If you were invited to a big wedding, would you go dressed in the clothes that you had cleaned out the basement or garage in? Most assuredly you wouldn’t. Especially if it was a royal wedding! Imagine going to a royal wedding and someone came dressed in dusty, old work clothes. No one would even go to a dinner party dressed like that, let alone a fancy wedding. Our Scripture reading today from the Gospel of Matthew talks about just such an occurrence. Let’s see what this passage means for us today.
Our Scripture is another parable that Jesus told His followers and the crowds that gathered around Him, including the Pharisees and other religious leaders. Just as with all of the parables that Jesus told, this one wasn’t just a story told for entertainment. There was a spiritual message that He wanted to teach His audience.
In order to fully understand this parable, we need to know a little bit about the wedding customs of the Jewish people back in the days of the New Testament. Most weddings today in many countries are just one day affairs. There are weeks, even months of planning and preparation for many weddings, especially larger, fancier ones, but the actual ceremony and reception following are almost always just one day. However, in the days of the New Testament, wedding celebrations usually lasted at least a week. Invitations would be sent first, and then later, when all the preparations for the wedding were completed, those invited were notified that the wedding was ready, and to come. The family of the groom would also provide wedding robes for all of the guests to wear. These were nice robes, and ensured that everyone was properly attired for all ceremonies and celebrations. It also showed if there were any uninvited people trying to sneak in.
As Jesus began His parable, He told of a king who planned the wedding of his son. The invitations were sent, and then servants sent out to notify that all was ready to come. However, most of those invited would not come. When told again that all was ready, many of the invited mistreated those servants (vs. 1-6). The king was rightly furious about this. Who wouldn’t want to go to a royal wedding?! And it was just wrong to mistreat, even kill those servants. The king then told other servants to invite others. The first group was not worthy to attend (vs. 7-10). Then while at the festivities, the king saw a man who did not have one of the special wedding robes on, and asked how he got in. Because he did not have on a wedding garment, he was cast out (vs. 11-14).
This was more than just a story about not wearing proper wedding attire. There is a much more important spiritual lesson. The king, naturally, is God, and His Son is the Lord Jesus Christ, the Bridegroom. The first invited guests were the Jews, and those on the highways, those invited secondly, are the Gentiles. The wedding robes represent the robe of righteousness that we receive at salvation (Isaiah 61:10). One cannot enter heaven wearing our own righteousness. We are given the righteousness of Jesus when we are saved. Without that we will be cast into darkness or hell.
If one is to be accepted into heaven, it is imperative that they be clothed in the righteousness of Jesus Christ. Our garment of self-righteousness is never good enough. It is spotted and stained with sin. Only the righteousness of Jesus is good or acceptable for heaven, just like the wedding garments provided by the groom. Jesus is the sinless Son of God. His garments are pure and holy, without a stain of sin upon them, unlike our filthy, sinned-filled garments of self-righteousness.
The one man in the parable who did not have on a wedding garment represents those who want to enter heaven, but want to do it on their own terms, clothed in their own righteousness. They try to get into heaven on the basis of their own works. There are those who identify with the kingdom of God externally, professing to be Christian, and belonging outwardly to a specific church. However, they spurn the garment of righteousness that Jesus offers, and try to establish their own righteousness. They will not enter heaven, and just like that one man, will be cast out.
God instructs us to share the Gospel with anyone who will listen. We do not know who will respond and who won’t. We are to make our appeal to everyone we can (vs. 9). The most unlikely candidates often come to faith. The “good” need salvation, as well as the “bad” do (vs. 10).
As Jesus closed this parable, He reminded those who were listening, that many are called, but few are chosen (vs. 14). The call to attend the marriage feast of the Lamb is given to all, both Jew and Gentile alike. It is extended to all who will hear the Gospel. Many hear it, but few respond. Have you responded to God’s invitation? Are you accepting the proper wedding garment, the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ, by accepting Him as your personal Savior, or are you trying to get to heaven by your own works? Our works of self-righteousness will get us nowhere but cast out into outer darkness. Accept the Lord Jesus as your Savior today!
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