Are You Properly Dressed?
Opening Prayer
Thank You, Lord, that in Christ I can approach the throne of God with confidence.
Read Matthew 22:1-14
[1] Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying: [2] “The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. [3] He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come. [4] “Then he sent some more servants and said, ‘Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.’ [5] “But they paid no attention and went off-one to his field, another to his business. [6] The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them. [7] The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. [8] “Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. [9] So go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.’ [10] So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, the bad as well as the good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests. [11] “But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. [12] He asked, ‘How did you get in here without wedding clothes, friend?’ The man was speechless. [13] “Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ [14] “For many are invited, but few are chosen.” Scripture taken from the THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, NIV Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
Are you seeking to stand before God outside of Christ?Jesus continues his teaching with another parable. A king has prepared a wedding banquet for his son. The invitations have been sent, the food is ready and stewards are sent to escort the guests. But the guests rudely abuse the servants and treat the invitation with contempt (3,5,6).First, this appears to be another picture of the people of Israel being invited to participate in God’s kingdom. Then, not only do they not value the invitation, they destroy the messengers. So the invitation is widened to any who will accept. Interestingly, it includes “good and bad” (10). Their invitation is not based on their moral state or personal goodness. Anyone may come. Wonderful! Wait; one is thrown out! Why? He is not properly clothed! While grace invites us all into God’s Kingdom, we cannot enter unaltered! All our imperfections must be covered over, and there is only one robe which can effectively achieve that. Christ is the robe of righteousness bought with his own precious blood. The invitation must be responded to with humility and repentance; the offered robe must be put on.
Apply
Jesus died so that we might be clothed in him (Gal. 3:27) and stand forgiven. If you have not, accept that robe.
Closing prayer
God, thank You that You have called us back to Yourself and into the celebration of the ages. You have paid our way.
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