Pastor Melinda Song
17 February 2019
My messages thus far for this year are…
January – “From Slaves to Sons” (Rom 8:14-17)
February, before CNY – “Feasting at the Table of The King “ (Lu 14:15-24)
CNY is not yet over and so today we are looking at a parallel passage for the parable of the Great Banquet found in Matthew 22:1:14
Matthew 22:1-14 (NKJV)
[1] And Jesus answered and spoke to them again by parables and said: [2] “The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son, [3] “and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come. [4] “Again, he sent out other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fatted cattle are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding.”’ [5] “But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business. [6] “And the rest seized his servants, treated them spitefully, and killed them. [7] “But when the king heard about it, he was furious. And he sent out his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. [8] “Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. [9] ‘Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding.’ [10] “So those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good. And the wedding hall was filled with guests. [11] “But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment. [12] “So he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. [13] “Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ [14] “For many are called, but few are chosen.”
COMPARING THE PARABLE IN LUKE AND MATTHEW
- In Luke a certain man held a great feast. In Matthew it is a banquet thrown by the King on occasion of his son’s wedding.
- In Luke’s version of this story, those invited gave lame excuses for not responding to the invitation, with most of them extending their regrets.
In Matthew’s version, those who rejected the invitation seized the master’s servants, mistreated and killed them. The furious king then sent out his army to destroy those who murdered his slaves and burned up their city. Most commentators suggest that this is in reference to the destruction of the Jerusalem temple in about 70 AD.
- In Luke’s version of this story, the message of the parable centers on the grace of God in inviting all – even the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame – who have been rejected by society in one form or another. And the parable ends there.
In Matthew’s account the story continues with the king’s anger over a guest’s lack of a proper wedding garment. This element is necessary because the servants gathered both good and bad into the wedding hall (v. 10) and not everyone who is called as a replacement guest will remain “for many are called (invited), but few are chosen” (Matthew 22:14).
Jesus says that we need proper wedding clothes to remain in the banquet.
It is tremendously embarrassing to go to a social function and find that you are inappropriately dressed. I make an effort to follow dress codes and also the theme, if there is any, as a way of honoring those who are gracious to invite me to their party.
In keeping with the context of the parable, people will generally dress to the nines especially to attend a royal wedding.
In today’s sermon we read that…
[11] …when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment. [12] “So he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless.
According to many commentators, there is a custom in the East of presenting festive garments. It was common in weddings involving the wealthy to provide each guest with a white wedding garment. When the guests accepted the invitation, they would be given their garment, and they would then wear it to the wedding when the day arrived. Even though the custom is not clearly proved, it is presupposed here.
The Vatican had a dress code and you could not enter unless you had your shoulders and knees covered. Many places would refuse entrance or kick you out if they caught you in a church wearing shorts or a camisole top. Some places will keep a box of simple garments, like robes, that you could put on if you decided, without prior planning, to enter a Holy Place. I believe those places that provided clothing were acting like the King of the Banquet.
Let us also not forget that all the guests were rounded up hastily from “the highways” and therefore none could be expected to come with proper attire. This is a picture of salvation. On the day we accept the Lord’s invitation to sit at His table, we also receive a robe of righteousness.
Isaiah 61:10 (NKJV)
[10] I will greatly rejoice in the LORD,
My soul shall be joyful in my God;
For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation,
He has covered me with the robe of righteousness,
As a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments,
And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
The wedding garment is given to every believer at the instant of conversion and, as could be seen from the parable, must be received and then worn at all times.
A. RECEIVING THE GARMENT
- It Is Received By Faith
The garment is given to those who place their faith in Jesus alone for salvation; not by being religious or being good.
Romans 3:22 (NKJV)
[22] …the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe.
- It Is Totally Free
The garment is not for sale.
Isaiah 55:1 (NKJV)
[1] “Ho! Everyone who thirsts,
Come to the waters;
And you who have no money,
Come, buy and eat.
Yes, come, buy wine and milk
Without money and without price.
Salvation cannot be purchased at any price. It doesn’t matter how much or how little money or resources a person has. The only acceptable currency is faith! Salvation is a gift of God!
Romans 3:24 (NKJV)
[24] being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,
- It Is A Perfect Fit
In the past we used to go to dress-makers to get our clothes tailored. Nowadays we prefer to buy clothes off the rack but some of us have a hard time finding the perfect fit. The results are even worse when purchasing online.
The wedding garment given by the Lord, however, is a perfect fit for everyone every time – whether young or old, big or small, tall or short, fat or thin, rich or poor, etc. God’s wedding garment fits every life perfectly. It is like the sarong that is truly free size.
Besides the fit, some clothes just don’t suit us although they may look beautiful in the picture or on the model. But every life touched by God’s hand of grace and power will look good and better than it used to. He changes lives, but always for the better.
2 Corinthians 5:17 (NKJV)
[17] Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
- It Is Approved By The Father
The guest without the wedding garment was thrown out because the garment was a requirement to be in the presence of the king and to attend the wedding.
The same is true when it comes to the garment of salvation. The only thing that will clothe you in such a way as to make you acceptable to the Lord is for you to receive Jesus as your Savior and be clothed in His righteousness.
Our admission to heaven is not based on our works — what we did or did not do. We will be admitted purely on the basis of we being attired in the glorious righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 2:8-9 (NKJV)
[8] For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, [9] not of works, lest anyone should boast.
