Matthew 22:1-14
There is no more hopeful event on earth than a wedding.
- Jesus loved weddings.
- His first miracle was at a wedding.
- On one occasion he referred to himself as a bridegroom.
- So…it is not surprising that at least one of his parables should feature a wedding.
This sounds very much like the Goepel parable we read last week about a landowner who rented a vineyard to some rebellious tenants.
- But this story takes a strange twist.
- The wedding did go on with those who chose to come.
- However…When the king came in to see the guests…he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes.
- He asked…Friend…how did you get in here without wedding clothes?
- The man was speechless.
- He was not wearing the right clothes.
Everyone else wore tuxes and evening gowns and he was in jeans.
- Does wearing the right clothes matter?
In his book…David Brinkley: A Memoir…David Brinkley tells about coming to work for NBC in the 1940s.
- At that time…NBC considered itself the elegant network.
- The rule was that after 6:00 pm radio newscasters were required to read the news wearing tuxedos.
- Can you imagine that?
- Their radio audience could not see the newscasters…
- But NBC management believed their attitude and presentation skills improved dramatically when they were properly attired.
Gilda Radner once said:
- I base most of my fashion taste on what doesn’t itch.
- Well…times are a changing…
- Especially when it comes to apparel.
- We have moved to casual Friday all week long.
A friend of mine is employed by the human‑development department of a corporation in the Midwest.
- Her job is to train employees in proper dress codes and etiquette.
- One day as she was stepping onto the elevator…
- A man dressed in jeans and a golf shirt got on the elevator with her.
- Thinking of her responsibilities…she said.
- Dressed a little casually today…aren’t we?
- The man replied: That’s one benefit of owning the company.
- The Lord be with you…
Anyway…Jesus tells a parable about a wedding guest who was not appropriately attired.
- Showing that he has misinterpreted the king’s generosity.
- Jesus’ audience would have understood that a proper wedding garment was simply one that was clean.
- It did not need to be new or fancy.
- This guest was not a poor man who did not own decent clothes…
- He was someone who was acting in a manner that was deliberately disrespectful.
- This man represents a person who walks through a flower garden with boots on…stepping all over the flowers.
- Who wipes his mouth on a clean tablecloth.
- Who crashes a wedding reception to get free drinks.
- The one who attends the wedding party without going to the church to witness the sacred vows spoken by the bride and groom.
- There was no excuse for this guest to be dressed inappropriately except for either ignorance or stubbornness.
- The attitude of the king indicates that it was the latter.
This man is like some of those
individuals that Paul labored with so desperately in the early church…
- Who could not understand why they should give up drunkenness and gluttony…
- Since God had already forgiven them their sins and opened the kingdom to them.
And so…the man knew better than to be dressed as he was…but he clearly did not care.
- The king did not cut him any slack.
- He said to his 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.
We want to hear a nice story about God’s throwing a party open to everyone.
- We do not want to hear about judgment on the wicked…
- Or about demanding standards of holiness…
- Or about weeping and gnashing of teeth.
- Jesus’ love reached those who were invited to the feast where they were.
- But his love refused to let them stay as they were.
- Love desired the best for those who were invited.
God loves ruthless felons.
- God loves criminal and arrogant businessmen…
- God loves manipulative mothers that damage their children’s emotions for life.
- But the point of God’s love is that he wants them to change.
- He distains what they are doing and the effects it has on everyone else…including themselves.
- If God is a good God…he cannot allow that sort of behavior to remain at the party he’s throwing for his son!
God’s kingdom is a kingdom in which love…justice…truth…mercy and holiness reign unhindered.
- They are the clothes we need to wear for the wedding.
- And if we refuse to put them on…we are saying we do not want to stay at the party.
- God loves us as we are…but God expects us to clothe ourselves in the robe of Christ.
CS Lewis put it this way:
- We think God is going to come into our house…look around…and see that we just need a new floor or better furniture and that everything needs just a little cleaning…
- Then you look out the window one day and see that there’s a wrecking ball outside.
- It turns out that God thinks our whole foundation is shot and we are going to have to start from scratch.
Jesus was not saying that sinners are barred from the kingdom.
- Sinners…in fact…are all that are welcome in the kingdom.
- And we are all invited.
- But this guest does not see himself as a sinner.
- And that’s how he comes to stand out so severely at the feast.
Paul puts it best in Colossians:
- Cloth yourselves with compassion…
- Kindness…
- Humility…
- Meekness…