SECOND SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY
Readings:
Key Verses (using the World English Bible):
1 John 3:14a, 15: “We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers… Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life remaining in him.”
Luke 14:16, 18a: Jesus said, “A certain man made a great supper, and he invited many people… They all as one began to make excuses.”
Reflection
Last week, I started reading Janet Conner’s Writing Down Your Soul. Conner describes how meaningful, “soul writing”, dialoguing with what she calls “the Voice” through words on a page, helped her get through a painful divorce, and regain focus for her life. I’ve always been drawn to the idea of writing, keeping a journal, and exploring that creative side of myself. I guess that desire of mine has always been obvious to others, as I’ve been getting journals as Christmas gifts for years now. But it’s never really seemed to work out. Some of the reasons stem from silly excuses like thinking the journal is too pretty and sleek for me to write my “chicken scratch” on it. Other reasons come from having an irregular work schedule, writer’s block, not being able to find the right time, the right place, etc. And so my gifted journals stay on my shelf—gorgeous to behold, but collecting dust nonetheless.
We’re all good at making up excuses when we want to avoid something, even when it may end up being good for us. Jesus tells a story about a man—presumably a wealthy man—who invited many people to a great banquet. But they all started to make excuses. One of them bought a field, a second bought oxen, and a third recently got married. Now I’ve got to tell you that, as an introvert, I completely understand shunning large social gatherings, but, with the exception of the newlywed, the given excuses just sound like a bunch of hogwash to me. I mean, you’re refusing a “great supper”—likely a free one—because you’ve got to see your field now?? Because you’ve got to “try out” your oxen now??
Jesus’ parables often come with several layers of meaning. But in this particular one, the early Church seems to have made a connection between the man’s “great supper”, and the “Lord’s Supper”, that heavenly banquet whose celebration is made possible by the Easter mystery, and whose invitation is extended to all. So then, by extension, is the Church putting us in the place of those who made up excuses and rejected the invitation? What exactly are we rejecting—especially if we go to church regularly, or read our Bible, or pray often?
For that answer, we have to look at the Epistle lesson. We have yet another reading from John’s Community about loving one’s brother (or sister) in faith, but what I find most striking about the passage is the connection of hating your brother with being a murderer. That’s such a strong connection to make, perhaps echoing the first biblical murder, Cain killing his brother Abel. But I think that, for John’s Community, it’s so much more than that. The Epistle warns us that if we have the world’s goods, and are not moved to help out a brother in need, then how can we hope to have the love of God? Possessing the love of God comes not only from an introverted quest, but also from outward acts of compassion. If you withhold compassion from brothers or sisters in faith, then you are, in effect, killing them spiritually.
The would-be guests in Jesus’ parable were invited not just to a dinner, but also to share a meal with one another, and with a generous host, who ostensibly threw a party for no reason—and they refused. In the same way, we are invited to come together in fellowship with one another, and with a generous God, who loves us for no reason other than that God is God—but we refuse that too. We refuse it whenever we ignore the needs of those around us, retreating into ourselves, away from those who differ from us. We refuse it whenever we think we’re better than someone else, or even when we think we’re not good enough to attend. But the good news of this parable is that the invitation is always open. There’s no such thing as the “right” time or place; God keeps extending the invitation every day, and there’s more than enough room for us all.
P. S. I think I will take my journals off the shelves now, open them, and begin to explore my writing.
Prayer of the Day
O Lord,
you never fail to help and govern
those whom you bring up in steadfast fear and love.
Keep us, we pray you,
under the protection of your good providence,
and make us to have
a perpetual fear and love of your holy Name;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever.
Amen.
—Collect for the Second Sunday after Trinity, Book of Common Prayer, 1662
Lord God, heavenly Father,
we give thanks to you that, through your holy word,
you have called us to your great supper.
We pray you,
quicken our hearts by your Holy Spirit,
that we may not hear your word without fruit,
but that we may follow the invitation to your banquet,
unhindered by any worldly care;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever.
Amen.
—Collect for the Second Sunday after Trinity by Veit Dietrich, 16th century Lutheran theologian and reformer; adapted by Joseph A. Soltero, 2015, from http://www.olcc.us/liturgical-resources/collects-veit-dietrich/ and Den Danske Salmebog, 2011
Hymn: “The King of Heaven his table spreads”
(Words: Philip Doddridge, 1702-1751; adapted by Joseph A. Soltero, 2015
Tune: ‘Dundee’, Scottish Psalter, 1615)
The King of heav’n his table spreads,
And dainties crown the board.
Not Paradise with all its joys
Could such delight afford.
Pardon, and peace, and endless life
To dying souls are giv’n,
Through Jesus’ priceless lifeblood, shed
To raise the soul to heav’n.
You hungry poor who long have strayed
In sin’s dark mazes, come!
Come from the highway and the hedge,
And grace shall find you room.
Millions of souls in glory now
Were fed and feasted here.
And millions more, still on the way,
Around the board appear.
God’s house and heart are yet so large,
That millions more may come;
Nor could the wide assembling world
Fill up the spacious room.
All things are ready, come away,
Nor weak excuses frame.
Crowd to your places at the feast,
And bless the Founder’s Name.
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