How important is our clothing? Does it really define who we are? Surprisingly I answered, "YES" to this question. I have thought about how the clothing we wear makes such an impact on how we are perceived.
One night I was working an undercover detail (yes I am a Cop) and I was dressed-not like a cop. I was wearing jeans, an old t-shirt and a ball cap (backwards). I had my gun tucked in a holster behind my back (out of view) and my badge dangling from a large beaded chain around my neck. We had heard a "hot" call come across the radio and we were right there almost immediately on scene to see the perpetrators exiting their vehicle on the way into their hotel room. Immediately we jump out of our SUV and with guns drawn order everyone to the ground. Normally, I would be in a uniform or be recognized by some type of Official clothing and I was no often called upon to be in "undercover" attire. So in total fear the 3 assailants dove to the ground. AS I began patting down the suspects I heard one of them, literally begging not to be robbed! "What"? Then it dawned on me that I was not dressed "properly". My clothes did not match "who I was"…Finally; I pulled my badge out from under my shirt to make it visible to everyone. I have never seen 3 criminals so happy to see the cops in all my life.
For Example: Superman-his clothing distinguishes who he is. Referees-if not for their clothing it would confuse the game. Everyone would pass the ball to the ref because they are always open. Wal-Mart Greeters-their clothing helps us identify their job and responsibility. Without their identifying clothing we would just think the person at the door of Wal-Mart was some weirdo talking and greeting everyone as they entered the store.
As a Law Enforcement Officer, I constantly JUDGE people by what they wear. Our "covering" says a lot about who we are. For believers, our spiritual covering is Jesus Christ; His shed blood "covers" our sins. Most of us are particular about the clothes we wear, but is Jesus the "covering" that people see when they look at you?
In Matthew 22 Jesus told a parable of a king who prepared a Wedding Banquet for his son. No one in the land wanted to come to this Banquet and when the few do show up, they show up improperly dressed. Wedding attendance was a Social Obligation during those times, especially if the party was royalty-if invited you MUST go…No questions asked! V. 3 tells us that the people REFUSED to come. There is no logical reason why the people refused to come-just like there is no logical reason why people refuse the good things God invites us to.
Naturally, the king is upset with the fact that nobody has showed up to this Wedding Banquet. He sends his servants on into the land to tell everyone to come to the Banquet. Well, V.5 tells that these people continued on their way about their own business and that some of the people overtook his servants, mistreating them and eventually killing them.
Unfortunately, this is an accurate description of how people respond to the Gospel and God's invitation to them. "They paid no attention and went off". This upset the king even more and he his set on bringing judgment to the ones who murdered his servants.
Again the king sends out his messengers to invite people to the Banquet. He tells them to anyone and everyone, because the ones originally invited do not deserve to come. In V.9 the king instructs them to go to the street corners, the slums and wherever they could go to find people to come. He wanted the good and the bad it did not matter to him he just wanted the Banquet Hall full.
This sounds like another King we know doesn't it? It also resembles Jesus' call to all sinners right?
Finally, after 3 different invitations the king is ready to greet the guest. He finally enters into a full Banquet Hall and as he is greeting the guest he notices a man who is not dressed properly. The king politely asked him how he got into the Banquet "dressed like that"? As it turns out, the king has his servants throw the gentleman out of the Banquet. Is anyone besides me wondering why the king had this man thrown out of the Banquet Hall? What did he expect when he told his people to go and get anyone and everyone to come?
Get a load of this…Back then it was customary for the Wedding party to provide its attendees with proper Wedding attire. What a concept! How many of us, especially you ladies have gone out and spent lots of money for ensembles to wear once (twice if we were lucky) to a Wedding and then it remains cluttering our closet for eternity? So the king has provided outfits for everyone who is to be at the Banquet.
Now we see why the king was so focused on everyone's attire. The man chose not to wear what the king had provided. See his clothing set him apart or lack of "proper" clothing made him stand out. He was trying to tell the king by remaining in his own personal clothing that what he has is just fine. There is no need for anything else to make him suitable for the Banquet. He refused the "covering" offered by the king.
Lucky for us that God is in the clothing business. Isaia61:10 I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation. He has "covered" me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorns herself with jewels.
How many people do we know that are like this man at the banquet? The man knew the "dress code" when he accepted the Wedding Invitation; but decided that what he had was "good enough", he thought he could clothe himself. Haven't we all tried to make ourselves righteous before God in our own way? Romans 10:3 For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God.
Take a look at what was in store for the man as he was removed from the Wedding Banquet. He was bound by his feet and hands and tossed out into outer darkness. If that is not enough, the "outer darkness" is described as a place of weeping and gnashing of teeth.
V.14 gives a chilling statement. It basically says, everyone has been given an invitation to the Banquet, everyone was offered everything they would need to attend this Banquet-but so few have chosen to attend.
See, this man who rejected the offer of the king was assigned a horrible fate. .
To sum it up, there were those that the king invited that were "indifferent" and then there were those who were "antagonistic". Nevertheless, they both shared the same fate. Neither one made it to the Banquet. Whether people choose to ignore God and His invitation or they are openly antagonistic towards Him the end result remains the same.
The bad, dirty and ugly were invited to the Banquet; but they did not remain that way. They were made fit for the Banquet by the garments offered by the king.
