

Today, somewhere in this world, people witnessed the kingdom of Satan overthrown, the powers of hell turned back, and the Kingdom of God breaking into our harsh and unforgiving world. When did all of this happen? Where did all of this take place? Dear friends, somewhere today these words were spoken over a sinner’s head, I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the (+) Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

With these words and water, all of Christ's work on the cross was given to another of God’s beloved children, and that person became a child of God and heir of eternal life. With those words somewhere in the world today, the kingdom of Satan was again overthrown, the powers of hell were once again turned back, and the Kingdom of God broke into our harsh and unforgiving world once more. Moreover, since each of us here has received such a wonderful gift ourselves, it is appropriate that we reflect on this, and hear what our Lord would say to us today about His wonderful gift of Himself.

The clothes make the man. If there's one thing that is clear about our day and age, it is that image is important to us. And what is more important for our image than our clothes? How you dress can present a picture of who you are, how you want people to perceive you, and what kind of income you may have.

Of course, people wear different clothes for different occasions. Sometimes you go shopping for a particular event that you know is coming up, and you want to have just the right clothes for the event. Think of how ridiculous it would be to wear a tuxedo to the beach, or to wear swim trunks to a formal dance! How about a set of Camo to the divine service? Maybe on opening day but no other. You just wouldn't do it. It wouldn't be appropriate. It wouldn't be proper. The clothes you wear can be an act of either respect or rebellion. If I were to attend a formal wedding wearing cut-offs and an old ratty T-shirt, people would think I was either crazy, had no social skills or that I was trying to offend the wedding party. The clothes make the man.

And so it is that we have the parable of the wedding banquet. In this parable, Jesus told of a king who throw a wedding and banquet for his son. He sent out his servants to tell the guests to come, but they refused. Not only did they refuse, but they seized, mistreated and even killed the servants. Sounds a little like last weeks parable, doesn't it? Of course, in last weeks parable, the son is killed, and here he is back alive. I wonder what that's about? Anyway, the king then sends his servants out to the street corners to find other guests. And so the wedding hall was filled.

But there was one man that the king saw who was not wearing wedding clothes. The king asked the man kindly how he got in without wedding clothes, but the guest was speechless. The king then told his attendants to throw the man outside into the darkness, where there would be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

The clothes make the man. At first glance, it seems like the king was a little hard on this guest. I mean, really, he just didn't have the right clothes on. These guests were the scum of the street, why was the king so hard on them for not having proper wedding garments? Well, at that time when a king invited guests to a banquet, the king also provided the proper wedding garments for the guests. For this guest to not be dressed properly was a sign of contempt for the king and his son.

The king, of course, is God the Father. The Son is Jesus, and the banquet is the eternal banquet in heaven which will be ours at the Last Day. The first guests were the Jews who rejected God's message, and the other guests were the Gentiles. And what is the wedding garment? It is the robe of righteousness that is given to you at your Baptism.

The clothes make the man. Just like the man in the parable, your clothes are not appropriate for being in the presence of the King. What you wear naturally is sin, sick, ugly sin. And it doesn't leave you. You can't just cover it up and pretend it isn't there, for it is there, and it won't go away on your own power. The traditional pre-communion prayer puts it this way: "Strip off from us the spotted garments of our flesh, and of our own righteousness, and adorn us with the garments of the righteousness that thou hast purchased with Thy blood."

The garments which Christ gives to you to wear are not cheap. In fact, they were purchased with His blood. His life paid for the garments which you wear, so that you, and all the saints of heaven, may enter into the eternal banquet of the King.

In your Baptism everything which our Lord won on the cross was given to you. Saint Paul put it this way in Galatians (3: 26-27): You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. Through the waters of Holy Baptism you are all clothed with Christ. Here in the church it doesn't matter what color your skin is, whether you are a woman or a man, or a child, whether you're a Hoosier or a Cheesehead, pastor or layperson, or whatever.

In the waters of Holy Baptism you were clothed with Christ. This garment of Baptism gives you or works in you, the most incredible of gifts! As Luther put it: Baptism gives . . . forgiveness of sins, delivers from death and the devil, and gives eternal salvation to all who believe this, as the words and promises of God declare. (SC IV, II.)

The waters of Holy Baptism are a covering for the whole Church, so that when God looks at you, He doesn't see your selfishness, your pride at being different, and the egotistical ME FIRST nature that infects us all. No, you are clothed with Christ. When your heavenly Father looks at you, He sees the spotless raiment of Christ's holy life, His innocent suffering death, and resurrection for our salvation. When God looks at you, he sees Jesus.

The clothes make the man. Yes, the Lord has much in store for you, dear friends? He has so much to give that He can hardly wait to bring you to heaven so that you may be in His presence forever. In fact, He so much wants you at His banquet table that He has given you a foretaste of that eternal banquet here today, and His Holy Supper. For it is here at this table, at that rail that you receive a foretaste of the feast to come.

Did you know that in days gone by in many churches the baptismal font was placed right in the center as one went up to the altar, or even at the very entrance of the church. This was done to show that the only way a person may enter into God's presence and receive His meal was through the waters of Holy Baptism.

The hymn expresses it so well:
Behold, a host arrayed in white, like thousand snow-clad mountains bright.
With palms they stand, who is this band, before the throne of light.

This host is the Holy Christian Church, clothed with Christ's righteousness and standing before God's throne.

Yes, the clothes do make the man. Thank God that He gives us His righteousness as our garment, so that we may enter into His banquet hall and join in the marriage feast of Christ and His bride, the Church. May we enter that hall with all the saints of heaven.

And that is what St. Paul is talking about when he says, `"Rejoice in the Lord Always," and again I say, "Rejoice."’

Christ is Risen.