Next week we will celebrate our Anniversary, we will also rejoice in the
Baptisms and the reception of new confirmed in our church. We will have a beautiful
party.
You know what was the first question that some parents asked me. It wasn’t
about the ceremony, or what they learned, or the implications of being baptized or
confirmed in the church, but it was what clothes should they wear that day?
Well, pay attention to the message that today we will talk about it.
In the Gospel we also see a feast. The parable is about a royal wedding. The
traditions of first-century royal weddings are very different from our modern
traditions. Here, clothing was not an issue, when a king held a royal wedding, he
not only provided accommodation and food for his guests, but also gave them
special clothing, it was the clothing for the wedding, something designed especially
for that day and fully funded by the king. (Don’t tell me now that the pastor must
pay for the clothes of the confirmed, because this is not what the text teaches.)

I read a story of a world famous tightrope walker in the 1860s; a Frenchman
by the name of Charles Blondin. He became famous for crossing Niagara Falls on a
rope on more than one occasion. On one occasion it is even said that in the middle
he stopped, cooked and ate a fried egg. On one occasion, a large crowd from Canada
and the United States gathered to watch him walk the tightrope across the Falls

It is clear from the texts mentioned this morning that today’s theme revolves around suffering. Even if you’ve never had to grieve the loss of a loved one (like the widows in the Old Testament and Gospel lessons), we can all relate to suffering. We all put on sinful flesh, which means we all suffer, to one way or another. We all carry crosses. That’s part of living in a fallen, sinful world. No one is immune.

How much does it cost to trust? We look around us and many times we find a feeling that hurts us. The disappointment. We are constantly disappointed by situations, people, friends, neighbors, even our family, by acts, words, or simply because the other does not do, or does not act in the way I would like them to. Many times, we say: I could not trust him or her again… A difficult situation that only forgiveness can repair…

As we turned our attention to the Gospel lesson, we heard that the Samaritan leper, recognizing the fact that he had been completely cured of his leprosy, took the time to return to Jesus, fall at his feet, and praise God with a loud voice.
There is a lot to learn here.
This guy, this Samaritan, (we talked about them last week) recognized God in the person of Jesus. To praise Jesus is to praise God… in the flesh. Think about it.
Jesus’ intervention in the life of this leper brought about a significant change. From death to life. The change that Jesus made in his life motivates him to return, fearlessly and joyfully, to the very presence of Almighty God to fall on his face in thanksgiving and praise God.

25 At that moment an interpreter of the law stood up and, to test Jesus, said, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 Jesus said to him, “What is written in the law? What do you read there?” 27 The interpreter answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and love your neighbor as yourself.” 28 Jesus said to him, “You answered correctly. Do this, and you will live.”