Pastor's sermon is based on the parable of the wedding banquet. The parable is in both the gospels of Matthew and Luke. If both Matthew and Luke had churches in your town, you probably would prefer to go to Luke’s church. Because every time you would visit Matthew’s church, you would want to sit near the door so you could escape if you had to. Things are so clear-cut for Matthew. In his world, you are either a sheep or a goat, a wheat or a weed, a wise maiden or a foolish one. If you pretend to be one, when you are in fact the other, then woe to you, you hypocrite! You wolf in sheep’s clothing, you remover of specks in other people’s eyes, while you have logs in your own! Thanks be to God that our gracious and loving God is the King of Creation. Our God is the Holy One who sent his only Son to obediently go to the cross for our sake and the sake of all people for the forgiveness of sin. Despite our God knowing exactly who we are, we’re invited to the banquet anyways! So, we don’t take the invitation lightly!! Amen.
