Happy Father's Day dads! Now pay attention. And if there's not a father in the home, well, mom's you'll have to listen closely too! God our heavenly Father has given us earthly fathers to provide for us, support us and take care of us. But more than that! Listen to the book of Proverbs: "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding." Dads, you are put on this earth above all for this reason: to teach your children the Christian faith and raise them as those who don't despise the Lord's banquet of salvation but eagerly run to receive it! You see, dads, you have a close connection to this story our Lord Jesus tells. The Lord made a huge feast but those who were invited were too busy to come because they were concerned with all the things of this world: their farms and oxen and even their families. Now understand this: farms and oxen and wives are NOT unimportant. They are all gifts of God too. But the simple fact is that nothing on this earth is to come before God. Dads! Teach your kids this! Teach your children that the most important thing in this life is Christ and His gifts of salvation. Teach them this and they will grow up in the grace of God living in the gifts of Christ and enjoying the gifts of creation, rather than getting their priorities all out of whack and stumbling through life worrying so much about their "stuff" that they ignore and despise their eternal salvation! And this lesson isn't just for Dads teaching kids, its for all of us as Christians to learn.

A rich man prepared a feast! Who is this rich man? None other than God the Father. And what is the feast? Nothing else than Christ Himself! Just like we take some animal and we cut it up and grill it up to make a delicious meal, so Christ is given to the butchers to be slaughtered and crucified for our salvation. Christ is bloodied and hung on the cross for our sins so that we may enjoy the feast of God's goodness. Christ, the true Passover Lamb of God is killed and given to us to eat that we may feast in the presence of God always. That salvation is given to us in this life in the crystal, thirst-quenching waters of Holy Baptism, by the meat and drink of Christ's flesh and blood on the altar, and in the savory banquet of the preaching of the Word of God which satisfies us with forgiveness, life and salvation. The Feast that Jesus speaks of, to which all are invited, is enjoyed by faith and trust in Jesus Christ given to us in all of the saving gifts of His Word and Sacraments. Here, the church, is the banquet hall in which we are gathered by God to feast upon the gifts He gives us.


So Jesus is at a dinner given by some rich Pharisee. He has just told them not to invite their rich friends and instead to invite those who can't repay their hospitality. Nothing like dampening the mood of a table full of rich and pompous Pharisees! So somebody decides to break the silence with a clever and witty and pious religious comment: "Blessed are those who eat bread in the kingdom of God!" What does THAT mean? I guess he's saying that what really counts is how religious we are to get into the kingdom of God. Good for you if you can earn a place in the kingdom of God! Not so fast! Jesus tells the story of the man whose invitation was despised. God invites all people to faith in Christ and to receive His gifts of salvation but they don't want to! They love the things of this world more. The invitation goes out to all people but not all people want it. In fact, they have to be dragged in! Brothers and sisters in Christ, no one deserves to be at the Feast of Salvation. The Lord graciously invites all but they don't want to come. They've got more love for the things of this life than for the wonderful banquet their Lord has prepared. Beware of that religion, dear Christians. The one that's all talk! The one that goes on and on about how great the kingdom of God is but doesn't want to actually be a part of it! Beware of being one of those people that talks about church but gives it up for the smallest pleasure of this world. Beware of being one of those that is all talk about being a Christian but could care less about Christ or your neighbor! That's what St. John warns us against in the Epistle by saying that if we have the goods of this world and don't give to those who are in need, then we're really brother haters and murderers. That's a religion that, as St. John says, is all talk and no action.

Now don't misunderstand! There's nothing wrong with owning farms and oxen and having a wife. The things God gives you in this life: your families, houses, jobs, hobbies, property, toys—it's OK to have and use these things! But when they start taking the place of Christ and His gifts, then we've gone too far. Brothers and sisters, I know what Christ is talking about! Most of you know that the house we live in we bought when we moved here. It's the first house I've owned. And I worry about it all the time. How will I fix this or that? I need to redo this room or fix this problem and how am I going to pay for it? Or a car that that's getting up there in miles. Or games for my collection. Or whatever it is. Our lives are filled with a million things that easily take up our time and energy. And those things are not bad in and of themselves. But when I should be writing a sermon or studying God's Word and my thoughts instead are drifting to paying my bills or planning some new project, then I prove what the Lord is saying: the things of this world have become my idols. Oh, I can sound pious too, talking about the gifts of God: about coming to church and learning God's Word and receiving His gifts. But my heart wanders to the things of this world that take up my time and attention. And if this happens to the pastor, how much more to the people of God! Brothers and sisters, repent with me over our worrying about all of our "stuff" and making it to be more important than hearing the Word of God and living from Christ's gifts for the benefit of our neighbor.


Know that the Lord knows that this is how it is with us sinners. He knows that is why He must compel and drag and force us into His banquet of salvation! He tells His servants to go and "compel" people to come to the feast. Yes, we have to be dragged into God's kingdom because we're squirming and fidgeting and trying to reach out for all the things we think are more important! But know this: it is at the banquet of salvation, the feast of Christ's gifts, in the preaching of the Gospel, in the splashing on of Baptismal waters, in the Supper of Jesus' body and blood, that such idolatry is forgiven and blotted out. People have this notion that church growth is some easy thing. You go and tell people about Jesus. They get all excited and join your church and give lots of money. Nothing could be further from the truth! Bringing people into the kingdom of God is dragging them! We know this to be true in our own repentance which is constantly turning away from the things of this world to Christ and His gifts and blessings. We know this is true from our catechumens who have to have the Word of God shoved down their throats and dragged back out in their reciting their catechism. It's hard work! When people are taught the faith, the Spirit works through the Word to do the hard work of UN-teaching them their trust in this world and all of its delights and pleasures. But praise be to God who did not spare His own Son but that Jesus laid down His life for us to rescue us from our sins and bring us to the feast of His kingdom. It's gifts and promises He gives now, in this life, in His Divine Service, and gifts He gives in the age to come when we are raised from the dead and live in a new heaven and new earth.


Brothers and sisters, don't be fooled! Don't be like the guy at Jesus' country club dinner who tried to impress the Lord with his own wisdom and religion. The Day will come when those who have rejected and despised Christ and His gifts and who have loved the things of this world more than God will be turned away once and for all! Don't end up there! Give thanks for the things of this life that God gives you but do not trust in them. Use and live with the things of this world that the Lord has given to you, but do not let them come between you and the Lord. Use them for the benefit and blessing of your neighbor but not as your idols to worship and serve. And rejoice that to us poor beggars the Lord has come and picked us up off the street and given to us a banquet of salvation which we did not deserve but that in Christ has been given to us freely. Dads, support your children; clothe them and feed them. But more than that, teach them to love the food of eternal life, the Bread of Life, Jesus Christ our Savior. Kids, thank your heavenly Father for your earthly Father today. But most of all thank and praise Him for your salvation in Christ, freely given to you so that Christ's Father is now your Father forever. In Jesus' name. Amen.