2026-10-11 - The Invitation You Don’t Want to Miss

Do you like free stuff? I really do. When I go grocery shopping and there's a sample corner, I get so happy. In Korean, we have a saying: "If it's free, people will even drink lye." That's how much people love free things.

Today, on Thanksgiving Sunday, we want to think about this free gift. It's completely free. It's the invitation to the heavenly banquet. Jesus said the kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. Imagine that. It's not just a regular dinner. It's a royal wedding. You would not want to miss it. The king sends out invitations. Not just once. He sends servants to remind people. But the people who were invited don't come. One person has to go check on their field. Another has to take care of their business. They have things to do. The problem is that those things are coming before God. And there are even more serious cases. The king is patient. He sends more servants. He tries again. But the people keep refusing. They keep choosing their field, their business, their comfort. They want those more than the banquet the king prepared. But here's the thing. An invitation doesn't mean anything if you don't actually go. The invitation only works when you show up at the banquet. Having an invitation and attending the banquet are different things. Knowing about heaven and living in heaven are different things.

So the king does something unexpected. He sends servants out to the streets. And he says, "Go and invite everyone you meet to the banquet." They go out and gather people they meet. They don't separate good people from bad people. They don't separate rich from poor. There's no distinction by gender or race. No one is rejected for any reason. The door is wide open for everyone. This is the heavenly banquet Jesus talked about. It's not just for a few people. It's not just for people who think they deserve it. It's for anyone who wants to come, anyone who says "yes" to the invitation. It's for unexpected people, surprising people, people who never thought they would be welcomed. Now the banquet hall is crowded with people. Laughter and conversation fill the space. The king looks at the gathered people and is pleased. This is what the king wanted and planned. Not an exclusive club, but a house full of people who said "yes."

But the story doesn't end there, right? There's more. And this part makes us uncomfortable. The king comes in to see the guests. And he notices one person who isn't wearing the prepared wedding clothes. The king asks, "Friend, how did you get in here without wedding clothes?" The person has nothing to say. They are silent. The king has them removed from the banquet. We want to ask, "Wait a minute. You just compelled people from the streets to come, and now you're throwing someone out because they don't have the right clothes? How does that make sense?"

To understand this, we need to know a little about the culture of that time. At wedding banquets back then, wearing the proper clothes wasn't optional. It was basic courtesy. It was a basic way of respecting the host and the celebration. And these clothes weren't what we think of as a suit. Basically, it was a long, wide tunic with an outer robe or cloak wrapped around it. And at royal or wealthy banquets, the host, the king, would sometimes give out wedding clothes for free at the door. So if we understand it that way, even people who were suddenly invited from the streets would naturally wear the clothes. They didn't need to prepare clothes. It was free. It was a gift.

So this person showing up without wedding clothes wasn't a fashion problem. They just refused to wear it. We don't know why. Maybe they thought their own clothes were good enough. Maybe they thought they didn't need the wedding clothes. Maybe they just couldn't be bothered. But what we do know is this. They could have received something to cover their unpreparedness. They could have received something to prepare them for the banquet. But they refused. The wedding clothes are the covering given to us when we say "yes" to heaven's invitation. We don't earn it or qualify for it. We don't make it ourselves. It's a gift. It's given freely. All we have to do is not reject it and just put it on. But this person refused. The king says, "Many are invited, but few are chosen." The invitation goes out to everyone. The door is wide open. But not everyone responds. And even among those who show up, some still don't put on the new clothes.

Today we are celebrating Thanksgiving Sunday. We are having a feast of gratitude. At this banquet table, I hope we ask ourselves some honest questions. Have we received the invitation? Yes, most of us have. We grew up in church. We've heard many faith stories. So to speak, we have the ticket. But when the time comes, do we still have the expectation and excitement to attend the banquet? Are we living waiting for that time? Or are we making excuses? Are we too busy because of our fields, our businesses, our lives? Are we so focused on what's right in front of us that we're missing the banquet God prepared?

And here's the more important question. Have we put on the wedding clothes?

The wedding clothes are the gift of salvation we cannot earn. And at the same time, it's the humility to accept that we need to be covered. We can't come to the banquet our own way, in our own clothes, in our own righteousness. We need to lay down our pride and receive what God has prepared. The wedding clothes tell us that the reason we come to God is not because we are worthy, but because God is gracious. They tell us that everything has been prepared by God. They tell us that it's not because we are good enough, but because God's love is big enough. And when we put on those clothes, something happens. We are covered. Our shortcomings are hidden. Our failures are hidden. Our shame is wrapped in grace. We can sit at the table and belong

And I'm not saying that putting on the wedding clothes instantly changes us into completely different people. The Bible says we are being built together (Ephesians 3:22). It's like a house that keeps being completed. That's why Paul also says in 1 Corinthians 15:31, "I die every day." Because he knew that wearing the clothes of grace means taking off the old self and putting on the new self in everyday life.

The beautiful thing is that the clothes are always there. Always ready. No matter how many times we mess up, no matter how far we've wandered, the clothes are waiting. The invitation is still valid. The banquet is still prepared.

So here's what I want to say to you. This Thanksgiving, come to the banquet. Come if you feel ready. Come if you feel completely unprepared. Come if everything is in order. Come if everything is falling apart. Come if you've been a Christian your whole life. Come if you're not sure what you believe. Come if you're carrying guilt and shame. Come if you're carrying doubt and fear. Come if you're excited. Come if you're skeptical. Come if you're lonely. Come if you feel invisible even when surrounded by people.

The invitation is for you. The door is open. The table is set. God is waiting. And come put on the clothes prepared for you. Come be covered. Come be loved. The banquet is a gift. It's free. And it's the best free thing you will ever receive. The invitation keeps going out. Some people say "yes" and some say "no." Which side are you on? I pray that you will joyfully respond to the invitation and feel the king's welcome. I pray that you will be covered in grace and sit at the table. And I think about the invitation banquet we are preparing. We are a small community, but we have a big invitation. We have a table with room. We have a story to tell. So this Thanksgiving, let's be servants who carry the invitation out. Let's be people who invite others.

The banquet table is ready. And it's set for you.