Wearing Wedding Clothes

2 Samuel 10; 1 Chronicles 20; Psalms. 20; Matthew 22 

“‘Go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find’…when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes…‘how did you get in here without wedding clothes?’…many are invited, but few are chosen.”

Matthew 22:9, 11, 12, 14

It was customary in the time this story was told, for the groom to outfit each of his guests with a new suit of wedding clothes as a gift. The man discovered by the king to not be wearing wedding clothes either refused to wear the gifted clothes, or somehow missed that opportunity. Clothes in the stories of the scriptures, often speak of our righteousness before God (Revelation 19:7, 8). The Bible tells us that our righteousness is like filthy rags before God, but his gift of righteousness (or “right standing” before God) in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:8, 9) is the heart of the gospel. In mission, many are invited, but few pass the test. Few are chosen, few choose God’s gift of righteousness over their own.

“Lord Jesus, thank you for your gift of righteousness. Fill me with your boldness today to share this good news with those I meet.”