A Devotion for the Twentieth Sunday after Trinity
A Devotion for the Twentieth Sunday after Trinity
Sunday, October 13 (Trinity 20)
In all the things that Thou hast brought upon us, O Lord,
Thou hast executed true judgment.
For we have sinned against Thee,
And not obeyed Thy commandments.
But give glory to Thy name, O Lord,
And deal with us according to the multitude of Thy mercies.
Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised:
In the city of our God, in the mountain of His holiness.
—Prayer of Azariah 5a, 6a, 7b, 20b, 19b; Psalm 48:1
A writing for the Holy Gospel, Matthew 22:1-14:
“For many are called, but few are chosen.”
Matthew 22:14
The parable of the wedding feast is a perplexing teaching. The king invited guests to his son’s wedding feast, all of whom disregarded the invitation and shamefully mistreated the king’s servants. He sent out more servants to gather any guests they could find, and they attended. The guests which the servants brought in were both good and bad, yet the king desired that guests were present regardless of their background.
Yet one guest particularly caught the king’s attention. He did not have a wedding garment, for which the king lambasted him. The king ordered that he be cast into the outer darkness, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. It seems that the king did truly care about which guests were present, though the initial invitation originally stood. His offense is historically warranted, however, as guests traditionally wore wedding garments as a sign of honor of the king and those who invited them.
The king called many guests—he desired that many attend the wedding feast of his son, but it became apparent that some of the guests were not worthy. They brought dishonor to the king and his son. Their presence hindered the celebration for which the king had tirelessly prepared. Without the wedding garment, it was apparent that while the guest was called, he was not truly chosen.
So it is with the many who are called to the kingdom of heaven. Christ Jesus died for the sins of the world; His death atones for all men. Yet justification is only conferred to those who have faith. The forgiveness and sins and declaration of holiness is only bestowed upon those to whom the Holy Spirit has been given. The gift of grace is made available to all, but its fruits and spiritual benefits are only attainable for those who believe in Christ and profess His name before men.
Many are called; all have been given the Gospel. It has been proclaimed among all people in all places in all times. Even before Christ’s death and resurrection, the promise of a Savior is first attested in Genesis 3, and prophesies continued throughout the several generations that followed. All men have heard God’s Gospel promises, yet many have forsaken it. They have been called, but that call they have rejected. The wedding garment is offered to them, but through their faithlessness and distrustfulness they do not don its beauty and perfection.
Thus, many will appear before the Lord, all of whom have been called. Indeed, all men will stand before the Judgement Seat, for the Gospel is made available to all. Yet many will be condemned for their godlessness and faithlessness. The gifts of Christ have been made available to all, yet many have forsaken it. They have outright rejected the forgiveness of sins attained by Christ through His suffering and death. They have dishonored the King.
Yet to us the robes of righteousness are given. Our robes have been made white through the blood of the Lamb; with righteousness and divine love we have been clothed, and through Christ’s grace and mercy we have been redeemed, justified, and made holy. Through the gracious outpouring of the Holy Spirit in Baptism, we appear before the Judgement Seat in righteousness and holiness. We stand ready for the King’s judgement, for we have not only been called but also chosen. We are God’s chosen people. The Church, the bride of Christ, His beloved: we are called—and we are chosen.
Luther on Matthew 22:1-14:
Let us now briefly notice what is taught by this marriage feast. First, this marriage feast is a union of the divine nature with the human. And the great love Christ has for us is presented to us in this picture of the wedding feast. For there are many kinds of love, but none is so ardent and fervent as a bride's love, the love a new bride has to her bridegroom, and on the other hand, the bridegroom's love to the bride. True love has no regard for pleasures or presents, or riches, or gold rings and the like; but cares only for the bridegroom. And if he even gave her all he had, she would regard none of his presents, but say: I will have only thee. And if on the other hand he has nothing at all, it makes no difference with her, she will in spite of all that desire him. That is the true nature of the love of a bride. But where one has regard to pleasure, it is harlot-love; she does not care for him, but for the money; therefore such love does not last long.
