Gloria Dei Lutheran Church

Matthew 22:1-14

Confirmation Class 2020, it’s finally your big party!  You had to wait a little longer than usual, and it was really different this year. The only small problem: after reading the gospel text for today, I started wondering if this should have been the year we required robes for confirmation.

I had one when I was confirmed.  Picture of me at confirmation.

Pastor Javen had a robe AND a stole.  Picture of Javen.

Kyrstin, our children’s ministry director, had a robe and some attitude.  Kyrstin picture

But here’s where get into a little trouble.  Pastor Lois.  No robe!   Picture of Lois.

As I look back at Gloria Dei’s history, there were times when everyone just dressed in the same outfits.  The first confirmation picture.

From 1938-1990, they wore robes.  This one is from 1973.  Note our parish nurse, Jill Stewart.  Color 1973 picture.

The parable that we read today seems to suggest that wearing a robe is a requirement! The guy who doesn’t gets thrown out of the party.   Let’s hope it wasn’t a confirmation party. This is a hard parable to read for your confirmation day.  I think we’re going to have to do some creative work to sort it out.

The typical interpretation of this parable is allegorical.  God is the king.  The party is the kingdom of God.  People refuse the invitation, or they show up in the wrong outfit, not giving the party the respect and honor it deserves, so they get killed or thrown into the place of weeping and gnashing of teeth.  All of it a grand lesson in making sure we all live up to the invitation—to be good.  Or get thrown into hell by this rather unpleasant God.

I’m going to reject that interpretation.

In my mind, there’s no good way to equate the king to God.  Violence, slavery, and abuse are qualities that simply cannot be assigned to God.  Too many real rulers or church leaders have justified violence because of interpretations like this:  governments, economic systems, racial or gender hierarchies that say, “You do it our way.  You wear our garment at our party, or else.”

Just for fun.  Let’s rethink the guy who won’t wear the robe.  What if they are the only one willing to stand up to this violent, abusive, and narcissistic king; the only one who says, “I’m not wearing that robe.  I’m not putting on that life.  I will not participate in a party that just makes some more powerful, or richer, or more valuable; worthiness that is defined by the kings of Wall Street or Washington or some religious version of the morality police. What if the church in the parable are all those who have refused to show up to this terrible party; or even more so, the one who shows up to confront the king?

Of course, we know what happens to those types.  They get in trouble.  I couldn’t help but think of Jesus being dressed up in the purple robe and mocked and tortured.  And then stripped of that robe, of all his clothing, and crucified.

So that made me think:   what if Jesus is the one standing at the party as the crucified one, stripped of the robe, wearing only human life as God intends:  open, vulnerable, loving, at peace, centered, with no need for the king’s approval.  To the world, he looks like a loser, but from the other side of Easter, we see him as holding the true power:  the power of love and justice; the power of kindness and grace; the power to welcome and forgive; the power to heal and to build whole communities that care for each other.

So, Confirmation Class, you’re the class of 2020.  Your picture in the confirmation books at church is going to look different than all the others.  No one will pay attention to whether you’re wearing a robe or not.  They’ll notice that it’s a collection of individual pictures, photoshopped together because you couldn’t be in the same room. You’re the pandemic confirmation class.  You’re part of history.

There are a lot of robes getting passed out right now for you to wear.  You could put on the robe of hate, demonizing everyone different, casting them out. You could put on the robe of fear, beginning to believe that life is always going to be distant and separate.  You could put on the robe of denial, pretending that how you live in the world doesn’t affect anyone else.  Lots are wearing that robe right now.  And there are a lot more subtle outfits that the world is trying to get you try on, as if your own clothes or appearance or weight or complexion or car, or anything on your outside, is more important than what is on the inside.  People will want you to show up at their parties all put together, as successful and funny and charming; they won’t want you to be honest about your struggles or your pain or your heartbreak.

The church’s word to you today is that here, with this community, you don’t have to pretend to be any different than you are.  You are loved more than you probably even know.  We want you to hear that more loudly than all the other voices in your life. The community of Jesus people see you as beautiful because you ARE from God.  No need to dress up for us.  We know that you have gifts, and ways of seeing and understanding, ways of processing and experiencing, ways of presenting yourself that are gorgeous and profound, and, hopefully, challenging to us.

The truth is that we’ve already give you a robe.  “Te has vestido en Jesuo Christo.  Eres una creacion nueva.” In your baptism, you have put on Christ.  You are a new creation.  The qualities of Jesus have been woven into the garment of your heart:  love, kindness, tenderness, compassion, peace, patience, self-control, goodness, faithfulness–the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of council and might, the spirit of knowledge and reverence for God, the spirit of joy.

You were dressed on the day of your baptism; dressed for the party; dressed to resist all the other terrible, violent, destructive parties; dressed in Christ; dressed for eternal life, where there is no weeping or gnashing of teeth, but only laughter and delight.  Wrap that tight around you.  You’re going to need it.  You’re the class of 2020.  We are so grateful for you, and so proud of you.