What Are the Wedding Clothes in Jesus' Parable?
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“But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. He asked, ‘How did you get in here without wedding clothes, friend?’ The man was speechless” (Matthew 22:11-12).
The word “parable” comes from the Greek word “parabole,” meaning comparison or analogy. In Latin, the word is “paraballo,” which means “to set side by side.” In other words, it means to use an analogy to lay it out so that someone can learn from a real-life example.
It is certainly no secret that Jesus used parables extensively in His teachings. Often, the parables were quite clear – but just as often, it would seem, the meaning of the parable was deeper, even hidden. Jesus let his disciples know precisely why He taught that way.
“The disciples came to him and asked, ‘Why do you speak to the people in parables?’ He replied, ‘Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. This is why I speak to them in parables: Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand’” (Matthew 13:10-13).
It would almost seem, then, that Jesus used parables to intentionally make it slightly more difficult for some to understand. Some of those parables are difficult even today. The Parable of the Wedding Banquet may be familiar, but maybe we never stop to really think about what it means.
What Happens in the Parable of the Wedding Banquet?
In this case, Jesus was comparing the kingdom of heaven to a wedding banquet that a king had prepared for his son (Matthew 22:1-2). In ancient Jewish society, the wedding banquet was a very big deal – far bigger than today – and was a joyous celebration for all, lasting up to a week. Thus, Jesus turning the water to wine during the wedding at Cana was an earmark event.
In the parable, the king invited many to the banquet – yet those invited refused to come. Sending out his servants, the king tried to convince them to come to the banquet, yet still they refused. Some even killed the king’s servants, greatly angering the king, who sent his army to kill those “murderers” and burn their city.
The king then sent his servants out to the streets to invite others into his banquet and the servants did as the king asked:
“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” (Matthew 22:10).
But then the king saw a man who was not wearing wedding clothes. Since all the guests had come off the streets, we can assume that the wedding clothes had been provided by the king – not an uncommon occurrence in that time. Yet, this man had refused the clothes provided by the king and was in street-clothes.
“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.’ For many are invited, but few are chosen” (Matthew 22:13-14).
So…what is that all about? Why would a guy the king invited get thrown out because he wasn’t wearing the right clothes? And he wasn’t just thrown out – he was thrown outside “into the darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” That was an expression Jesus used seven times; it was His description of the fate of the unrighteous at the conclusion of the age. In other words, hell.
Who’s Who?
“He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him” (John 1:11).
The king, God the Father, is putting on the feast for His Son – Christ Jesus. The king sends his servants out to the streets to invite strangers. Matthew says they invited “All they could find, the bad and the good.” Luke includes “the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.” All of these who were unrighteous before God. In other words – the Gentiles.
Often Jesus framed his parables around the Jews, specifically targeting them. The parable of the wedding banquet is no different in this regard. In this sense the parable resembles that of the “Great Banquet” in Luke 14. Many are invited, and all make one excuse or another for not coming; these are the Jews. It is important to note that the invited guests refused to come. They rejected the invitation, making excuses.
Yet, how much does this apply to human nature today? People so often refuse to even listen or consider the gospel message and instead chase after what the world has to offer. Jesus took His message to the sinners and those suffering.
“Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame’” (Luke 14:21b).
So often, the Pharisees and teachers of the Law understood Jesus directed His parables towards them. The parable of the Two Sons (Matthew 21:28-31) and the Parable of the Tenants (Mathew 15:33-41, Luke 20:9-18) are but two examples. Of course, the Parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10 – when a priest and a Levite passed by without helping – is another stark example.
“When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus’ parables, they knew he was talking about them” (Matthew 21:45).
Sadly, the leaders of the Jews recognized when they were set as bad examples – yet still failed to learn the lessons from the rest of the parables. Meaning they had eyes but could not see and ears but could not hear. The gospel that was being offered to the Jews was then being taken forth to the Gentiles, those the Jews considered unrighteous and ungodly. And, well…they were.
