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20th Sunday after Trinity Text: Matthew 22:1-14 Theme: You Are What You Wear 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.” First of all, let us note that the beginning of this parable is similar to the one that Jesus told about the great banquet in Luke in Luke 14. Many of those who were first invited to the big celebration make excuses and do not accept the invitation. In this parable about a wedding feast, however, another twist is added. Some of those first invited not only turn the invitation down: they treat the king’s servants shamelessly, killing some of them and receiving the king’s retribution. Perhaps, Jesus here provides a thinly veiled dig at the Jewish religious establishment, making an allusion here to how Israel treated many of the prophets that God raised up. We note also that the wedding feast was a common metaphor to represent the big gala that God will put on to usher in the fullness of the Kingdom. A sober point here as the same as with the great banquet in Luke 14: Evangelistic efforts will in many cases be disappointing - even for God. Many whom God would like to be present in the coming of the fullness of the Kingdom . . . will not be. It is certainly true that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son . . . (John 3:16), so that thru Him he might reconcile a world of sinners to himself, not counting their trespasses against them (II Cor 5:19). Nevertheless, all for whom Christ has died, and all who are included in the call of the Gospel will not be there in that better day. Making just this point, Jesus ends this parable as He does all His Kingdom parables - with a punchline. Many are called, but few are chosen. What is the difference between being called and being chosen? We want to consider briefly this morning how it is that we might be considered not simply called - but also chosen - chosen for the celebration of the happy forever in the Kingdom of God. Jesus intimates that all seem to be called, but to be chosen involves the matter of our attire - what we show up wearing in the Kingdom of God for the big party that God is going to throw. Some will not be there, because they have no desire to be. They have too many other priorities that get in the way of things eternal. These make excuses and turn down the invitation because it would compromise their life style and their other appointments. Such end up with an appointment with Hell even though it may not have been in their appointments calendar. But showing up or desiring to be at the great celebration is not the whole story, nor is it the focus of this parable. This parable does not dwell on those who do not show up, but rather it centers on one particular guest who is improperly attired. He is not found to be wearing the proper clothing for the event. He is not wearing a wedding garment. Therefore he is tossed out on his ear with the door slammed behind him. This is a really tragic thing. It is not simply that he misses out on a good party. Its not that he now goes down to Wendys and has to settle for a bowl of chili, a big fry, and a Coke. No, he is cast out into the outer darkness where people are gnashing their teeth in utter despair. A vision of Hell is provided here for this poor fellow. We need to clarify some things about this parable and the matter of the wedding garment. It is not that those who show up for the wedding are to have acquired the proper attire on their own. The wedding garment according to the customs of the time was supplied by the host. Here we have in the parable an individualist - one who decided to make a personal statement with attire that he himself would provide. He would like the king and all the rest of the guests to see him on his own terms - not how he would be seen dressed the same as all the others with donated attire. He sought to make his own fashion statement and serve notice that he was there attending the wedding on his own terms. And that was just what was so outrageous to the king. It was not to be . . . he is tossed out forthwith. So what are we to make of this wedding garment and this hapless fellow with the wrong clothes? What is this telling us about how we might be among the chosen for the great feast in the fullness of the Kingdom of God? Jesus seems to reinforce a rather trite saying in our success-oriented culture: You are what you wear. In other words, the clothes make the person. Ordinarily we want to discount such sayings as compromising our sense of dignity. Appearances might be for making first impressions but we really think that who and what we are as the real persons underneath our attire and outward appearance is really what counts. Such thinking, however, is not profitable when considering how we might be acceptable to our Creator God. When it comes to how we might appear before Him when left to our own resources - when viewed as the real persons that we are - He provides the mirror of his Law to allow us to see ourselves as He sees us. All of our sins show as filthy rags about us . . . and so also do our best works if we rely on them for acceptable dressing before Him. Trying to come before him as fit to partake of the glory of His Kingdom and its great feast on the basis of what we are and what we wear unto ourselves is an abomination to Him. Our unseemly sinfulness regardless of how we might dress it up or try to cover it up makes us unfit for the Kingdom of the righteous. A righteous God wants only righteous revelers at his great feast. What is needed is the garment that only is provided by the King - the King of Kings, our Lord Jesus. He has won for us on his cross a robe of righteousness that makes us fit for the Kingdom and all it celebrations. We may all be quite distinct in our sinful wretchedness. We may have our own pet sins, our own omissions of what a righteous life should be . . . but that which we wear that makes us acceptable to God is the same for all of us. It is only as we are all covered with the same righteousness of Christ which hides and cancels our sins that makes us acceptable to God and His Kingdom. Being not simply called, but chosen, means to be adorned by his righteousness which we wear and live with by faith. To be called by the Gospel is one thing. Those who would heed that call need to be grabbed by the great King and dressed out for his Kingdom celebration by the righteousness of Christ. We put on Christ as our righteousness when by faith, we are given the inheritance of our baptism. And the feast that prefigures that Great Party to come will soon be served this morning at this altar. Jesus beckons us to his table as we have been rightly attired for it as well, dressed out in his robe of righteousness. It kind of like a dress rehearsal. We come to his table and eat and drink his body and blood given and shed for us . . . full payment for that righteousness clothing that we wear by faith. To the question have YOU been chosen? You must listen to the Lord speak to you in the supper . . . given for you . . . shed for the forgiveness of your sins. Here are the words that echo the promises you have received in your baptism. You are dressed for success in gaining entrance to the Great Feast to come. Soooo, when the time comes . . . you are ready to party . . . to party with your Lord and all the saints forever. A-men! |
Shepherd
of the Springs
