The Wedding Garment

Self-centredness, spiritual piety, and pride are closely related. In fact, they are a family of their own. Those involved with this family show signs of rudeness to others and are unfriendly to visitors and strangers who come into their presence. They generally complain, and make more noise about themselves than putting that energy into helping others with their needs. They are found everywhere and in the church too.

It is into this context of a family falling apart that Jesus speaks his parable. This family, the nation of Israel had been unfaithful to God. Their alliance and covenant with God through Moses had been strained to the limit. Through their self-centredness, spiritual piety and pride Israel behaved badly. Their focus was on how special they were amongst the other nations. They were the chosen ones. The prophets of old considered Israel to be the bride of Christ. In their pride they were exclusive of others. They failed to give and care for others in their own land and to the foreigner as God would have expected of them. They thought they had it right. But God eventually got sick of them and took away the little they had left, their spiritual piety, that is, their self proclaimed belief that they were special in all the world.

In the parable, the King invited again and again the guests to come to the wedding feast for all things were now ready. The King was ignored and humiliated. They weren’t worthy to be invited any longer. Instead, he sent out his servants to go throughout all the streets and invite all they could find both bad and good to come to the wedding feast. They did more than invite they gathered and brought all they found. As good servants who knew the will of their King they did what their master would have done. I image the servants would have lifted the sick and weary and carried them to the wedding hall both the washed and unwashed. All were invited and gathered to come.

In this parable the focus is upon the guests. There is no mention of the bride. How strange! At the time of Jesus, it was usual that the highlight of the marriage feast is when the groom places the “wedding garment” perhaps his cloak over the bride to claim her and then they both depart. The “wedding garment” then and the exchange of wedding rings today indicate the martial commitment to each other. The groom is committed to give of himself in every way for the welfare of his bride. And the bride would give likewise to the groom. But where is the bride?

Have you heard the good news in this parable? The twist in the parable comes when we discover that the invited guests, the common person from the streets are more than the guests, they have become the new bride of Christ. The former bride was unfaithful and unworthy.

Even though we may appear to each other as unworthy, God has chosen you, all of you, both bad and good to be part of his family. This new family alliance is inclusive of everyone. Everyone is invited. In the kingdom of heaven, God’s kingdom we are all members of the family. As a whole family body we are the bride of Christ, the bride of the King’s son. You and me, we wear the wedding garment of the King’s son.