Nota Bene: The garment that is missing from the man bound hand to
feet and cast into outer darkness is one of those things that can be
puzzling. After having prayed and mused on the text, I came to
understand the position of the patristic fathers on the
interpretation. As is usually the case, though not always, I bow to
the wisdom of the patristic fathers, and I realize the depth of
understanding that these men were given. So, what is the garment that
is missing from the man?......+cdk
St. Matthew 22:1-14
Christ's bride the church gathers every Lord's day in
order to ponder the profound mysteries that have been opened to us
through the holy scriptures. We come together to partake of something
precious. Coming to church is not your good deed done for the week.
In fact, the gathering of the faithful in the Divine Service is more
God's work being done than anything else.
When we gather we always have the lectionary readings which are
appointed for the day. These readings, or, lections have a common
theme. Then comes the sermon. People may have various thoughts on
what the purpose of the sermon is but in the Divine Service with Holy
Communion, the thoughts of God's faithful should be on the gospel, on
Jesus.
We spend far too many of our days thinking horizontally, or, thinking
about the worries of this world. God's people, after being called to
Him through holy baptism, are to spend the rest of their lives on this
earth thinking vertically, thinking about God. The sermon in the
Divine Service with Holy Communion should be on the gospel lection.
Our minds and hearts go heavenward as we ponder the great mysteries
and truths that the evangelists have written concerning Jesus for our
learning.
Today's gospel lection centers on another parable of Jesus. The
wedding banquet of the King's Son is being prepared and ready. The
King sends some servants out to usher in those who have been invited.
The ones who have been invited do not want to come, however. The King
sends out more servants, but those who were invited went to their
farms and businesses. The rest, however, seized the servants and
killed them.
The King was so furious, (what an insult it was) that he sent his
armies to kill the people and destroy the city. The King follows up
by sending more servants into the highways to find whoever desired to
come. It says that the servants found people who were both bad and
good. But, the wedding hall was filled with guests.
What is most perplexing about this parable is what follows once the
people are in the wedding banquet. The King comes in to see the
guests, but he sees a man there who did not have on a wedding garment.
The King says to him, "Friend, how did you come in here without a
wedding garment?" The man was speechless. He knew that he was not
wearing what the others were wearing. Could it have been helped?
The King then says to his servants, bind him hand and foot, take him
away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and
gnashing of teeth. Then Jesus makes His famous statement, "For many
are called but few are chosen." So, we set our hearts and minds to
think vertically, as we ponder this man's fate. Christ's bride, the
church, asks the question, "what was this man not wearing?" It was
something needed to get into the banquet.
In the parable the King is God the Father. The Son is Jesus Christ.
The wedding banquet is heaven. The servants sent out were the Old
Testament prophets. Those who were invited but not interested in the
banquet represent the Jews. The wedding is the coming together of
Jesus the Bride groom and His church, the bride. But who does this
improperly dressed man represent? You? Me? Your family members?
Friends?
At first thought, we might say the wedding clothes that the man is
not wearing could be holy baptism. It would be a good answer, and who
could argue with that? Except that there are some people have put on
the garment of holy baptism but later went on to renounce their
Christian faith. The thing to remember here is that no one else
seemed to notice that the man was improperly dressed, except for the
King. This would imply that what this man is missing is on the
inside. Only God can see what is missing.
This being the case, we would conclude that what this man is lacking
is in his heart. The garment that was missing is love. The apostles
speak quite frequently of the desired quality of the church: Love.
St. Paul expounds on the Christian life by saying, "though I have the
gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and
though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have
not love, I am nothing.
"And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give
my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing"(1
Corinthians 13:2-3). Then, St. John the Evangelist says it even more
pointedly: "We know that we have passed from death to life, because we
love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in
death"(1 John 3:14).
The man who was not clothed properly was bound hand to foot and was
cast into outer darkness where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.
He was cast into hell, into eternal death. What these two apostles
wrote concerning the Christian character of love is important. St.
John says something a few verses later that resonates with the gospel:
"My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed
and in truth.
"And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our
hearts before Him. For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than
our heart, and knows all things. Beloved, if our heart does not
condemn us, we have confidence toward God"(1 John 3:18-21). Important
words, dear friends. This love that is a garment that we must put on
is not worldly love. It is true that unbelievers in the world can
love as well, but this will not get them into heaven.
The kind of love that Saints Paul and John speak of is a love that is
connected with Holy Baptism. It is also connected with the word of
God, and Jesus unites all of it together. The love that God looks for
in the heart springs forth from the Holy Spirit. This is why we, in
the church, speak of the divine mysteries. The holy scriptures are
deep. Jesus and His teachings are full of substance that we must
ponder, and He is causing us to wonder where we stand by speaking this
parable.
Do you love as you ought? Will God look at you as He did this man who
was cast out? How can we be sure that we are clothed properly for the
heavenly banquet? 1 John 3:16 is positioned right in between all of
these tough verses. John says something very comforting for our ears
and hearts: "By this we know love, because He [Jesus] laid down His
life for us."
This verse is simple and easy to miss, but of profound importance for
our souls. Cling to Jesus and rejoice in your baptism. Jesus died
for all of your sins. He has turned your scarlet red clothes of sin
into shining white garments that are pure and holy. It is the love of
Jesus, after all, that enables you to confess, rejoice, and love.
If you shall enter in with the proper wedding garments,
then spend your life pondering His holy word, and continually eating
and drinking Christ in the holy sacrament. When this is done His love
will be poured into your heart and the Holy Spirit will bring forth
the wondrous scent of Christlike love. Actively resting in Christ's
midst, you are safe, holy, well prepared to enter heaven where God,
the angels, and all the heavenly host will rejoice at your entrance
because you have been cleansed by Christ the crucified and risen
Savior. Amen.
--
Rev. Chad Kendall
www.frchadius.blogspot.com
Trinity Lutheran Church
Lowell, Indiana
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