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If the afterlife looks like a banquet

Pieter Bruegel the Elder - Peasant Wedding

If the afterlife looks like a banquet

By Andrea Maraschi

HubPages (2014)

Pieter Bruegel the Elder - Peasant Wedding

Introduction: Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son.”

Matthew’s version of this parable (Mt 22,1-14) differs from those by Luke and Thomas (who talk about a generic banquet), but this subtle variance is not that significant here. Let us just say that Matthew added a deeper metaphorical meaning to its text than did his colleagues. What is relevant to this brief analysis, instead, is the fact that the biblical afterlife looks like a convivium.

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Medieval literature would prove the huge success of such an idea, so we are compelled to stop for a moment and ask ourselves the reasons for this reception. Why did men use to link heaven with repletion? And what shape did this longing take inside of their minds?

The banquet which Matthew wrote about has supernatural, divine features. In order to take advantage of the celestial benefits of the invitation, though, the guests had to show to be worthy of the calling. But some of them declined the invite; some others reacted violently and killed the servants of the king, annoyed by their visit. Nevertheless, an oxen and fattened cattle had already been butchered and the hall set up; all was ready for the wedding.

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Eventually, the king said to his servants: “Those I invited did not deserve to come. So go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.” The power of this message should not be underestimated: when the time will come, both the good and the bad will be called and let in the kingdom of heaven, if only they are ready and desirous to go. Presumably, someone accepted the invitation because he was hungry, while others were sincerely happy to celebrate such a joyful event and to honour their prince. In fact, they all attended the feast and entered the bright royal hall.

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