What is your favorite story in the Bible? Jesus often used short stories, called “parables” to convey deep, spiritual messages, such as “the kingdom of God” and “the end of the age.” In fact, a third of Jesus’ teachings written in the gospels are the parables. By this, Jesus did proclaim things hidden since the creation of the world (Matt 13:35). But, today’s parable, the parable of the wedding feast, is kind of a weird one. Have you ever invited people to your party who did not attend? Everything was ready but some of the guests didn’t come. Did it make you so angry that you killed them and burned down their houses? Probably not, but that’s what happens in this parable. Here perhaps Jesus uses hyperbole to emphasize his point.
There are three different groups of people in this parable: the first-invited group, the second-invited group, and the guy who doesn’t wear the wedding garment. The first-invited group is Israel, the chosen ones. The king sends his servants to call them, but they would not come. So the king graciously sends other servants for the second time, but again they pay no attention. They are either indifferent, or so preoccupied with their own affairs. They would not come. So the king says, “The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy.” Then, he commands his servants to go out and invite anyone they find to the banquet. The same parable written in Luke is more specific. The king says, “Bring in the poor and crippled and blind and lame” (14:21b). So it becomes an open invitation to everyone, both bad and good (10). You’re invited. I’m invited. The second-invited group is the undeserving outside of Israel, that is, you and me. The wedding hall is now filled with guests. But then, the king finds a man who isn’t wearing wedding garment. So he orders this man to be tied up and cast outside into darkness. This seems a little harsh. The parable doesn’t seem to make sense. But we need to see the event through first-century eyes. In Jesus’ day, wedding clothes were often provided by wealthy hosts.[1] So this man’s wedding garment had already been provided by the king. But for some reason this man refused to wear the wedding clothes offered. Why? Perhaps he thought his own clothes were good enough. Perhaps he thought he could make it in on his own terms, dressed in his old outfit.
Ignorance
Who does the man without wedding garment represent? John Bunyan, in his book Pilgrim’s Progress, answers to this question. One day main character Christian and his companion Hopeful meet with Ignorance, a very lively lad, on their way to the Celestial City. He is truly ignorant of the truth, but he is very conceited and certain that he knows everything. Ignorance follows them at a distance. Christian asks, “How stands it between God and your soul?” Ignorance answers, “I have good thoughts, a good heart, and a good life according to God’s commandment.” Christians says, “The Word of God says, ‘There is none righteous, no, not one’ (Rom 3:10). Your name is Ignorance because you are ignorant of Christ’s righteousness and the results of saving faith.” But Ignorance doesn’t listen and says, “I will never believe that my heart is bad. Your faith is not mine, but mine is as good as yours.” Christian says, “Be awakened, see your own wretchedness and fly to the Lord Jesus. By his righteousness you shall be delivered from condemnation.” But Ignorance says, “You go too fast. You go on; I must stay behind for a while.” After this, Christian and Hopeful continue their journey and finally arrive at the gate. But between the pilgrims and the gate is a river. There is no bridge, no boat, and the water is deep. They have to cross a river by swimming. They have a near-death experience. Finally, they arrive at the gate, welcomed by the heavenly hosts. Ignorance gets over with little difficulty, because Vain-Hope, a ferryman, rows him over in his boat. Ignorance climbs the hill by himself, but no one welcomes him. The men at the gate ask him for his certificate. But he doesn’t have it. Then, the king orders his servants, “Take him out, bind him hand and foot and take him away.”
Wedding Guests in Jumpsuits
Who does the man without wedding garment represent? John Bunyan called him Ignorance. But I think “Pride” would be more accurate word: a man of pride. C.S. Lewis rightly says, “… the essential vice, the utmost evil, is Pride. Unchastity, anger, greed, drunkenness, and all that, are mere fleabites in comparison: it was through Pride that the devil became the devil: Pride leads to every other vice: it is the complete anti-God state of mind.”[2] In the parable this man wouldn’t wear the wedding garment provided by the king because of pride, self-righteousness.
