06/14/2026
A word from the LCMS Office of Witness and Outreach: Who doesn’t love a wedding reception, a celebration banquet, or even a feast prepared by family? When you receive that invitation, you count the days until that special day. Our Lord’s parable today reminds us that we have a heavenly banquet prepared just for us! Much like the servants in the parable, we as followers of Christ are sent to extend our Master’s invitation to others. We might think to ourselves, “Who would turn down such a gift?” But be prepared. We, too, will hear many different excuses from people in the world to not attend. But even in the presence of such opposition, we are called to faithfully herald the gracious invitation, “Come, for everything is now ready.”
Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from the One Who invites you to “Come, for everything is now ready,” your Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
What do you do when you are preparing for a party? Do you first check to make sure there are no other parties going on? Do you check to see if your important VIPs will be able to attend? Do you check to see if your cooks will be available to lend a hand? Do you make a list, check it twice, and make sure that you only invite the guests who will be nice? There are a million little things that we can do throughout our days in preparation for the party, but the party will occur, even if things must change.
The invitations have been filled out, the R.S.V.P.s have been sent out, and they have arrived. The responses have been checked, rechecked, and the plans for the confirmed guests have begun. The butcher, the baker, and the candlestick maker have been notified of the provisions needed, although with autopay, you don’t really need to make sure that the lights stay on during the party these days.
The big day has arrived. The vittles are prepared, whether it is a catered meal, a home-cooked feast, or a simple dessert smorgasbord. The phone call has gone out, or, these days, the text message to the group announces, “Come, for everything is now ready.” You wait for those guests who responded that they were going to come. What feels like an eternity later, though only 15 minutes have passed, and none of the guests are there to celebrate with you.
You start to call them. “Sorry,” “something else came up,” “I can’t make it.” Excuse after excuse. Those who were near and dear to you say that they are too busy to come to the carefully prepared party.
I understand that we are all busy people. It seems like the devices that we rely on have control over our lives. You set a calendar to share with your husband or wife. You might invite the kids to some of the events. You rely on the phone to tell you when meetings are about to start. If things aren’t in the calendar, they are soon forgotten.
But these are your friends. You’ve made plans with them that shouldn’t be forgot. These are your family, and sometimes family squabbles are worse than friends fighting. “You don’t care about my side of the family.” “You only care about your parents.” “You don’t care about your cousins.” The difficulties arise, and you are upset.
Instead of letting the past hurts rule your life, similar to the phone, know that God is in control of all things. He is working good out of bad situations. He is bringing about care and compassion when the world is against us. He knows that we need Him, so He comes for us in all situations. He comes for us in good times and when we are down on our luck. He comes to be with us when we need Him most. He comes to bind up the broken. When the world seems to be against us the most, God is there for us.
Just as God comes for us, so should those who mean much to us. They should come to the feast when everything is ready. But some will refuse. What then? Do we eventually throw everything away, calling it a waste? What should we do?
Jesus tells us that everything is ready for the feast. So, instead of those who were invited coming, we should go out and invite others to come to the feast as it is prepared. Everything is now ready for eating. Those who were invited refused to come, so others will take their place.
This isn’t to say that they cannot come, but they refuse to listen to the message that goes out, “Come, for everything is now ready.”
It isn’t ready and waiting, because food spoils. Sometimes it spoils slowly in that “death box” that is a refrigerator, as usually dead things go in there. Those meats, fruits, vegetables, dairy products, and most everything have been taken from the thing that gave life, the ground, the tree, the stalk, or the animal, and those things will spoil and decay if we don’t use them.
As the prepared food will be wasted if it is not consumed, instead of waiting for a convenient time for those invited guests to come, others will take their place. These are those with whom we come into contact in the streets and lanes of the city. Sometimes those people around us, those nearer neighbors, need to be invited to events such as a neighborhood block party, a church activity, or a fundraising meal.
Our coworkers are those we spend much time with at work, and sometimes it is good to blow off some steam after work with them as well. These, too, can be invited to the events that mean much to us. While some places of employment have a “No Solicitation” policy, as well as a possible “No religious talk” policy, or it is frowned upon, inviting them to a meal is acceptable.
Sometimes getting outsiders to step foot in the doors of a church is the most difficult thing, not even the doors of the sanctuary. Getting them to come to events and activities, meals, and more is a good first step. The love of God is shared at these events, all the more at the service, but sometimes the simple breaking of the common table bread is enough. And the Holy Spirit will continue to work on them to get them to the Lord’s Table in time.
If they already have a “church home,” all the better, but our fellowship space can be used for common fellowship, and that matters too. We can use these spaces to help those who need a meal, help raise funds for those whose lives have been impacted by disaster, and help others in whatever situation in which they find themselves. They matter to God, and they should also matter to us. Whenever we have a meal, invite those outside the church, as the cry will go out later at our Second Sunday Potluck, “Come, for everything is now ready.” Won’t you please come?
The peace of God which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus to life everlasting. Amen.
