"So
those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all whom they
found, both bad and good. And the wedding [hall] was filled with guests.
"But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did
not have on a wedding garment. "So he said to him, 'Friend, how did you
come in here without a wedding garment?' And he was speechless. "Then the
king said to the servants, 'Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast
[him] into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' Matthew
22:10-13 NKJV
Weddings are one of the things that just about anyone can
relate to, whether they have had their own, participated in another, or just
attended as a guest. It also is one of those rare events which is universally
considered to be a joyful, celebratory occasion where everyone has a good time.
I also can't help but remember that Jesus' first miracle was at a wedding,
where He (in my opinion) bailed out the father of the bride who came up a
little short during the reception.
I couldn't help but begin to think of the wedding we all
are really looking forward to, and the one which many believe is about to
occur. I'm speaking, of course, about the rapture of the church which is
described by God as a wedding between His Son and all who have chosen to
believe. As I began to think about it, with all the attention given to what
people were wearing to the royal wedding, it was hard not to remember this
parable by Jesus which deals coincidentally, with someone who tried to attend a
wedding dressed “inappropriately”. The fact that this was a concern for Jesus
made me want to look a little closer at this parable and see exactly what we
are being told, and whether or not we should look at it as a warning about our
future wedding.
In this parable, Jesus is explaining the situation that
existed at that time concerning His appearing, and the rejection of the Jews to
His message that He was their Messiah. As a result, His death and resurrection
resulted in the creation of His church, consisting of all who would choose to
believe in the salvation offered to us by His sacrifice. The invitation to the
wedding is given to all, and all who choose to accept may attend. Yet in this
story, Jesus tells us that someone tries to attend dressed “inappropriately”,
and suffers the consequences. My question is, exactly what does this mean and
how does it apply to us?
In Eastern cultures at that time, when you were invited
to attend a wedding you didn't have to worry about going shopping for new
clothes to wear because appropriate garments were provided for the guests by
the one who gave the marriage feast. So all you needed to do was show up and
put on the garment you were given, and your participation was guaranteed. In
this account by Jesus, however, we find someone attending who apparently
refused to accept the garment provided.
A close examination of the passage in the original Greek
makes it clear that this was a deliberate act on the part of the guest to
refuse the garment offered him. The reasons are unclear, but I think it is safe
to assume he felt that his own garments were good enough so that he could
refuse to wear what was provided. Obviously that was a very big mistake on his
part, for when the King arrives and sees him, he is immediately put to the
question. 'Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?' Well,
although he was “speechless”, the answer was pretty clear; he came in without
one because he refused it at the door. The result is that he is bound hand and
foot and tossed out into “outer darkness”.
The interpretation of this parable is not that difficult
to understand. The wedding feast we are all invited to takes place in heaven
before the throne of God. The garments provided for us are a symbol of His
righteousness, which He has chosen to give us freely because our own
righteousness is as “filthy rags”. The only question put to us here is are we
willing to accept what is provided for us, or are we going to be stubborn and
insist we are good enough to refuse?
"I
will greatly rejoice in the LORD, My soul shall be joyful in my God; For He has
clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of
righteousness, As a bridegroom decks [himself] with ornaments, And as a bride
adorns [herself] with her jewels." Isaiah
61:10 NKJV
"But
we are all like an unclean [thing], And all our righteousnesses [are] like
filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, Have
taken us away." Isaiah
64:6 NKJV
It makes no difference how “much” we do, how “good” a
life we live, God makes it plain our righteousness will never pay the price of
admission. It is only by accepting the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus, that we
obtain the garments that will allow us entrance to the wedding feast.
Unfortunately one of Satan's greatest deceptions is that you can be saved by
your own efforts. Just live by the principals you find in the Bible, do the
very best you can, and you will be saved. The point Jesus was trying to make in
this parable is that if you listen to that lie, your end will be the same as
those who chose to totally reject the sacrifice of God in giving His Son to die
for our sins.
My question to you today is are you dressed appropriately
for the wedding? Have you personally told God that you accept the sacrifice He
made for you, confess your sinfulness, and accept the invitation to the wedding
that is to come? God has given the invitation to us all, and all we have to do
in order to receive the appropriate garment to wear is to accept Jesus into our
hearts, and begin to live for Him according to His Word. If you have never done
this, I encourage you to do it now. Simply tell Him that you are sorry for
trying to live your life on your own terms, and invite Him to come into your
heart and to show you how to live life on His. By doing this, you will receive
the “garment of salvation” that will allow you to attend the wedding. Which, by
the way, could begin at any time.
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