S) "11 But when the king came in to look over the dinner guests, he saw a man there who was not dressed in wedding clothes, 12 and he *said to him, 'Friend, how did you come in here without wedding clothes?' And the man was speechless."
Matthew 22:11-12 (NASB)
O) There is quite a lot to unpack from this parable. It starts in v.2 and continues through v.14, and it speaks volumes about the kingdom of heaven. At the time this parable was spoken, it was common for wedding celebrations to have a particular dress code. At a very nice wedding, like this one for a prince, it was not uncommon that the host (king) would even provide the required clothes to the guests. This has huge implications, relative to other scriptures about God's provision for us, especially as it pertains to clothing.
(see Zechariah 3:3-4; Job 29:14; Galatians 3:27; and Romans 13:14)
The fate of this man is unmistakable. Found without the proper attire, the king throws him out, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth (a common phrase used with references to hell). Putting this all together, shows us that those not found in Christ, cannot remain in the kingdom of heaven.
A) When I got married, we invited a lot of different people. It was a casual wedding, and we were far from affluent, so we set no dress code whatsoever. Still, for the most part, people dressed pretty nice for the wedding. It was an afternoon wedding (not evening), so it wasn't formal, but it was nice. And then there was my cousin, who showed up in cutoff jean shorts and a Led Zeppelin t-shirt. Now, considering the circumstances, I wasn't offended. But, there was no denying that he stood out like a sore thumb. When my other guests showed up in nice-ish clothes, it sent the message, "Hey, we care about what You are doing here, the time, effort, and money that you spent making this a fun party, and we appreciate that you invited us to join you." When my cousin showed up, it seemed to have sent the message, "Hey, I hope this will be fun for me." When I show up in the kingdom of heaven, at the wedding feast of Jesus and His bride (the church), will I approach that with an attitude (and attire) that says it's about me? Is it about what I'm getting? Is it about me having a good time? That would be devastating, as we see above. The attitude of my heart must be, that I am willing to do whatever is required, just to be there. I am thankful to be invited, grateful that the required clothes are all provided for me at no cost! It's not about me, and what I'm getting out of it. The kingdom of heaven, the wedding, even the fact that I am part of it; all of this is about Jesus, and what the Father God has done for Him and His bride (the church as a whole, which includes me, but is not about me either).
P) Father, how amazing is it, that You invited me to this wedding feast? When I force myself to meditate on that invitation, I am humbled by the grace of it. When I also remember, that You have provided every way to get me there, and You provide everything necessary for me when I am there, I am humbled further by the mercy involved. There is a temptation, Lord, for me to think that I am somehow entitled to have my will be done, since You have made so many things go "my way," but that is such a terrible trap. Help me to stay focused, Father God, on the fact that Your kingdom is not about me. Help me to remember that my very life is not about me, but it's about You, LORD. I am Your invited guest, but I am Your servant. Don't let me get that twisted, Lord, because I don't want to be caught speechless. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.
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