Dressed in Christ (Matthew 22: 1-14)
1Once more Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying: 2“The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son. 3He sent his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding banquet, but they would not come. 4Again he sent other slaves, saying, ‘Tell those who have been invited: Look, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready; come to the wedding banquet.’ 5But they made light of it and went away, one to his farm, another to his business, 6while the rest seized his slaves, maltreated them, and killed them. 7The king was enraged. He sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city. 8Then he said to his slaves, ‘The wedding is ready, but those invited were not worthy. 9Go therefore into the main streets, and invite everyone you find to the wedding banquet.’ 10Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered all whom they found, both good and bad; so the wedding hall was filled with guests.
11“But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing a wedding robe, 12and he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding robe?’ And he was speechless. 13Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ 14For many are called, but few are chosen.”
What is the proper banquet attire for the end times? One might consider, while presuming to prepare, virtues such as love, generosity, gentleness, and kindness. A more serious person might insist on demeanors such as fear of the Lord, faithfulness, and reverence. Gratitude could be included as a disposition to commend. And there might be a sneaking suspicion that earnestness, sincerity, obedience, devotion, and receptive thankfulness are required. Why do we ask? It’s important, because we can take steps now, in this time of preparation, to consider, adjust, and respond.
Of course, God wants a transformation in us to occur. This attire is not a façade hiding deeper tendencies which we might prefer to ignore. The clothes are what we are, or what we might become. In the end, it is the settled attitude of our souls, hearts, and spirits. God wants for us to experience joy now, which we can carry on into eternity. He wants us to experience peace and wellbeing which becomes the hallmark of the citizens of heaven.
Ultimately, the garment is sewn together with a tenacity that begets perseverance. As we wait in this world with all of its distractions, we need to ever seek the Lord, and stand firm. As an anti-thesis, Israel’s groping for anything at the base of Mount Horeb during an extended period of Moses’, and God’s, absence serves as an example of what not to do. It is amazing how “God’s people” so quickly forgot the mighty miracles of their deliverance and sustenance. They forgot how pervasive and powerful God’s presence had been. Much like us today, they yearned for something immediate and tangible. So, in that moment of testing they were easily enticed by superficiality creating for themselves another object of motivation.
Back to the parable under study, we must remember to whom it was directed. The Pharisees and religious leaders represented Israel whom had succumbed to idolatry in blind adherence to the law. This had made them proud and judgmental. Not attending to their own hypocrisy, this first century group had become hard and mean spirited. They rejected Christ and his message. They preferred power and prestige over a softening of their hearts.
Still, God is compassionate toward the human plight. We who see clearly understand that the proper attire is to be clothed in Christ. Each day as we dress ourselves, we take on this garment. God sees us as such, people who are made right thru Jesus, and we are affirmed. The realization that salvation doesn’t depend on our successes or failures brings humility. Humility keeps us connected to the vine. In this world, humility brings peace, which brings joy, which brings vitality and a sense of wellbeing and purpose, which inspires fruitfulness. This miracle reaction generates out of the fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, goodness, and self-control. These are instilled in us as we apply ourselves to God’s truths. Again, the clothing doesn’t so much reflect us as it does God’s goodness.
It is assuring to know that wherever we are on this journey we are covered. The attire we wear demonstrates God’s love, which is infinite and reliable. Yes, we grow in stages, yet wherever we find ourselves, we are good enough. Still, we push on, not to earn anything, but to simply grow in maturity, which we find is miraculously to our benefit. This is life to the full! This is vitality welling up to eternity. This is, and will be, heaven; the great banquet. And marvelously, we are already clothed.