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“Do you chose what you will wear or is that determined by others whether you know it or not. What better reflection of our personality is shown by what we wear”
Jesus welcomed outcasts and sinners daily. Matthew 22 relates a parable he told of a king who invited his loyal subjects to the wedding of his son. Invitations were ignored. No one came. He sent messengers with a personal summons, but those who had benefitted greatly in the kingdom still refused to attend, even killing some of the messengers. Finally, he sent the invitations to the surrounding villages and opened the gates to all. The banquet hall was finally filled but that is where the parable got weird as one man was not wearing his wedding garment and the king sent him away. This parable about a wedding guest who was tossed for poor fashion seems out of character and seemingly out of sync with his mantra of God’s love for all.
Before we answer such concerns, consider our signs that say, “no shirt, no shoes, no service.” During the Covid epidemic we even had signs that said, “face mask required for entrance.” We dress up for weddings and funerals and wear uniforms for work or sports. There are countless requirements as to appropriate attire. Clothing has so many purposes – protection, a fashion statement, and it can conceal what we want to hide. But the issue of appropriateness is confused by differing values and perspectives. What is worn to a wedding is different from what is worn to the gym. We get it, but who decides what is appropriate clothing? How much is up to me and how much is up to the culture or the situation or the moment in life? And what do clothing choices have to do with full participation in God’s meal of the kingdom?
In the beginning Adam and Eve didn’t need to worry about garments. There was no one to impress, offend, hide from, or be protected from. There was perfect harmony different garden voice, they were introduced to selfishness, and guilt and sought a way to hide their terrible rebellion of assuming God hadn’t done enough. Yet God provided clothing, as a gift to cover up their embarrassment and shame in the first hint of his powerful, forgiving, and caring servant love. Because their first words were me, mine, and ours rather than thank you God, his response of providing a cover for their rebellion became an eternal effort of forgiving love. Their garments were reminders of their embarrassment, but also God’s love. Like clothing, life was temporary, would wear out, and eventually need to be buried. And God would deal with that reality on another field of battle.
With all of our attention to garments, why not consider how Jesus entered the world to drastically change our dress code with the gift of his love. As kids, some of us were glued to the Superman series on TV. I remember Clark Kent doing his phone-booth-clothing-change, revealing the hidden Superman. Later on, Batman was the rage and made similar clothing and character changes. Of course, that is make-believe, but Jesus literally did that for real, as he entered the tomb with the rags of death and emerged with dazzling garments of Easter! He pronounced funeral clothing out of style. Wedding garments are in as faith has transitioned us from death to life! Jesus’ story of the wedding guest with the wrong garments has nothing to do with fashion. It had to do with our relationship with God and people of faith. To dress appropriately” is not a snooty fashion judgment but a challenge to celebrate the marriage between heaven and earth. The guest who arrived with the wrong clothing insulted everyone by revealing he was not ready to fully participate in the marriage feast. He came for the free food but wasn’t invested enough to share in the joy of new life. To live without faith is a similar fashion statement! It is like showing up but not really being interested in celebrating in a new way the love of Jesus Christ.
In Jesus’ day, a wedding suspended time in a village. Everyone wore the best garment they had, which was set aside for moments such as this. It was symbolic of putting daily routines aside as a sign of respect and joy. For them it was like Christmas, proms, Thanksgiving and birthdays all wrapped into one moment. Nothing else mattered! Everyone totally invested themselves in giving joy to the host and the married couple. But one man chose not to fully embrace the moment or respect the host. Could it be Jesus is interested not in the lack of a wedding garment but what that decision of one many symbolizes for all. In their day, even the poorest villager had two garments, one was his or her daily work clothes and one was a garment used only for special moments in life. This man wanted to accept the invitation of the king but he was there only out of obligation and had no interest in joining the celebration. Either it was a sign of rebellion or a refusal to show honor or respect to the king.
As people of faith, we are in daily conflict between what is appropriate behavior, and what is not. In a symbolic way it is about what we decide to take off or put on. Saint Paul often picked up that imagery of Jesus’ parable as he talks about life of the kingdom and the gifts of faith, hope, and love being like our clothing of the kingdom. Over and over again he encourages the faithful to wear Christ and his garments of faith, hope, and love rather than earthly garments of selfishness, anger, jealous, rage, or fear. To wear Jesus is to announce to the world that my life has been changed by Easter! What we wear is an expression of who we are, just as wearing a smile or a frown says more than any word and can be interpreted by anyone who is nearby.
When we put baptismal gowns on babies, or hang confirmation stoles on our young people, those are symbols of the new life we wear. It doesn’t mean that you can’t wear jeans or shorts to church, but it does mean if church clothes (like faith, hope, and love) are only worn on Sunday, then we really don’t get what it means to be the Church. That was the point of the guest at a wedding celebration who really wasn’t supportive of our engaged in what was going on. To follow Jesus is to surrender me and join his crowd.
What do you choose to wear at home? At work? At play? We live in an angry world of hatred and death. We are surrounded by messages of gloom, frustration, anger and fear, whether it has to do with climate change, politics or a pandemic. Jobs, savings, and friends can disappear. Loved ones face illness and all will die. Daily living can be tough, and surprises catch us off guard. At the same time, we have been invited to a wedding feast in which God makes us one with him. Death is no longer the end. Forgiveness is a daily gift. Sacrificial and servant love are the work clothes of people of faith. As we wake each day, from our night time of rest, we are called to decide whose clothing line we will wear? Will it be the worn-out rags of earthly selfishness and doom or Jesus’ loving garments of Easter joy?
What will you choose to wear in response to God’s invitation to be one with Him? Not so others take notice of you, but that others see Christ in you! Look in a mirror. Is it faith or fear that you wear all day long? Our relationship with God and our love for one another trumps anything we can buy, create, or come up with on our own! In the end, Jesus’ parable of a wedding guest was really not about clothing at all, but about clothing oneself in Christ! It was about the invitation to do more than just test the water but to dive in and be fully surrounded with God’s grace. It is about wearing every day what reflects the joy and excitement of a God who loves you no matter what; who assists in setting your daily mood and attitude; and announces to the world we are grateful to have been invited to his wedding! Your invitation is personal and never expires. A table is waiting and ready for you. It isn’t what we wear that makes this happen, but because of what has happened for us, we really should think about what we wear. We have been invited to a wedding feast and should not be afraid to show our joy, our love, and our willingness to participate in every way that we can! That is the wedding garment of the faithful!