Chris Hoke is a prison chaplain. He tells the story of what happened at a Sunday afternoon Bible study in his prison. At that time there were more than 20 men, and they were studying today’s passage. The group had a natural leader, Richard, and Richard had brought the whole of his part of the prison. He was very excited about the fact that the king invited both bad and good. But then they heard that the king ordered the attendants to bind the man without the wedding garment and cast him into the outer darkness. “Just what I thought,” Richard said. “What do you expect from people like us? We don’t have all the right clothes. We never look right! You should know that!” The chaplain explained quickly that in first-century Palestine, it was the custom for the host to provide these over-garments for the guests, right at the door, before they got into the banqueting hall. Richard spoke back: “But we might not want to wear those clothes. We don’t play by all the little rules. You didn’t really want us at all! Or did you just so you can throw us back out into the darkness? Better to stay in the streets with the bad people than be told you’re wanted and then find out you’re really not!” “You’re just assuming,” the chaplain said, “the one not wearing the garment is one of the ‘bad’ people who were invited off the streets. But it doesn’t say that. What if it’s one of the ‘good’ people who feels suddenly uncomfortable around all these ‘bad’ folks pouring in from the streets and sitting next to him or her. Someone who feels better than these folks. Someone who needs to set himself apart, not putting on the same robe as all these undeserving ones?” He continued, “How do you think the host would feel, watching his new flood of guests that he invited from the streets to share his joy, now all feeling judged by this one guy, who’s totally killing the party, making all the rest of the guests feel uneasy, awkward, unwanted, not belonging? He’d throw that guy outside and tie him up, let him get it out of his system, grumble all he wants—grind his teeth, I don’t care—until he was ready to come back in and share the joy of the king who wants everyone. Even people like you!” But for Richard it seemed too good to be true. He said, “Send me a copy of whatever scholar you’re talking about. I wanna see that in print!”[3]
Come to the Feast!
What is the right dress for God’s banquet? What does the wedding garment represent? The wedding garment provided by host symbolizes the righteousness of Christ provided by God for entrance to Heaven. Revelation 7:14 says, “They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”
Ignorance
Who does the man without wedding garment represent? John Bunyan, in his book Pilgrim’s Progress, answers to this question. One day main character Christian and his companion Hopeful meet with Ignorance, a very lively lad, on their way to the Celestial City. He is truly ignorant of the truth, but he is very conceited and certain that he knows everything. Ignorance follows them at a distance. Christian asks, “How stands it between God and your soul?” Ignorance answers, “I have good thoughts, a good heart, and a good life according to God’s commandment.” Christians says, “The Word of God says, ‘There is none righteous, no, not one’ (Rom 3:10). Your name is Ignorance because you are ignorant of Christ’s righteousness and the results of saving faith.” But Ignorance doesn’t listen and says, “I will never believe that my heart is bad. Your faith is not mine, but mine is as good as yours.” Christian says, “Be awakened, see your own wretchedness and fly to the Lord Jesus. By his righteousness you shall be delivered from condemnation.” But Ignorance says, “You go too fast. You go on; I must stay behind for a while.” After this, Christian and Hopeful continue their journey and finally arrive at the gate. But between the pilgrims and the gate is a river. There is no bridge, no boat, and the water is deep. They have to cross a river by swimming. They have a near-death experience. Finally, they arrive at the gate, welcomed by the heavenly hosts. Ignorance gets over with little difficulty, because Vain-Hope, a ferryman, rows him over in his boat. Ignorance climbs the hill by himself, but no one welcomes him. The men at the gate ask him for his certificate. But he doesn’t have it. Then, the king orders his servants, “Take him out, bind him hand and foot and take him away.”
Wedding Guests in Jumpsuits
Who does the man without wedding garment represent? John Bunyan called him Ignorance. But I think “Pride” would be more accurate word: a man of pride. C.S. Lewis rightly says, “… the essential vice, the utmost evil, is Pride. Unchastity, anger, greed, drunkenness, and all that, are mere fleabites in comparison: it was through Pride that the devil became the devil: Pride leads to every other vice: it is the complete anti-God state of mind.”[2] In the parable this man wouldn’t wear the wedding garment provided by the king because of pride, self-righteousness.