Paul and Barnabas referred to this in the book of Acts, when they visited Antioch, where they were strongly opposed by the Jewish leaders. Paul’s words seemingly echoed the response of the king to those who had been invited yet found excuses and refused:
“Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: ‘We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles. For this is what the Lord has commanded us: ‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth’” (Acts 13:46).
But what about the guests who accepted? What do their wedding garments represent? And what about the man found without those garments?
The Significance of the Wedding Garments
“The one who is victorious will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out the name of that person from the book of life, but will acknowledge that name before my Father and his angels” (Revelation 3:5).
So often, the Bible is a cross-reference on itself. Like a beautiful tapestry, the very threads that start in Genesis 1 can be traced on through to Revelation 22.
In the Book of Revelation, we read many references to believers being clothed in white. In Rev. 3:5, Jesus says that those who are victorious will be dressed in white. In chapter 19, we are told the armies in heaven following Jesus would be “riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean.” These garments represent purity, righteousness, and reconciliation with God.
As we said, the Parable of the Wedding Banquet represents the Lord God giving a banquet for His Son Jesus. The guests who were given wedding garments are His Church – those who have accepted the invitation to come to the great banquet provided by the Lord to the wedding of His Son. We are therefore given what His guests will wear: the wedding garments provided by the Lord.
Just as the king provided the wedding garments to the guests at the wedding banquet, so God provides righteousness – salvation – for all of mankind. These garments represent nothing less than the righteousness of Christ Jesus. Righteousness that we could only receive from the host of the banquet, the Father, through His Son.
And that invitation to the wedding – to wear the garments – is extended to anyone and everyone. When we have given our hearts to Christ, Gods sees us through the wedding garments. He sees us as His beloved children.
But then, what about the man who was at the wedding, but had clearly refused to accept the garments provided by the king?
Not All Who Claim to Believe
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21).
If Jesus makes one thing clear in His teachings, it is that not everyone who claims to believe will be welcomed to heaven. In Matthew 7, Jesus tells His disciples the Parable of the True and False Disciples wherein He makes clear that “not everyone who says to me Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven.” Indeed, Jesus goes on the says that “Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” (Matt. 7:22-23) .
In the Parable of the Sower, a farmer sowing seed – Jesus – scatters seeds on different soil. The soil represents varying responses to the Gospel message. Seeds that fall on rocky or thorny ground receive the Word yet fail to produce fruit because they have no root to survive trials or trouble, or because the cares of the world and deceitfulness of wealth have drawn them away. The parable gets right to the condition of our hearts, and those who truly take the Gospel into their hearts produce a bountiful harvest.
The man without appropriate wedding garments may have accepted the invitation to the wedding, but he did not accept the message into his heart. He was there simply to take advantage of the banquet.
After feeding the 5,000, when the crowd followed Jesus across the lake to Capernaum to search for Him, Jesus looked at them and knew their hearts immediately:
“Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval” (John 6:26-27).
The man at the wedding banquet came for food that spoils, and chose not to accept the wedding garments, otherwise he would not have been thrown out “where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
A Question for Each of Us
“Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop — a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. Whoever has ears, let them hear” (Matthew 13:8).
The thing is, the parables of Jesus were not meant only for the Jews or just for His followers. They were meant for us, too – and there are indeed a great many lessons to be found in Jesus’ parables. It serves each of us well to find where or how we may fit into those parables.
In the parable of the Good Samaritan – would we pass by or would we stop and help our neighbor?
In the Parable of the Sower – Jesus directed His ministry to the marginalized, the outcasts of society, to sinners and those suffering. Are we doing the same, or have we let the deceitfulness of wealth and the things of this world stand in our way? Are we producing crops a hundred, or sixty, or thirty times what was sown?
We may be going to church every Sunday – to the wedding – but are we wearing the wedding garments? Are we living our lives as Jesus called us to live? Are we exhibiting the garments of His righteousness?
Indeed – whoever has ears, let them hear.
Photo credit: ©Getty Images/Serhii Sobolevskyi
Greg doesn’t pretend to be a pastor, a theologian, or a Bible expert, but offers the perspective of an everyday guy on the same journey as everyone else – in pursuit of truth.
Greg can be reached by email or on Facebook @ Greg Grandchamp - Author.