Parable of the wedding feast

(Spirit Week parable)

This story can be applied in a couple different ways .The first way you can apply this story is to view it as a commentary on the obsession of “fitting in” and how being the odd person out can be awkward, especially in a high school setting. (Not really the vibe we are looking for)

This story can be seen as 1 girl's failed attempt to break the trend of peer pressure. (Swing and a miss: not the answer we are seeking

Lastly this story can reinforce a sometimes uncomfortable truth. What we choose to wear says a great deal about us.

This doesn’t even have to be a fashion police thing either.

If you saw a person wearing a heavy coat or clothing in the middle of summer, people would become suspicious. It would seem as if you were trying to conceal something dangerous.

If a person chooses to wear symbols depicting hate groups such as the KKK, Neo-Nazi’s, or ISIS, that person is going to be viewed as a potential danger to the public

However for better or worse, we tend to view ourselves as fashion police, as humans frequently judge one another on what we wear.

There is a well known modern day proverb which says “The clothes make the man” Which is a proverb which reinforces the idea that we judge one another by our clothing, and the clothes we wear make larger statements about ourselves than our words.

This proverb originated from a Catholic Priest in the middle ages named Erasmus, the original proverb was given/written in Latin, it said “Vestis, Virum, Facit.

Though this parable's earliest form is credited to a priest, I think you will find that Jesus makes a striking similar point in one of his parables. Today we are going to be looking at the “parable of the wedding feast” and how it relates to the age old proverb. “The clothes make the man”

READ Matthew 22:1-14

Matthew 22:1–14 ESV

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 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 the 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.”

This parable can be split into two parts. First is the rejection, and then disobedience.

The rejection: This is the easiest part of the parable to understand. Jesus is clearly providing commentary regarding the rejection of the messiah from the Jewish people, especially those in power. Their rejection would inspire the king to invite people both good and bad. (Gentiles)

The second part of this parable revolves around disobedience, specifically regarding the wedding attire. Appropriate wedding attire has been an expectation for a long time, though we aren’t nearly as strict as they were in the ancient world. (Illustration: Shorts to a wedding)

The king says to the man “Friend” (Ironically not a friendly greeting) why aren’t you wearing the right clothes? The man is left speechless. So he is thrown out as a result.

So how is this parable applied? The first part is fairly easy, we’ve been given an invite to the wedding because the original guest forfeited their invite. However, how does the second part apply? What does it mean to wear the right wedding garment?

Many people want to accept a form of Jesus that does not include him as being the sacrificial atonement for sin. This idea of Jesus is too exclusive, as only those who allow him to be their atonement for sin will enter his kingdom. They want an idea of Jesus who is a good, moral, upright teacher who not only eats with the sinners, but does little to inspire change within them.

This would be the one who accepted the invitation without the appropriate attire.

They like the idea of Jesus, however don’t want to follow the request he’s given in order to attend his party.

Time and again Jesus has claimed to be the only way of salvation. In John 14:6

John 14:6 ESV

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Jesus says “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” in Matthew chapter 7 Jesus says the one who listens to his words is like a wise man who built his house on a rock. Those who reject him are like the foolish man who built his house on the sand.

In Acts 4:11-12

Acts 4:11–12 ESV

This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

Peter says there other names by which you can be saved. Romans 5:1 says this

Romans 5:1 ESV

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

The specifics of the invitation are clear, in order to attend the party. Jesus must be the source of our salvation and righteousness.

Thankfully the scripture provides for us an application and illustration where the idea of salvation and righteousness are presented as items of clothing.

In Ephesians 6:13-17

Ephesians 6:13–17 ESV

Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,

Paul tells us to equip the whole armor of God. Because we live in a fallen world to sin, we no longer have the armor ourselves, it’s been taken from us. We are incapable of creating our own truth. We cannot bring ourselves salvation, we have no righteousness of our own. Since we can no longer provide these for ourselves, God must provide our armor for us, God provides us with the garments. Without these items, we cannot enter the kingdom. Without these items we will be thrown out.

This makes the old proverb ring true. The clothes make the man. Are we wearing the right garments? The helmet of salvation? The belt of truth? The breastplate of righteousness? Or are we going to show up to the party wearing something else?