All are called...

Homily on the 14th Sunday after Pentecost

2 Corinthians 1: 21-2:4; Matthew 22: 1-14.

One thing is certain: as followers of Christ and members of His Church, we will all be called to account for the way we have treated others. People come with many characteristics, some good and others not as good. Yet the overarching message of the Gospel is to love as our Lord and Saviour loves.

Now, what does it mean to love? Saints and philosophers have pondered this question since mankind was created by the All-Holy Trinity. Yet we often struggle to express this love which we are commanded to show one another.

To paraphrase Saint Paul in 1 Corinthians 13:4–8: have we been patient and kind to others—even if we do not agree with their opinion? Have we resisted envying their successes or good fortune? Have we resisted the urge to shame people when we perceive that they have done wrong? Have we resisted the urge to gloat when someone who has done us wrong suffers misfortune? Have we done our best to protect those who are weak and fragile in our community?

Whilst I am sure that you all strive to embody these qualities of love in your lives, doing so can be difficult, as embodying these values can seem to go against our very nature. How then are we to show this love to our neighbours when doing so can seem difficult at times?

Well, the easiest way is to follow the example of our Lord and Saviour. He is the perfect example of Christian conduct for all. In fact, in the parable of the unforgiving servant (Matthew 18:21–35), He makes it clear that we are not to be like the unforgiving servant, for just as the All-Holy Trinity forgives us our wrongs, we must forgive the wrongs of others. This is not to say that once we have forgiven a wrong we must become best friends. Rather, at the very least, we must pray for them, for that is one of the greatest acts of charity a Christian can do.

One such person who showed this love was the centurion who had a servant whom he cared about so much that he sought out our Lord and Saviour. In those days, such concern for a servant was very rare, for if one was a slave or a servant, one was almost considered as being on the same level as beasts of burden.

However, the faith of this man of authority is what Jesus admired. At once this man, a Gentile, had expressed more faith in the All-Holy Trinity than even the people who were given the first invitation to His heavenly banquet.

Christ uses this moment to show that all are equal before God because He says to the people present:

“… Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel! And I say to you, many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven. But the sons of the Kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 8:10–12).

This is Christ telling us, reminding us, that all have the opportunity to be saved should they so wish to come to Him who is the source of their existence. We are not to deny anyone the opportunity to come to Christ. He does not care about their race, culture, or country of birth—rather, He cares that they come to Him with hearts full of love for the All-Holy Trinity and hearts full of love for their fellow human beings.

This is why in today’s Gospel Christ refers to the Kingdom of Heaven as a marriage feast—we all have the opportunity to enter in if we so choose and live by the tenets of the Gospel of love.

Unfortunately, some choose to ignore this wondrous message of love; some choose hate, and hate can only lead to one place: the pain of eternal separation from God.

We are called to be people who love, and through our love, welcome people into Christ’s kingdom.

St Symeon the New puts it like this:

“The Lord seeks a heart filled to overflowing with love for God and our neighbour; this is the throne on which He loves to sit and on which He appears in the fullness of His heavenly glory. 'Son, give me thy heart,' He says, 'and all the rest I Myself will add to thee,' for in the human heart the Kingdom of God can be contained.”

There we have it—we are called to love, and if we love, and truly love, then we fulfill the commands of God. This is why our Lord and Saviour uses the analogy of a wedding feast—what greater act of love can a host have than to provide a feast for those whom they love?

Every single Divine Liturgy, at the epiclesis, Christ offers Himself that we might have life within us. What wondrous gift—the Lord of all offers Himself that we might become joined to Him who is the source of our life.

The table is set, and there is a spot with each of our names on it, should we choose to accept the invitation. The Lord wants us at this banquet. The Lord calls us each by name, that we might be healed and made whole.

Too many supposed Christians paint God as an angry monster who seeks to punish every misstep. Does this image truly represent the All-Holy Trinity—He who was revealed to be the loving Father in the parable of the prodigal son? What loving parent sits and waits for their children to make a mistake so that they can punish them?

On the contrary, our Lord loves us, and it pains Him when we miss the mark and sin—yet He is quick to forgive. He knows us, and He loves us more than we can imagine. We are His pride and joy; we are His children, sealed with His grace in holy baptism, called to be His ambassadors to the world.

We are called to be Christ to those around us, to preach the Gospel of love. This is our call—to bring this love of Christ to a broken world. There is enough hate to go around; let us counter this with the love of Christ.

Again as Saint Paul states in 1 Corinthians 13:4–7:

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonour others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”

Therefore, let us be this to the world and show the world that God loves them and wants them to come to Him who is the source of their life. Let this be our prayer—that we might show Christ’s love to the world, that they may come to Him and truly have life within them.