The Parable of the Wedding Banquet Part II: Life is Far Grander
The wedding clothes represent the attitude with which people are approaching Life. An attitude is something we put on and can be changed as easily as your clothes can be changed. The wrong kind of attitude gets you “Tied up hand and foot, thrown outside into the darkness, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
Being tied up hand and foot is a metaphor for a life that SUCKS! It is a metaphor for a life where you are helpless. Thrown out into the darkness is a metaphor for misunderstanding life, yet thinking you are right. Blaming others for the suffering that is going on in your life is a symptom of being in the darkness. One who blames cannot remember the misdeeds of the past or refuses to accept that their thoughts attracted such events into their lives. One who is in the darkness does not even realize that in a moment they can sit down, close their eyes, quiet their mind, and find the kingdom of heaven inside of themselves. And I assure you that it is quite possible to do exactly that even in the midst of the most horrific tragedies that Life has to offer.
Being tied up hand and foot is where other people and outside circumstances are responsible for your happiness and physical well-being. And you are in the dark if you think life is really like that because it is not!
Weeping and gnashing of teeth is complaining, blaming, seeking revenge, seeking to punish and it is the condition that way too many people find in their lives. Have you ever noticed how people who are heavily into religion and preach hell and damnation and who condemn and judge others are also the ones who are weeping and gnashing their teeth? Have you ever noticed that the ones who totally ignore any sort of spiritual practice, who refuse to observe the relationship between their thoughts and their feelings, who refuse to even feel at all, are also the ones who are often found weeping and gnashing their teeth?
How often does this describe you? I am not trying to insult you, I am not judging you, and I don’t even need to know the answer, but you do…because an honest answer can set you free.
The solution is easy. Come to the banquet properly attired. Come to Life with Love in your heart and great appreciation for the gift you have been given. You have LIFE, the greatest gift there is.
When you are complaining about Life (which is God) or another person (who is also God), you are either abusing the servants or showing up at the banquet improperly attired. Your results…well you are living them now. Your experience of Life is telling you what kind of banquet guest you have been. Would you like your experience, your life, to be different? Would you like it to be better?
The first place to start is with your thoughts AND feelings. Observe the relationship between the two. And then think only thoughts which make you feel good. If you find yourself feeling bad, then change your thinking, stop whatever you are doing and get a grip on your mind before you proceed. Your actions will follow your thoughts, so I am not asking you to focus on your actions. If you really become aware of both your thoughts and feelings your actions will follow.
Kind and Loving Regards,
Michael Skowronski
Author of Unforgettable: A Love and Spiritual Growth Story
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