Chris Hoke is a prison chaplain. He tells the story of what happened at a Sunday afternoon Bible study in his prison. At that time there were more than 20 men, and they were studying today’s passage. The group had a natural leader, Richard, and Richard had brought the whole of his part of the prison. He was very excited about the fact that the king invited both bad and good. But then they heard that the king ordered the attendants to bind the man without the wedding garment and cast him into the outer darkness. “Just what I thought,” Richard said. “What do you expect from people like us? We don’t have all the right clothes. We never look right! You should know that!” The chaplain explained quickly that in first-century Palestine, it was the custom for the host to provide these over-garments for the guests, right at the door, before they got into the banqueting hall. Richard spoke back: “But we might not want to wear those clothes. We don’t play by all the little rules. You didn’t really want us at all! Or did you just so you can throw us back out into the darkness? Better to stay in the streets with the bad people than be told you’re wanted and then find out you’re really not!” “You’re just assuming,” the chaplain said, “the one not wearing the garment is one of the ‘bad’ people who were invited off the streets. But it doesn’t say that. What if it’s one of the ‘good’ people who feels suddenly uncomfortable around all these ‘bad’ folks pouring in from the streets and sitting next to him or her. Someone who feels better than these folks. Someone who needs to set himself apart, not putting on the same robe as all these undeserving ones?” He continued, “How do you think the host would feel, watching his new flood of guests that he invited from the streets to share his joy, now all feeling judged by this one guy, who’s totally killing the party, making all the rest of the guests feel uneasy, awkward, unwanted, not belonging? He’d throw that guy outside and tie him up, let him get it out of his system, grumble all he wants—grind his teeth, I don’t care—until he was ready to come back in and share the joy of the king who wants everyone. Even people like you!” But for Richard it seemed too good to be true. He said, “Send me a copy of whatever scholar you’re talking about. I wanna see that in print!”[3]
Come to the Feast!
What is the right dress for God’s banquet? What does the wedding garment represent? The wedding garment provided by host symbolizes the righteousness of Christ provided by God for entrance to Heaven. Revelation 7:14 says, “They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”
How do we then put on the wedding garment? By repentance. How did God prepare his people before the coming of Christ? What was the first message of John the Baptist? “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near” (Matt 3:2). What was the first message of Jesus? “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near” (4:17). How can we be prepared at the second coming of Christ or at God’s banquet? By repentance. We sing “Joy to the world” especially in this season of Advent. But the best way to let every heart prepare Him room is to repent. Repentance is not just to regret the sins we have done. It is to invite God to turn our heart. It is to invite God to dwell within us, to reform us from inside out. It is to be in tune with God.
As I look back on my college years, I had to confess that I was legalistic. At that time, I wanted to tithe my time as well as my money. So each day I went to a chapel room on campus, I prayed for a tenth of the day, that is, 2 hours 24 minutes, without joy, but out of sense of duty. And the rest of the day, nine tenths, I was so preoccupied with my own affairs. And I thought that I was doing pretty good and better than many other believers. What a Pharisee I was! I served God, on my terms, with my strength and efforts. Much effort, little fruit. Recently, as I was working out at the fitness center after my morning devotion, the Voice said, “How much time do you spend communing with me?” The first thought that came to my mind was, “I did my devotion.” Then, the Voice said, “Look around, and see people. I want you to be open and listen to me always. I want you to make yourself available to me always, so that I can commune with you and work through you all the time.”
Have you made yourself available to God today? Have you responded to God’s invitation? Are you wearing the wedding garment today? In verse 14 Jesus says, “For many are called, but few are chosen.” Many hear God’s word, but few believe and respond. John Wesley said, “Yea, many are members of the visible Church, but few of the invisible Church.” Let us repent. Let us come out of our old filthy rags of self-righteousness and receive the new ones of abiding in Christ. Let us be awakened, and see our own wretchedness and fly to the Lord Jesus, and by his righteousness we will be saved from ourselves. Jesus is calling! Come to the feast! You’re invited!
No comments:
Post a Comment