Commentary: Proper wedding attire

The invitations for this great and glorious event are being sent out today by God's servants, Christians, as they witness for the Lord to unbelievers.”

In Matthew 22:1-14, we read of a parable Jesus told the people around Him that was aimed especially at the chief priests and Pharisees. This parable compared the kingdom of heaven to a wedding feast given by a king for his son. The king represented God and the Son, Jesus. In reality, there will actually be a great celebration feast that God will provide for the “bride of Christ,” all Christians.

The invitations for this great and glorious event are being sent out today by God's servants, Christians, as they witness for the Lord to unbelievers. In the parable, those invited were unwilling to attend. We see the very same thing today, as so many people will not accept God’s gracious invitation to be saved. Sadly, many people even make light of the idea that God even exists.

In the parable, the king’s servants were seized and treated spitefully. Many were even killed. We see this today as Christians are ignored, thought stupid, criticized, and even killed in some parts of the world. But God, like the king, persists and is still sending out His witnesses into the highways to invite any who will attend the wedding feast.

The parable servants were able to get a large crowd for the king’s celebration. The king had declared those invited as unworthy and therefore sent for others who would attend. However, looking over the guests, the king saw a man who did not have on a wedding garment. We sometimes see the modern equivalent of this in hypocrites and outright unbelievers in churches.

The wedding clothes in Christ’s parable represent the righteousness that the Lord imputes to all who sincerely believe in Him and trust their souls to Him. The improperly-dressed man represents the hypocrites and unbelievers today, who want the benefits of church without the required faith in God. As someone once said, “Church attendance is good for business.”

Dr. Charles Stanley said that you can determine who is real because of a marked contrast between public performances and character. Some of the improperly attired even include a number of preachers. You can distinguish charlatans, however, by whether or not they preach from the Bible and also preach Christ and Him crucified. Stanley added that we should always look for Spiritual fruit in the lives of leaders. These fruits are listed in Galatians 5:22-23.

So, in the parable, the king had the improperly-attired man bound hand and foot and thrown out of the celebration. This represents God’s rejection of all who are not adorned with the righteousness of Christ. The Lord declared, “Many are called, but few are chosen” (Matthew 22:14). He added that these would experience weeping and gnashing of teeth in outer darkness. 

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Ralph Fudge is the pastor of Big Ochlocknee Baptist Church in Coolidge, Ga., and has a Master’s degree in theology from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.