As we begin this time after Trinity Sunday, the message of the propers is obvious: God’s blessings are offered free to everyone. All he asks is that we align our wills with his.

           Last week’s Gospel lesson was about the parable of Dives and Lazarus. Jesus didn’t recount this parable to teach us about what heaven and hell are like, although we may infer something of that from the story. He told the story to make a point about heeding God’s word, and not expecting miracles. By the way, you may have noticed that in that Gospel lesson the rich man who dies is never named, yet the church has always referred to this parable as Dives and Lazarus. This is because it is virtually identical with a Jewish folk tale about a rich man named Dives and a poor man named Lazarus, and it has always been presumed that our Lord is retelling a story that his listeners were already familiar with, and giving it a new twist. The name Dives simply means “rich man” and Lazarus is a variation of the name Eleazar which means “one favoured by God”

           Clearly one possible moral of the story is that the rich go to hell and the poor go to heaven, and that undoubtedly was why it was a popular folk tale. It was simply a variant of the idea of Robin Hood. Steal from the rich and give to the poor; all things will balance out in the end, and if we suffer in this world we will be at even greater peace for eternity. That has always been an appealing theme for stories for the poor, peasants and commoners. “You’ll get your pie in the sky by and by”. And Jesus used this story to catch the attention of his audience, but then gave it a twist. The twist was that Dives could not be saved or have his suffering relieved, not because he was rich, but because he had failed to heed God’s law. When Abraham informed him of this, Dives asked for a miraculous sign to save his brothers and was denied. “ If they don’t hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone rises from the dead.”

           The point, of course, is that if we listen to what God has already told us we can find our path to salvation, and Jesus’ resurrection is meaningless without a transformation in our lives based upon God’s word. This is nothing new to us, but it sets the stage for the remainder of this year’s teachings. We have heard and seen what God has done for us through his Son Jesus, now it is our turn to respond; only if we heed Moses and the prophets can we be convinced by Him rising from the dead.

           Today’s gospel follows up on the foundation laid last week. And today’s word to us is that we are damned just like Dives, if we choose to ignore God’s word.

           A man gave a great banquet, but when the time came, those who he had invited all came up with excuses for not being able to attend. In anger the man sent out and had all sorts of strangers brought in to enjoy his feast. So the meal was enjoyed by many who although they were strangers at least honoured the invitation.

           The man, of course, represents God, and the banquet is the heavenly banquet, the wedding feast of the Lamb. Those who were invited but were too involved in their own lives to come have traditionally been seen as representing the Jews who denied the Messiah, but I think we can more rightly see them as representing anyone who is too worldly, or who can’t be bothered to respond to God’s call for discipleship. Lastly, those poor, maimed, blind, and lame who are brought in to enjoy the feast represent all those who although they may not have the correct “credentials” of race, social class, or other human criterion, but who hear God’s call, will be saved.

           So what is it that we have learned?. First, that God’s offer of salvation is contingent upon our response to him. If he invites us we must not refuse, and we ought not to expect anything more than what is already available to us to make clear what his salvation entails. The Bible tells us what we need to know about God and his Son Jesus. It tells us we are to come and worship, receive the sacraments, and live lives of Christian love. We ought not expect a bolt of lightning to convert us.

           Second, we have learned that God’s gifts are offered to anyone who responds to his invitation, no matter what our past, our social status, or our wealth, but by refusing his loving offer we bring condemnation upon ourselves.

           These two premises underlie all of the Christian life. If we are able to learn these two things and learn them well so that they become second nature to us, we will have done well, and we too can look forward to sitting down at the wedding feast of our Lord, and feasting on his heavenly food for all of eternity.

           And now to God the Father God the Son and God the Holy Spirit be all honour, and glory and power, now and ever more. World without end. AMEN