3/20

Matthew 22:8-10

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

One of Jesus' parables during the final week was of a king who invited guests to his son's wedding. In that culture it would have been insulting and arrogant to refuse to attend such an important event. Those first invited ignored the invitation and even abused the messengers, killing some of them. The king sent his army to execute justice, but the wedding preparations sat waiting. Then the king sent more servants out to invite anyone they found. The banquet hall was filled with both good and bad guests.

This is about the call to the Jews to be the bride of the Son. They refused to accept Christ. They mistreated and killed the prophets. Then the gospel went out to all. I'm one of the bad ones that were found. Thank God that He did not just ask the servants to look for only good people. We are already partaking of all the generosity of the King. One day we will actually sit at the wedding feast of the Lamb of God. What an honor!

There was a man there without a wedding gown. It was the custom of the time for the host provided a white gown for all the guests upon their arrival at the feast. Someone had refused to wear the gown. He was promptly thrown out. The gown is the righteousness of Christ. "Put on the Lord Jesus Christ." That is the only reason that the good and the bad can both be there. We are clothed with Christ. Without that covering, it would not matter how good we were, we would still be refusing to accept the covering our King has provided. Jesus closed the parable by saying that many are called but few are chosen. If you have heard the call, be sure you put on Christ. The righteousness of Christ is the only thing that makes you acceptable in that place and a witness here below.

Consider: What does it mean to be clothed in Christ?