"My fingernails are painted pink!"

That is what the little girl that was baptized today said to me during the Prayers for the Candidate. There we were standing at the font. We were serious about the work we were doing. Mom & Dad had their eyes glued to the Bulletin, so that they could make sure that they responded when they were supposed to. And in the midst of all this serious liturgy, Sydney, who is two years old, was very happy to proclaim that her fingernails were painted pink! And I couldn't help but smile.

This was my first Sunday at St. Michael's. 

The Gospel reading for today was the parable of the Wedding Banquet from Matthew 22:1-14. It is a strange reading. There is murder, burning of cities, casting into outer darkness, and gnashing of teeth. It is a story of a King trying to give a wedding banquet, but no one will come. When he finally sends folks out to invite everyone, he is able to fill the banquet. But then there is a curious part where he comes upon someone that is not wearing a wedding robe. That person is cast to "outer darkness." 

Now some folks posit that this ending to the parable as well as the line "Many are called, but few are chosen" are not part of the original parable. They look to a similar parable in Luke and the Gospel of Thomas (which is non canonical) that do not include the violence and exclusivity of Matthew's version of the parable. But is there something to be learned from Matthew's version? Perhaps it shows us that while the invitation to God's Kingdom is open to all, but we have to do something to be ready to accept the invitation. We have to say yes and live a life worthy of the Gospel. It also shows us that it is only the King who gets to decide who gets in and who is cast out. The servants job is to send the invitation, to make ready the banquet, but not to judge those that respond to the invitation. 

Whatever the lesson of the curious parable, one thing is for certain, Sydney was ready. She was in her pretty dress, and her fingernails were painted pink. She had gotten ready to respond to God's invitation. She put on her best (surely with help from her mom) so that she would be ready for her baptism.