RSVP Isn’t Enough: Matthew 22:1–14 Gospel Reflection through the Lens of Alcoholism
Jesus answered and spoke to them again in parables, saying,
“The Kingdom of Heaven is like a certain king, who made a marriage feast for his son, and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the marriage feast, but they would not come. Again he sent out other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “Behold, I have prepared my dinner. My cattle and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the marriage feast!”’ But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his merchandise, and the rest grabbed his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them. When the king heard that, he was angry, and sent his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city.
Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited weren’t worthy. Go therefore to the intersections of the highways, and as many as you may find, invite to the marriage feast.’ Those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together as many as they found, both bad and good. The wedding was filled with guests.
But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man who didn’t have on wedding clothing, and he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here not wearing wedding clothing?’ He was speechless. Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and throw him into the outer darkness; there is where the weeping and grinding of teeth will be.’
For many are called, but few chosen.”
This parable is blunt.
God invites everyone to the banquet. But not everyone shows up ready. Not everyone comes with a changed heart. Not everyone takes the invitation seriously. And that’s the point: salvation isn’t just offered—it’s activated. Not by words. But by faith-fueled transformation.
Lip Service Doesn’t Cut It
This passage is straightforward to me. Don’t just give God’s invitation lip service. It needs to be based in deep faith. Not verbal acceptance. Not ceremonial compliance. But real change.
The AA Step Dilemma
This is why I’ve always had a real problem with Step 3: Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him. And Step 6: Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character. Honestly, I don’t know what Bill Wilson was thinking. It’s like leading a horse to water and asking if it’s made a decision to drink—and whether it’s entirely ready to drink. It’s semantic nonsense. I’ve made a decision to win $100 million in Powerball next Thursday. I’m entirely willing to win it. Does that mean it’s going to happen? Of course not. That’s not commitment. That’s wordplay.
The Gospel Is Clear
This passage makes it very clear: God’s invitation is generous. But the response must be genuine. You don’t get in because you RSVP’d. You get in because you showed up changed. The man thrown out of the banquet wasn’t rejected because he was late. He was rejected because he wasn’t prepared. He didn’t take the invitation seriously. He didn’t respect the gravity of grace.
Recovery Requires Real Change
As a recovering alcoholic, this hits hard. I’ve spent years giving lip service to change. I’ve made decisions. I’ve been entirely willing. But until I acted, nothing shifted. Now? I’m not just RSVP’ing to grace. I’m dressing for the banquet. I’m showing up with a changed heart, a clear mission, and a refusal to play semantic games.
This article is a chapter from Jason Bresnehan's book A Catholic Gospel Journey Through the Lens of Alcohol Recovery — Jason Bresnehan.
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