Wednesday, March 8, 2023

Queerying Narrative Lectionary 133

ID: the depiction of the eschatological feast in Priscilla's Catacombs. A grey box is on the right with the following text: "Narrative Lectionary / Year 1 - March 12, 2023 / Wedding Banquet / Matthew 22:1-14" with the diakonia.faith logo at the bottom.
Pace Warfield-May queeries the Narrative Lectionary.

Matthew 22:1-14
Jesus spoke to his chosen family in parables, once more. He said, 2"The kin-dom of heaven could be described as a ruler who gave a wedding banquet for his son. 3He sent all of his slaves to call the guests who had been invited to attend. The guests would not come. 4Again, the ruler sent other slaves out, saying to them, 'Tell those who have been invited: Look, everything is prepared: for dinner, the oxen and best quality of my cows have been prepared. Everything is ready! Come to the wedding banquet.' 5But the invited guests couldn't be bothered. One went back to his farm, another to his business, 6while another guest decided to be extra and seized up the ruler's slaves, mistreated them, and killed them. 7The ruler was enraged. He sent his troops, killed the guests who had murdered his slaves and burned their city. 8The ruler said to his remaining slaves, 'The wedding is ready, but those I originally invited were not worthy. 9Go then into the streets and invite everyone you can find to the wedding banquet.' 10The slaves went out into the streets and gathered everyone they could find, regardless of their character or worthiness, so that the wedding hall was filled with guests.

11"But when the ruler came in to see all the guests, he noticed that there was a man who was not wearing a wedding robe. 12The ruler said to him, 'Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding robe?' And the man was silent. 13Then the king said to the guests, 'Bind this man's hands and feet so he cannot get free. Then throw him into the outer unknown, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' 14For many are called, but few are chosen."

Queeries for the text:
What is this text building on?
What is the accompanying text?
Where is this going?
Why is the ruler such an asshole in this?
How has this text been used in antisemitic and supersessionist ways?
What does the heavenly banquet look like here and now?

What are your queeries?