B. WEARING THE GARMENT
The invitation sounds like a “come as you are party.” If the banquet really is a “come as you are party” then why is the King so upset about the lack of garment?
The whole idea of the wedding garment seems to imply that there is something expected from each guest at this banquet. The crux of the matter is this: God wants to clothe us in garments of Christ, but God leaves it up to us to put them on.
It may be a “Come as you Are” party, but once we arrive, we don’t “Stay As We Are.”
Galatians 3:27 (NKJV)
[27] For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
The man was obviously not naked. The problem with him is that he thought he could come to the king in his own clothes, on his own terms. He sought to establish a righteousness of his own.
Romans 10:3 (NKJV)
[3] For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God.
Philippians 3:8-9 (NKJV)
[8] Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ [9] and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;
The Bible tells us that our own righteousness is nothing but “filthy rags” that cannot get us into the presence of the King. The proper attire required for entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven is true repentance for sin and faith in Christ, and then a commitment to love and obey the Lord as evidence of saving faith.
On the other hand sometimes people misunderstand and think that there is nothing about human righteousness that pleases God. It is true that our righteousness is as “filthy rags” because our salvation is not the result of any of our efforts, abilities, intelligent choices, personal characteristics, or acts of service we may perform but upon the perfect righteousness of Christ imputed to us.
But God wants to produce in believers a righteousness that is not “filthy rags.” This righteousness is precious to God and is required, not as the ground of our justification (which is the righteousness of Christ only), but as an evidence of our being truly justified children of God.
As born-again believers, we are “created in Christ Jesus for good works” (Eph 2:10)—to help and serve others. While there is nothing we can do to earn our salvation, God’s intention is that our salvation will result in acts of service to build up the church (Eph 4:12). Our righteous acts do not producesalvation but are, in fact,evidence ofour salvation (James 1:22; 2:14–26). Basically, whenever you trust and obey, God is pleased
Yet we must recognize that even our righteous acts come as a result of God within us, not of ourselves. On our own, our “righteousness” is simply self-righteousness, and vain, hypocritical religion produces nothing more than “filthy rags.”
In the letter to the Colossians, Paul expounds more on this idea of new spiritual clothes. There is a putting off and putting on.
Colossians 3:8-14 (NKJV)
[8] But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. [9] Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, [10] and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, [11] where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all.
[12] Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; [13] bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. [14] But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.
This passage shows how putting off the old man and clothing one’s self with Christ will begin to transform our attitudes and character. But it’s important to remember that clothing yourself with compassion, patience, love, and the like come as a result of first clothing oneself with Christ.
C. MANY ARE CALLED, BUT FEW ARE CHOSEN
This statement does not mean that God calls a lot of people, picks over them, and keeps only a few. It means that God calls everyone and gives them the power to respond—but to be chosen, we must respond with obedience to the call, using the power God gave us for that purpose.
- Some will be called but will ignore the calling.
- Others will be called and will actively resist.
- Yet others will be called and will respond rightly but will insist on doing things their way.
This man did not have on the right garment by choice. Despite knowing and being provided with what was required, he nonetheless willfully chose to come to the marriage feast without wearing the right clothing.
When confronted by the king he had nothing to say. There really was nothing for him to say. He knew the consequences of violating the dress code.
Then the king said to the servants, “Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matt 22:13). The outer darkness indicates a time of judgment.
The concept of a mixed community within the church and that not all will make it through the ultimate salvation, is a recurrent feature of the Lord’s teaching.
- We can think of Matthew 7:21 where Jesus said, Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven.
- In the Parable of the Tares and the Wheat (Matthew 13:24-30), both plants are allowed to grow together and are separated only at the final judgment.
- In the Parable of the Dragnet (Matthew 13:47-50), the kingdom of God is likened to a net that gathered fish of every kind prior to the separation of good and bad.
- In the Parable of the Ten Virgins, both wise and foolish bridesmaids are invited but only the wise get into the feast.
Entry into the kingdom of heaven may be free, but to continue in it carries conditions.
- In the Parable of the Wicked Tenants, the warning was that the new tenants must produce the fruit (Matthew 21:41, 43).
- Here the warning is that one must wear a wedding garment. The man without a wedding garment symbolizes professing Christians who presume on the free offer of salvation by assuming that there are no obligations attached. The parable tells us that without wedding clothes, there can be no guarantee of security.
So what is Jesus trying to tell us by adding this rejection of the person who was not dressed for the occasion? He is modifying the theme of grace in the earlier portions of the parable with an insistence that the life of faith entails obedience.
We put on Christ and must keep wearing our garments of righteousness.
What Is the Point of the Parable for Me?
If we try to figure out who is included among the “many” and who is included among the “few,” we’ve missed the point. This isn’t about other people suffering a dire fate, it’s a warning that tells you how to avoid it yourself.
God invites everyone, you and me, just as we are, but God expects us to put on new clothes to enter the kingdom. It may be a “Come as you Are” party, but once we arrive, we don’t “Stay As We Are.”
Colossians 3:1014 (NKJV)
[10] …put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, [11] where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all.
[12] Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; [13] bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. [14] But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.
Let us, in the forthcoming season of Lent, garner a greater appreciation for the cross and by the grace of God seek to put off those things that are displeasing to our Lord and put on those characteristics that are pleasing to Him. Let us be found to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, that is the righteous acts of the saints” (Rev. 19:8).
So what kind of garments are you wearing this morning?
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