THE WEDDING CLOTHES

I am sure all of us have, at some point, been invited to a wedding service and reception. As the service is rather special for the couple concerned, we take care what we wear, ensuring we put on our “Sunday best” and look good for any family and friends’ group photos.

When Jesus told the people a parable of what the Kingdom of Heaven was like, it was a little different to a wedding party these days. In His story, those initially invited to the King’s wedding feast for His Son were seemingly disinterested. So, the King gets His servants to invite any and every one (the bad and the good) from the streets nearby – no-one was to be excluded:

“Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. So go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.’ So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, the bad as well as the good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests. (Matthew 22:8 – 10)

All this seems a little unusual to us, and likely for Jesus’ hearers as well. But then it becomes even more bizarre:

“But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. He asked, ‘How did you get in here without wedding clothes, friend?’ The man was speechless. “Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ “For many are invited, but few are chosen.” (Matthew 22:11 – 14)

Why, after extending an invitation to all and sundry, does the King pick on someone not wearing the appropriate wedding clothes? 

In those days, wedding clothes were provided to each guest by the King and people of wealth. If someone was not wearing his special wedding clothes, he either lost or refused to wear them, or had gate-crashed the wedding reception by getting in without an invite. Since all and sundry had been invited, we can only conclude that that guest had lost his clothes or refused to wear them………

I believe this story is instructive for us today. As the King’s servants, we are all required to invite all and sundry to the wedding supper of the Son. However, as His servants, we also have a responsibility in ensuring that not only do those invited guests actually make a decision to attend the wedding banquet of God’s Son, but also, that they, like us, are properly attired for the occasion. We are told that we must all clothe ourselves: with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.(Colossians 3:12 – 15)

Let’s ensure that all those we bring to Christ for His wedding banquet, are also demonstrating these inner qualities as a sign that they are properly attired for the great wedding banquet of the King.