A few weeks ago Isaura and I were in
Arizona where I was officiating a wedding for a Marine friend. The ceremony was
held at a popular resort, using as a backdrop a mountain range that encircles a
portion of the Phoenix area.
Later during the reception I had one of
those “Bible Moments.” What I mean by Bible Moments is those moments in life
where you remember a similar story or teaching that is found in the Bible. That’s
what I had at this reception.
The reception had been rolling on for a
while with folks dancing and visiting and generally having a good time, when I
noticed two guys walk into the banquet room who were, from their appearance,
looking for some action. They were all smiles, but they stopped a few feet inside
to assess the party, and whether this was something they could or should join.
I watched as they were figuring out just what sort of gathering this was. They
quickly determined that this was not a party they were likely to be invited to
join, so, disappointedly, they turned and exited the building.
Our party/reception was for a wedding, so
the people in attendance were dressed accordingly – tuxedoes, gowns, and the
like. There was one unique aspect to this wedding and that was the theme of the
wedding – Western. This may have been what initially puzzled our would-be
party-crashers. The bridesmaids wore formal, knee high dresses – and cowboy
boots! The bride, beautiful in her white full-length gown wore – you guessed it
– cowboy boots! The groomsmen in their tuxedoes wore cowboy boots. The groom
and I, having previously served together, were in full military dress, and no,
we did not wear cowboy boots!
Now here was my Bible Moment: In the Gospel
of Matthew, chapter 22, there is a parable told by Jesus of a man who arrives
at a wedding banquet held by a king in honor of his son’s wedding. Yet the man was
not clothed properly, signifying he had not received the memo, or had simply
chosen not to wear the required wedding garments provided by the king. His
clothing was totally inappropriate for the occasion, and was an insult to the
king. For this breech of etiquette the improperly clothed miscreant was
summarily dispatched from the wedding banquet. In short: the man did not
belong.
In the time of Jesus, kings would spare no
expense when it came to the wedding of a son, because the son was the heir to
the throne of the kingdom. Special garments would be prepared at the king’s
command for the invited guests. This was traditionally done so as to make
matters simpler for the invited guests to arrive and then change into the
proper wedding clothes. It eliminated having to travel with fine clothing and
all the necessary accoutrements.
Here’s a quick picture of what this parable
is saying. The king is God the Father. The son to be married is Jesus. The
invited guests are the Jews, and the others invited later are the Gentiles. The
proper wedding clothing is the righteousness of Jesus Christ. This refers to
anyone who has received Jesus as their Lord and Savior. When a person has done
this they are then clothed in the righteousness of Christ. Those are the only
wedding garments suitable for heaven.
The wedding banquet is the marriage of
Jesus, the groom, to his bride, the church. So then if you have not accepted
Jesus as the sacrifice for your sins then you are not prepared for heaven. You
are not clothed properly in the garments offered by the king – in this case,
God the Father. When this parable is fully understood there can be only one
conclusion: Jesus is the only means by which a person can make it to heaven.
Back to our two fellows in search of a
party to crash. They had the good sense to see this was a private affair. Their
clothing was hardly appropriate for our gathering, however, they also knew they
had not been invited, and would most likely have been asked to leave if they
had been foolish enough to try and join our fun. A number of the groomsmen and
others who were in attendance were Marines, most of whom had many years of
service. The hapless pair would have been bodily removed if necessary.
My question to you then is to ask you if
you have asked Jesus into your heart to be your Lord and Savior. That is the
only way to heaven. Just to make sure we understand this Jesus declared, “I am
the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but through
me.”
So, are you properly dressed for the Son’s
wedding? If not, ask him into your heart right now.
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