There Once Was a Man Who Gave a Dinner for Invited Guests

Bidwell: The Dinner Host1

There once was a man who … gave a dinner for invited guests.

Southminster-Steinhauer United Church, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

(Matt 22:1-13), Luke 14:16-24 & Thomas 64

7 Roles:

Henry Host,

his Partner,

guests - Marley, Sarah, Toban, Esther and

Narrator

Narrator: There was a man who had invited quests to a dinner he prepared. That’s how the story of a relationship with others begins in this parable told by Jesus and reported by Thomas, Matthew and Luke. Although the first ones he invited made excuses, the host was not deterred and opened the dinner to whoever would come. Here’s our dramatization of how it all happened. We’ve taken the liberty of fleshing out the story in an attempt to make it easier to hear the story in a fresh way and not as the old familiar and easily ignored Bible story. It’s not meant as a model for all hosts to follow; it’s a picture of how one person chose to live and respond in the face of disappointment. Let’s eavesdrop on their conversation.

Henry Host: I have everything almost ready for the party tonight. As usual, I’ve made much more food than we can eat, but that gives plenty for everyone to have all that they want of whatever they want. Besides, I find it so much easier to make large batches of most dishes. I am pleased with the folks I’ve invited to share this meal with us tonight.

Partner:Yes, I am also looking forward to having them here.

Henry Host:My mother used to say “the presence of friends seasons any meal” and I always feel happier when others are around and having a good time.

Partner:And they are especially happy when we eat together.

Henry Host: Stories get told, news gets shared and even some dreams grow and develop around the table.

Partner:Who have you invited?

Henry Host:Marley, my accountant, Sally, from work, Toban, our neighbour, and Esther who has the produce stall in the market.

Partner:What time should I tell them?

Henry Host:Six o’clock or as soon as they can make it and tell them to bring their partner or any friend they wish. The more folks we have the more stories and news.

Partner:I’ll call then right away.

Henry Host:Good idea. I’ve got some more cooking to do.

[Host leaves and the Partner calls Marley.]

Marley:Marley here.

Partner: Hi Marley, how are you?

Marley: I’m fine thanks, just very busy.

Partner:Henry, wants you and a friend to come for dinner about six.

Marley:Oh yes, I remember and I meant to call earlier with my regrets, but I must meet some investors then and so I can’t come. I’m sorry, but thanks for inviting me.

Partner:That’s too bad. Henry will be disappointed, but I’ll tell him you wished you were free.

Marley:Thanks

[Partner calls another guest.]

Sarah:Hello.

Partner: Hello Sarah, I’m Henry’s partner.

Sarah:Oh, hi. How is he?

Partner:He’s busy cooking up a storm, and so he’s fine. You remember that tonight is our dinner and he’d like you to come to dinner by six. Oh, and he says there is plenty, so bring a friend if you’d like.

Sarah:Gee, I’ve just made an offer on a house and I need to take my mother over to see it tonight.

Partner:Well, we’re both sad that you can’t be with us. We enjoy your company.

Sarah:Maybe next time.

Partner:Yes, let’s hope.

[Partner calls another guest.]

Toban:Good afternoon, Toban speaking.

Partner:Hi Toban, it’s Chris.

Toban:What can I do for you neighbour.

Partner:Henry wants you and Sue to come for dinner by six.

Toban:Darn, I’m on my way to a friend’s wedding. Sorry.

Partner:That’s unfortunate timing. We’ll miss you; you tell such good stories.

Toban:Keep me in mind for the next party.

Partner:We will. Have a great time at the wedding.

Toban:Thanks and you too at dinner tonight.

Partner:Bye.

Toban:See you over the fence. Bye.

[Partner calls another guest.]

Esther:Garden Goodness, how may I help you.

Partner:Esther, it’s Chris, Henry’s partner, the spinach we got last week was in excellent condition, thanks.

Esther:I’m glad you were pleased. I wash it twice, otherwise it’s too sandy.

Partner:Henry wants you and a friend to come for dinner tonight.

Esther:Oh I recall him mentioning that earlier and it is kind of you, but I need to get out to the farm and harvest produce for tomorrow’s market because they’re forecasting rain.

Partner:I understand. I’ll give your regrets to Henry.

Esther:Thanks. See you at the market.

Partner:Yes, goodbye.

Narrator: What a strange, surprising turn of events – ALL the invited guests refused to come. Jesus made this relationship story sufficiently vague that we are free to put whatever interpretation we want on why the guests accepted the invitation in the first place and are now rejecting it. This is a picture of where life exists – in the real world where things don’t always work out as we planned them. Sometimes when our plans are thwarted we react with anger and want to punish folks – I’ll not invite them again. Or we vent our frustration by yelling at someone close to us. Let’s see how this person reacts.

[Henry returns.]

Henry:How did you make out?

Partner:Not one of them can come.

Henry:WHAT!

Partner:Each of them has made an excuse and said thanks but they can’t come.

Henry:(angrily) Darn, some people are just TOO busy. I expect that those who are consumed with things, business, making their fortune can’t see the benefit of enjoying the simple things and events of life, but I thought the others might come.

Partner:Maybe they put more value on property and possessions than we do.

Henry:Well, that’s too darn bad. I’m going to have a dinner party if I have to go out onto the street and invite folks in.

Partner:Maybe if we gave them more advance notice.

Henry:Just how far in advance would I need to invite folks to avoid something else they want to do?

Partner:I don’t know.

Henry:We’ll keep preparing for the party and you go outside to the street and bring back whomever you happen to meet. We’ll host whoever will come in.

Partner:You may not know any of them.

Henry:That’s not as important as having guests; you can’t have a party without them.

Partner:Okay. You certainly are determined to have a party.

Henry:I am. I am.

Narrator: Surprise again. This person was angry but did not turn it to punishing people but to creatively making an alternative way to have a party. How vulnerable we all are when we entangle ourselves in relationships with other people. This person wanted to have guests for dinner, but he was at the mercy of these people to cooperate. When they chose other actions, he was placed in a position of losing out on what he wanted to happen. But, as Aldous Huxley once observed, “Experience is not what happens to you, but what you do with what happens to you.” In the case of this person, he chose to resort to other means of having what he wanted to have happen. He opened the party to whoever would come.

Sort of makes me laugh with joy at how this person turned things around. He was vulnerable to what would happen when he got into these relationships with the folks that he chose to be his guests. Like many relationships there was potential for great joy and equally for great disappointment. But when total disappointment came he surprises us with his freedom to be creative – he resorted to plan B with out much hesitation. And the potential is great for an exciting party with such an ad hoc mixture of people – probably all strangers to him and to each other. What a concept! He lives as a totally free person able to transcend the situation others would find devastating. He will write his own story.

For Jesus, it seems, to be a person is to live in story – your own story. He was free enough, detached enough, to let others be different than he wanted them to be – to live their own story, without hating them. In fact, his Christ-like love is the love of neighbour that embraces the actual other and not the other as we would have them be for us.