Do you RSVP?
Have you ever sent out invitations and people have not responded to you? Of course you have. This happens all the time. What did you do about it?
Not responding to a RSVP is a systemic problem for some. And it might not have anything to do with laziness or forgetfulness. Some people just have trouble making decisions or committing to something. Or sometimes the person can’t go to an event, but doesn’t want to have to tell the host ‘no’.
How about Thanksgiving? Have you ever sent out invitations to that holiday feast? Have you ever had a person or group of people show up to your Thanksgiving meal unannounced?
I imagine RSVPs are most often linked to weddings. This makes a lot of sense, as the bride and groom need to know how many people to seat and feed. The vendors need to have the right information as they plan the reception. So what do you do if people don’t RSVP to a wedding invitation? Is it ok to track them down? Just about all the experts agree on this one: you can and should do so.
Jesus was invited to a wedding, the famous wedding at Cana. He must have RSVP’d to it. Can you imagine literally inviting God to your wedding and having him show up in the flesh?
Here is another famous story from Jesus’ time. This one is a parable about failing to honor an RSVP.
Luke 14: 7-23
7 When he noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told them this parable: 8 “When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. 9 If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, ‘Give this person your seat.’ Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place. 10 But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all the other guests. 11 For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
12 Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. 13 But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, 14 and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”
The Parable of the Great Banquet
15 When one of those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus, “Blessed is the one who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.”
16 Jesus replied: “A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. 17 At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’
18 “But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, ‘I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.’
19 “Another said, ‘I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.’
20 “Still another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’
21 “The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.’
22 “‘Sir,’ the servant said, ‘what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.’
23 “Then the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the roads and country lanes and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full. 24 I tell you, not one of those who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.’”
What is going on here? Do you find it odd that this parable was given as a result of one person saying how nice it would be to eat at the table? It could be that the disciples had an exclusionary mindset about who belonged in God’s kingdom. The parable reverses expectations about who can be at the party. But it can’t be about not responding. The first people invited did in fact RSVP. They just said no, they weren’t coming. So this isn’t a commentary on the failure to respond to an invitation. The issue is that they gave the wrong response.
Maybe this parable is aimed at those who think they can say no to God’s invitation. If you got an invitation to a party and you knew God was going to be there, would you go? What would it mean for God to invite you?
According to some polls 97% of Americans say they will celebrate Thanksgiving this year. 26% say they will host it. What do you have to do in order to host Thanksgiving? You have to get the food and cook it, or at least coordinate with those who will. You have to clean the house. Maybe you send out invitations. You have to plan for seating, and parking. And you have to pay for this stuff too.
Now think of that in terms of the parable. What did the man have to do to prepare for the feast?
What does God have to do to prepare for you?
This parable reminds me of the story of an accidental text message in 2016 sent by a grandmother to a stranger. Wanda Dench sent the message to Jamal Hinton instead of her real grandson, reminding him to come to their house for the holiday. Jamal quickly told Wanda that he was not the person she thought she was texting, but he asked if he could show up at her house anyway. She said of course he could, and Jamal has spent Thanksgiving with her family ever since. Her exact response to him: “Of course you can. That’s what grandmas do…feed everyone”.
Isn’t it nice that God invites us all too?
God Bless