This true bride-love God presented to us in Christ, in that he allowed him to become man for us and be united with our human nature that we might thus perceive and appreciate his good will toward us. Now, as the bride loves her betrothed, so also does Christ love us; and we on the other hand will love him, if we believe and are the true bride. And although he gave us even heaven, the wisdom of all the Prophets, the glory of all the saints and angels, yet we would not esteem them unless he gave us himself. The bride can be satisfied by nothing, is insatiable, the only one thing she wants is the bridegroom himself; as she says in the Song of Solomon, 2, 16: "My beloved is mine, and I am his." She cannot rest until she has her beloved himself. So is Christ also on the other hand disposed toward me: he will have me only, and besides nothing. And if I gave him even all I could, it would be of no use to him; he would have no regard for it, even if I wore all the hoods of all the monks. He wants my whole heart; for the outward things, as the outward virtues, are only maid servants, he wants the wife herself. He demands, that I say from the bottom of my heart: I am thine. The union and the marriage are accomplished by faith, so that I rely fully and freely upon him, that he is mine. If I only have him, what can I desire more?
—“Sermon for Twentieth Sunday after Trinity, Matthew 22:1-14,” by Martin Luther; taken from his Church Postil, first published in 1523.
Hymn of the Day for Trinity 20 (TLH 305)*:
1. Soul, adorn thyself with gladness,
Leave behind all gloom and sadness;
Come into the daylight's splendor,
There with joy thy praises render
Unto Him whose grace unbounded
Hath this woundrous supper founded.
High o'er all the heavens He reigneth,
Yet to dwell with thee He deigneth.
2. Hasten as a bride to meet Him
And with loving reverence greet Him;
For with words of life immortal
Now He knocketh at thy portal.
Haste to ope the gates before Him,
Saying, while thou dost adore Him,
Suffer, Lord, that I receive Thee,
And I nevermore will leave Thee.
3. He who craves a precious treasure
Neither cost nor pain will measure;
But the priceless gifts of heaven
God to us hath freely given.
Though the wealth of earth were proffered,
Naught would buy the gifts here offered:
Christ's true body, for thee riven,
And His blood, for thee once given.
4. Ah, how hungers all my spirit
For the love I do not merit!
Oft have I, with sighs fast thronging,
Thought upon this food with longing,
In the battle well-nigh worsted,
For this cup of life have thirsted,
For the Friend who here invites us
And to God Himself unites us.
5. In my heart I find ascending
Holy awe, with rapture blending,
As this mystery I ponder,
Filling all my soul with wonder,
Bearing witness at this hour
Of the greatness of Thy power;
Far beyond all human telling
Is the power within Him dwelling.
6. Human reason, though it ponder,
Cannot fathom this great wonder
That Christ's body e'er remaineth
Though it countless souls sustaineth,
And that He His blood is giving
With the wine we are receiving.
These great mysteries unsounded
Are by God alone expounded.
7. Jesus, Sun of Life, my Splendor,
Jesus, Thou my Friend most tender,
Jesus, Joy of my desiring,
Fount of life, my soul inspiring, --
At Thy feet I cry, my Maker,
Let me be a fit partaker
Of this blessed food from heaven,
For our good, Thy glory, given.
8. Lord, by love and mercy driven
Thou hast left Thy throne in heaven
On the cross for us to languish
And to die in bitter anguish,
To forego all joy and gladness
And to shed Thy blood in sadness.
By this blood, redeemed and living,
Lord, I praise Thee with thanksgiving.
9. Jesus, Bread of Life, I pray Thee,
Let me gladly here obey Thee.
By Thy love I am invited,
Be Thy love with love requited;
From this Supper let me measure,
Lord, how vast and deep love's treasure.
Through the gifts Thou here dost give me
As Thy guest in heaven receive me.
*This hymn appears in LSB (636) with eight of its original nine verses.
Collect for the Day for Trinity 20:
Grant, we beseech Thee, merciful Lord, to Thy faithful people pardon and peace, that they may be cleansed from all their sins and serve Thee with a quiet mind; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.