Garments of Grace

Matthew 22:1–14 NIV

1 Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying: 2 “The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. 3 He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come. 4 “Then he sent some more servants and said, ‘Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.’ 5 “But they paid no attention and went off—one to his field, another to his business. 6 The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them. 7 The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. 8 “Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. 9 So go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.’ 10 So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, the bad as well as the good, and 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 wedding clothes. 12 He asked, ‘How did you get in here without wedding clothes, friend?’ The man was speechless. 13 “Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ 14 “For many are invited, but few are chosen.”

In case you haven’t noticed, God likes weddings.

There are approximately 35 instances of weddings in the Bible, and all of them give us glimpses into the heart of God.

We remember Jesus turning water into wine at the wedding in Cana in John 2:1-11.

There’s the parable of the ten virgins who go to meet the bridegroom in Matthew 25:1-13.

Then there’s John’s description of a heavenly wedding feast between Christ and his bride, the Church in Revelation 19:6-9.

Today we’re introduced to a wedding in Matthew 22:1-14.

The text has both a sense of celebration, while also gives us a bit of a wakeup call.

We’re going to take a look at three aspects this morning.

The audience to whom he’s speaking.

The open invitation.

And the offense of the guest who arrived without wedding garments.

Audience

Verse 1 reads:

Matthew 22:1–2 NIV

1 Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying: 2 “The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son.

The first question that should come to mind is who “them” is.

Jesus is giving this parable within a series of other parables.

He is located at the Temple Courts in Jerusalem.

He has just overturned the tables of the moneychangers in Matthew 21:12-13.

He has called out the hypocrisy of the religious leaders who were supposed to represent the holiness of God before the people of God.

Throughout, Jesus drew a sharp distinction between those who were chosen as a people of God, the Israelites, and those who respond to God in faith.

Throughout this series of parables, Jesus is going straight for the heart.

He’s making it clear to the religious leaders that it doesn’t matter if you belong to the community of Israel.

It doesn’t matter if you’re a religious leader.

If your heart isn’t aligned with God’s, you’re missing the point.

So, as we look at today’s passage through that lens, we can more easily understand what is happening in Matthew 22.

Invited

Matthew 22:8–10 NIV

8 “Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. 9 So go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.’ 10 So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, the bad as well as the good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.

"He” is the wedding host.

He has already invited the people who should want to come

The first group was invited. They refused to come to the feast.

He asks again, and they actually kill the servants who extend the invitation.

The religious leaders in the crowd would have understood perfectly that Jesus is speaking about them.

And notice, it was not the character of the invited that mattered to the host.

He doesn’t say, invite the holy people...

Matthew 22:10 NIV

10 So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, the bad as well as the good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.

God invites the bad as well as the good!

This is a lesson to all of us.

God does not call on us to invite only the good people.

He calls on us to invite all the people, and it is God’s work to do much of the rest.

The invitation really is to all.

The “bad” as well as the “good.”

Part of me wishes Jesus just ended it there, but he goes on...

No Wedding Garments

Matthew 22:11–14 NIV

11 “But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. 12 He asked, ‘How did you get in here without wedding clothes, friend?’ The man was speechless. 13 “Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ 14 “For many are invited, but few are chosen.”

Again, remember the context...

Jesus is speaking to people who think they’re “in” with God simply due to the community of faith to which they belong.

Jesus is reminding them, though, that THEIR garments are not wedding garments.

Notice, the text does not say that the garments are ugly, or old, or generally wrong.

They simply aren’t what is befitting the context.

Here’s what Jesus is driving at.

The wedding garments are a metaphor for faith in Jesus Christ.

You can wear the most expensive of ornate vestments. You can be born into Israel and even be a religious leader. You can go to church.

Jesus, though, is looking for people who put on the garments of faith.

What you don’t see in the background is that this man had MANY opportunities to put on wedding garments.

Even the poor usually had options at a wedding feast to show up with wedding garments.

Sometimes they would borrow them from friends or rent them.

Often, the wedding host would have garments for them if they could not find their own.

This guests lack of garments indicates that he wanted to be part of the feast, but he was disdainful and disrespectful toward the host of the feast.

He never put on the garments of faith.

Our Call to Discipleship

My concern is that some of you are questioning yourselves.

Usually when we examine ourselves we’re asking, “What am I supposed to DO?”

The answer isn’t “get to work!”

What does John 13:35 say?

They will know you are Christians by your works???

No...

John 13:35 NIV

35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

Disciples

That’s what Jesus is looking for.

He wants people who are commited to growing daily in love with the ways of God in Jesus Christ.

The answer to what you’re supposed to “Do” is “deepen your love and your relationship with God and with the people of God.”

Mark 12:30–31 NIV

30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”

This isn’t grinding, grueling, difficult work.

This is work that is grounded in loving like God, and it becomes pure joy.

Life Groups

I saw a beautiful example of love this week while I went home to help my mom after her knee replacement surgery.

Members in her life group were at the hospital to pray with her before and after surgery.

Members of her life group have sent cards nonstop.

Members of her life group have been bringing her meals three days a week.

She studies the Bible with her life group.

Does social activities for her life group.

Prays with her life group.

Now, they didn’t HAVE to do any of this.

It’s not work.

As they grow together, they see each other as family and begin to do things that a family naturally does.

Understand, they didn’t HAVE to do any of this.

My brothers and I, mostly my youngest brother, have been there to care for an help mom.

It’s almost like they can’t help it, though.

When you put on faith in Jesus, you love God like Jesus, and you love the people of God like Jesus.

You’re eager to invite people into that small community love Godly love, and then you actually act like you love each other.

Because you do love each other.

Response

As a church, I want us to continue growing in that sort of spirit.

Join a life group, or start a life group.

I’m here to equip you with whatever you need for that journey.

I also think it’s time for us to go deeper as a church.

I’m working on a plan for discipleship groups of 3-5 people that take the spirit of life groups to a deeper level.

You simply find 3-5 people you know and trust, and you go deeper in the Bible, deeper in prayer, deeper in accountability to life transformation.

It’s simple, it’s a commitment, and it’s life changing.

It’s often been stated that churches often talk about transformation in Christ.

People in discipleship groups are actually being transformed.

My discipleship group at Holloman AFB, New Mexico was life changing.

See me if you’re looking or such a group.

They won’t be advertised, as they are meant to form more organically.

Conclusion

Friends, you are all invited to the feast .

You are also given every opportunity to put on the garments of God’s loving grace.

Grow in love with God.

Grow in love for God’s people.

Amen