Maybe you’ve heard about the funny interchange surrounding an invitation issued to Winston Churchill by prominent playwright, George Bernard Shaw. Churchill opened the invitation and read: “Mr. Churchill, enclosed are two tickets to the opening night performance of a new play of mine. Bring a friend – if you can find one.” Winston Churchill sent back this reply: “Mr. Shaw, I thank you very much for the invitation and the tickets. Unfortunately, I am engaged on your opening night. But could I have tickets for the second night – if there is one?”
The wry humor displayed in the issuing of that invitation and its refusal may remind us of the invitations we’ve accepted and declined. Whether we accept an invitation or not, we’re usually pretty careful about how we handle things so that our host is never offended, right? Most of us know that etiquette demands at least a polite response to an invitation, don’t we?
That’s what makes us marvel at the parables Jesus told about the great banquet to which the King (representing God) invites group after group, who rather carelessly decline the invitation. Finally, the frustrated and irate King invites anybody and everybody. The doors are simply thrown wide open and people are brought in off the streets to join the celebration. It seems decorum was less important to the King than letting the celebraton begin.
But then, as so often happens in Jesus’ parables, there’s a twist in the plot. As all the party-goers are enjoying themselves, the King spots one who has failed to dress appropriately for the banquet in this fine hall on this special occasion. That guest is summarily thrown out. Hmmm. If the King wasn’t standing on ceremony with formal invitations and responses anymore, why was proper attire so important?
Maybe the point to it all is simply this: accepting an invitation, especially from a prominent host, shows honor to that host. But failure to behave well when we arrive, by refusing to adopt the character or style appropriate to the occasion, is just disrespectful. Showing up isn’t everything. Showing up doesn’t necessarily make us fit participants.
As Leonard Sweet noted, we can show up at our wedding ceremonies, but that doesn’t build what he calls a living, loving, fighting, mortgage-paying, in-law-juggling, overdrawn, children-challenged, life-time relationship.
We can show up at the birth of our children, but that doesn’t make us a diaper-changing, up-all-night, learning-dinosaur-names, enforcing-curfews mom or dad.
We can sit through worship regularly, but that doesn’t make us one of God’s faithful people any more than sitting in a garage makes us a car. No, to be one of God’s people at the banquet to which we are all invited will mean an ongoing, daily effort to transform our lives, putting on the things of God. We’re expected to put on compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. We’re expected to bear with one another, forgive each other, and above all, to clothe ourselves with love.
God’s banquet hall stands wide open for us. Let’s do more than show up. Let’s dress in style.