Don't waste your invitation to the wedding because you have nothing to wear…Instead, try on the garment that the King has prepared for you-I promise it is just your size!
One night I was working an undercover detail (yes I am a Cop) and I was dressed-not like a cop. I was wearing jeans, an old t-shirt and a ball cap (backwards). I had my gun tucked in a holster behind my back (out of view) and my badge dangling from a large beaded chain around my neck. We had heard a "hot" call come across the radio and we were right there almost immediately on scene to see the perpetrators exiting their vehicle on the way into their hotel room. Immediately we jump out of our SUV and with guns drawn order everyone to the ground. Normally, I would be in a uniform or be recognized by some type of Official clothing and I was no often called upon to be in "undercover" attire. So in total fear the 3 assailants dove to the ground. AS I began patting down the suspects I heard one of them, literally begging not to be robbed! "What"? Then it dawned on me that I was not dressed "properly". My clothes did not match "who I was"…Finally; I pulled my badge out from under my shirt to make it visible to everyone. I have never seen 3 criminals so happy to see the cops in all my life.
For Example: Superman-his clothing distinguishes who he is. Referees-if not for their clothing it would confuse the game. Everyone would pass the ball to the ref because they are always open. Wal-Mart Greeters-their clothing helps us identify their job and responsibility. Without their identifying clothing we would just think the person at the door of Wal-Mart was some weirdo talking and greeting everyone as they entered the store.
As a Law Enforcement Officer, I constantly JUDGE people by what they wear. Our "covering" says a lot about who we are. For believers, our spiritual covering is Jesus Christ; His shed blood "covers" our sins. Most of us are particular about the clothes we wear, but is Jesus the "covering" that people see when they look at you?
In Matthew 22 Jesus told a parable of a king who prepared a Wedding Banquet for his son. No one in the land wanted to come to this Banquet and when the few do show up, they show up improperly dressed. Wedding attendance was a Social Obligation during those times, especially if the party was royalty-if invited you MUST go…No questions asked! V. 3 tells us that the people REFUSED to come. There is no logical reason why the people refused to come-just like there is no logical reason why people refuse the good things God invites us to.
Naturally, the king is upset with the fact that nobody has showed up to this Wedding Banquet. He sends his servants on into the land to tell everyone to come to the Banquet. Well, V.5 tells that these people continued on their way about their own business and that some of the people overtook his servants, mistreating them and eventually killing them.
Unfortunately, this is an accurate description of how people respond to the Gospel and God's invitation to them. "They paid no attention and went off". This upset the king even more and he his set on bringing judgment to the ones who murdered his servants.
Again the king sends out his messengers to invite people to the Banquet. He tells them to anyone and everyone, because the ones originally invited do not deserve to come. In V.9 the king instructs them to go to the street corners, the slums and wherever they could go to find people to come. He wanted the good and the bad it did not matter to him he just wanted the Banquet Hall full.
This sounds like another King we know doesn't it? It also resembles Jesus' call to all sinners right?
Finally, after 3 different invitations the king is ready to greet the guest. He finally enters into a full Banquet Hall and as he is greeting the guest he notices a man who is not dressed properly. The king politely asked him how he got into the Banquet "dressed like that"? As it turns out, the king has his servants throw the gentleman out of the Banquet. Is anyone besides me wondering why the king had this man thrown out of the Banquet Hall? What did he expect when he told his people to go and get anyone and everyone to come?
Get a load of this…Back then it was customary for the Wedding party to provide its attendees with proper Wedding attire. What a concept! How many of us, especially you ladies have gone out and spent lots of money for ensembles to wear once (twice if we were lucky) to a Wedding and then it remains cluttering our closet for eternity? So the king has provided outfits for everyone who is to be at the Banquet.
Now we see why the king was so focused on everyone's attire. The man chose not to wear what the king had provided. See his clothing set him apart or lack of "proper" clothing made him stand out. He was trying to tell the king by remaining in his own personal clothing that what he has is just fine. There is no need for anything else to make him suitable for the Banquet. He refused the "covering" offered by the king.
Lucky for us that God is in the clothing business. Isaia61:10 I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation. He has "covered" me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorns herself with jewels.
How many people do we know that are like this man at the banquet? The man knew the "dress code" when he accepted the Wedding Invitation; but decided that what he had was "good enough", he thought he could clothe himself. Haven't we all tried to make ourselves righteous before God in our own way? Romans 10:3 For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God.
Take a look at what was in store for the man as he was removed from the Wedding Banquet. He was bound by his feet and hands and tossed out into outer darkness. If that is not enough, the "outer darkness" is described as a place of weeping and gnashing of teeth.
V.14 gives a chilling statement. It basically says, everyone has been given an invitation to the Banquet, everyone was offered everything they would need to attend this Banquet-but so few have chosen to attend.
See, this man who rejected the offer of the king was assigned a horrible fate. .
To sum it up, there were those that the king invited that were "indifferent" and then there were those who were "antagonistic". Nevertheless, they both shared the same fate. Neither one made it to the Banquet. Whether people choose to ignore God and His invitation or they are openly antagonistic towards Him the end result remains the same.
The bad, dirty and ugly were invited to the Banquet; but they did not remain that way. They were made fit for the Banquet by the garments offered by the king.
Don't waste your invitation to the wedding because you have nothing to wear…Instead, try on the garment that the King has prepared for you-I promise it is just your size!
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