The Eighteenth Sunday after Trinity - Reflection by Canon Leslie

The Gospel for this Sunday follows on directly from last week’s reading from Matthew 21: 33-46. This week we focus on Matthew 22: 1-14. The context was set by Jesus’ teaching in the temple immediately after he had ridden into Jerusalem on a donkey on Palm Sunday and had cleared the money changers from their work. The chief priests and elders of the people are still feeling angry and Jesus’ arrest and crucifixion are only a few days away. Last week the parable of the vineyard drew on established biblical imagery that sees Israel as God’s vineyard. Last week Jesus was challenging his listeners to take care of that vineyard, or else to see it handed over to new management.
 
This week the parable of the invitations to the wedding feast uses established biblical imagery that sees the feast prepared for God’s people to welcome God’s Messiah. This week Jesus is challenging his listeners to respond to God’s invitation to recognise the Messiah or else to see the Messianic feast opened up to other guests. To prepare for this Sunday’s service I invited those of you who want to do something beforehand to focus on the image of party invitations. In today’s picture from The Lord is Here!, Teddy Horsley has accepted the invitation to feast with God’s people.
 
Next week the image to help us prepare for participation in the Sunday service, whether offline in the cathedral or online at home is messengers. Next Sunday we keep the Feast of St Luke the Evangelist. The Gospel reading is Luke’s account of Jesus sending out the seventy to proclaim that the Kingdom of God has come near. You can find out more about that theme here https://www.prayerforliverpool.org/prayer-resources.html. We would really appreciate you letting us know how you are using these materials. Please send us your ideas and photos of the things you may create; email them to Nelson.Pike@liverpoolcathedral.org.uk.
 
If you’d like to learn more about Teddy Horsley and his writings, visit his website: https://teddyhorsley.org/, or his page on the website of St. Mary’s Centre: http://www.st-marys-centre.org.uk/resources/TeddyHorsley.html.
 
We warmly invite you to join us in worship online here: 
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Teddy Horsley sends his Sunday greetings to all.
 
Canon Leslie
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