A synopsis of the sermon delivered by the Rev. David L. Hicks at St. Paul’s Reformed Episcopal Church at the 10:30am service on Trinity II, June 5, 2005. Please read St. Luke 14:16-24.
Jesus’ parable about a wealthy and powerful man who made a great feast and invited his friends, only to have his invitations rejected, may be readily understood on a basic level. Which of us, like to host in the story, would not be insulted by the excuses of friends who spurn our invitation to fellowship. Jesus, in the context of his earthly ministry, is speaking of the manner in which the people of Israel had rejected God’s invitation to fellowship with him. The Old Testament records numerous times in which the prophets were rejected, and the people refused to follow God’s commandments and statutes. This rejection of God’s invitation comes to its culmination in the person of Jesus Christ, who also was rejected and crucified by the very people he had come to save. Thus, God turns to the whole world and extends his invitation of salvation to all who would hear, both Jew and Gentile.
The Book of Common Prayer, however, makes application of this parable to our own context in which God’s invitation to fellowship is realized through the sacraments. In particular, the prayer book addresses the matter of participation in the Holy Communion. The following is an exhoration taken from the Book of Common Prayer to be said to the congregation when many are negligent to come to the Lord’s Table.
“Dearly beloved brethren, on ___ I intend, by God’s grace, to celebrate the Lord’s Supper: unto which, in God’s behalf, I bid you all who are here present; and beseech you, for the Lord Jesus Christ’s sake, that he will not refuse to come thereto, being so lovingly called and bidden by God himself. Ye know how grievous and unkind a thing it is, when a man hath prepared a rich feast, decked his table with all kind of provision, so that there lacketh nothing but the guests to sit down; and yet they who are called, without any cause, most unthankfully refuse to come. Which of you in such a case would not be moved? Who would not think a great injury and wrong done unto him? Wherefore, most dearly beloved in Christ, take ye good heed, lest ye, withdrawing yourselves from this holy Supper, provoke God’s indignation against you. It is an easy matter for a man to say, I am a grievous sinner, and therefore am afraid to come: wherefore then do ye not repent and amend? When God calleth you, are ye not ashamed to say ye will not come? When ye should return to God, will ye excuse yourselves, and say ye are not ready? Consider earnestly with yourselves how little such feigned excuses will avail before God. Those who refused the fest in the Gospel, because they had bought a farm, or would try their yokes of oxen, or because they were married, were not so excused, but counted unworthy of the heavenly feast. I, for my part, shall be ready; and, according to mine Office, I bid you in the Name of God, I call you in Christ’s behalf, I exhort you to be partakers of this Holy Communion. And as the Son of God did vouchsafe to yield up his soul by death upon the Cross for your salvation; so it is your duty to receive the Communion in remembrance of the sacrifice of his death, as he himself hath commanded.”
What a great privilege is ours to participate in Holy Communion, for it is there that God meets us in a unique and special way, according to the promise of our Savior Jesus Christ. With this great privilege, however, comes great responsibility. God takes very seriously this invitation to communion with him, and so should we. May God in his grace remove from our hearts and impediment or excuse that would hinder us from enjoying the great feast that God has prepared through his Son.
Amen.
