The Parable of the Wedding Clothes

“And again, Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying:“The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son, and sent his servants to call on those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come. 

Again he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.’ But they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business, while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them. The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. 

Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy. Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.’ And those servants went out into the roads and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests. 

But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment. And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. Then the king said to his attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ 

For many are called, but few are chosen.”

-Matthew 22:1-14

 

Search your closet:

You have been invited to join in the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, communion and companionship with the King of Kings.  Is there anything in you that still feels like you need to strive, earn, or please the King to be with him?  Do you really understand that both “bad and good” are welcomed by him?

That last guest at the end perplexes me. How did he get in there unchanged? Maybe he depended on his own good works and righteousness?  But it didn’t do.

“We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.” -Isaiah 64:6

By grace, through faith. It’s the only way to enjoy  companionship and intimacy with the Bridegroom. The only pure, clean and bright thing we can dress ourselves in is the righteousness of Jesus:

“I delight greatly in the Lord’ my soul rejoices in my God. For He has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness.” -Isaiah 61:10

 

Prayer:

Father, thank you for your Son, your provision of the holiness you require in me. Thank you for your incredible grace. Release me from the striving and the earning and the pleasing. Increase my faith in you.  Help me come to “know and believe the love you have for me.”

Love, your girl

 

*The Lord makes this such a delight for me! The very week I planned to post this parable “happened” to be the very week we studied it in my Bible Study Fellowship class on Matthew (lesson 22, day 5). Credit for this post is due them. Thanks, BSF! And thank you, Lord!