Love and Mercy

Matthew 22:13 - "Then the king said to his servants, 'Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.'"

Wailing and gnashing of teeth. This punishment on the surface of things seems harsh. Yet, this is exactly what happens to peoples of colors in this country, especially Black people. Among white people, there is a myth that Black people are lazy and naturally criminals. Black people commit crimes at the same rates as white people, yet they are consistently sentenced to prison more often and for longer periods. This is not only because they are Black, but also because Black people don't always assimilate to "white culture," such as it is.

We have a similar situation in this parable: a man comes to a wedding without a suitable robe, without assimilating. As a consequence, he is sentenced to the outer darkness. This brings up a lot of questions. If the king is God, then where is the outer darkness? Does this punishment really fit the crime? What does 'outer darkness' mean? Who, then does this man represent? It cannot be the rulers and elites of society as they weren't allowed in after their refusal to come. Finally, this action does not seem like the action of a loving and just God.

If the king isn't God, then the metaphor of a wedding banquet loses its punch. So, then, what does this wedding robe represent? I suggest it stands for an attitude of love and mercy. These last couple of verses we've looked at describe 21st century America well; there is a faction of our population that thrives on scrutinizing every little thing about their "opponents," trying to make themselves look good. The white people I started this essay discussing are among those people. This scrutiny especially hits peoples of colors. There is no love or mercy in this attitude. Therefore, I suggest that they themselves are already in the outer darkness.

Consider the biggest proponent of this scrutiny of others - Fox News. If that corporation is not an example of wailing and gnashing of teeth, I don't know what is. Can you imagine living like that? It must be so difficult to always be on the lookout for things others have done and to always be having to look behind you; to always be angry and yelling at others who have done you no wrong. They are at the banquet and cannot enjoy it; they have their reward.

What about our attitude? Can we say with certainty that we are innocent of such behavior? Where do we show love and mercy? What do we wail and gnash our teeth about? Is it worth the anger and damage it causes? Can I show love and mercy to those who insist on wailing and gnashing their teeth? Again, these are difficult and challenging questions. Jesus is calling us to remember that God is not in this wailing and gnashing of teeth, but rather is embodied in our loving and merciful actions.

The banquet is ready. Are we ready to enjoy it?