The gentle invitation didn’t work. The personal touch (sending the slaves out to compel people) was a disaster. The third time should have been the charm – come one, come all – and the banquet hall is filled…but there’s this one guy.

Sticking out from the crowd – not dressed right – and the king is furious.

And the kingdom of heaven may be like this?

This particular lesson from Jesus comes to us in two different forms.

We remember it best in a Sunday school song about buying cows and marrying wives. The song is lighthearted and we don’t remember any consequences. Luke’s version ends with the banquet hall filled, and the master of the feast content

But Matthew’s gospel paints a darker picture. Conflict and casualties…and that one person cast into the outer darkness. Weeping, and gnashing of teeth.

We are taught that ‘gospel’ means ‘good news.’ We want happy endings and a glorious, eternal banquet…for everyone. The church set out to evangelize the entire human population because some understood that we would not see the kingdom until everyone had heard the promise.

We did horrible things in the name of the gospel, so it is not surprising that some chose not to hear it.

Matthew’s particular version of this parable might reflect the real conflict that was present at the edge of those cultural clashes – both in Jesus’ day, and in the generations that followed the resurrection. Times were tense, and minds are reluctant to be changed.

There is a reason that preachers (like me) prefer Luke’s telling of this parable. There is simple resolution – no murder – and none of the anxiety that comes from wondering if we’re doing things properly.

But in this morning’s lesson from Matthew’s gospel: No Wedding robe? Doesn’t matter if you were surprised by the invitation, you should be more respectful of the occasion…

The king goes over the top, not because he is a wingnut, but because he (thinks) that he must preserve the sanctity of the moment. There may be (in his mind) an eternal consequence.

The final line seems to be what matters, and it always stops us cold: many called – few chosen. It is troubling to think that even our best behaviour might not be enough – that the kingdom might be populated on a whim.

But what if this means that the kingdom is dynamic? What if it means that Jesus is not talking about some fixed, eternal certainty – this is not a parable about heaven or the eternal presence of God – what if he is talking (as he did) of the kingdom that is near to us – the compassionate dominion created by those who would follow him. This kingdom is present, and adaptive, and evolving with us – being built around the ever-changing human circumstance. This kingdom is constantly created according to our ability to love neighbour and pray for those who persecute us. This is a kingdom created by Samaritans and blind beggars, and those who offer water to the thirsty, or share their food with the hungry.

In this kingdom, the one who comes reluctantly, or carelessly to be a part of the joyful, compassionate consideration of those gathered really will struggle to find a place.

The church occupies a strange and changing role in society. Our history is long and often troubling. But the thing that has not changed is Jesus’ invitation.

We are invited to view the world through Jesus’ eyes – to open our hearts toward those whom the world teaches us to judge. We are called to reach out in love; to honour the image of God that exists in every person. THAT is the banquet, and it is going on all around us.

We quite happily jump to the conclusion that this parable is about how we present ourselves as guests, or where and how we gather. But that’s not the point.

This parable seems to be about what we do with God’s invitation to be present with one another – with how we might honour the holy in each person we meet.

This might be the parable of paying attention.

The kingdom is wherever we are, and our awareness of that is what can make the difference between catastrophe and celebration.

On a weekend we devote to ‘giving thanks’, perhaps this parable is another call to keep our eyes open and our attention focused. The world is alive with God’s creative energy – often masked by our efforts to control or contain that energy – and our experience of Jesus gives us a way to distinguish between the secular and the sacred.

There are things to celebrate in both realms – don’t get me wrong – but the hope of all who chose to follow Jesus is that sacred celebration of mercy and justice – of peace and goodwill – might be our destination. Not just in ‘eternity’ but in the midst of our present circumstances.

So, we are thankful for blessings – and then celebrate them. We are thankful for moments of grace – which we are moved to share. We are grateful for these ancient parables of Jesus that sometimes shock us into realizing that God’s goodness is waiting for us to recognize it – honour it – celebrate it.

May that goodness be yours – this weekend and beyond – as you follow Jesus into the world.