February 13, 2022

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And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son . . . . But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment. And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. Then the king said, ‘Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ For many are called, but few are chosen Matthew 22:1-14

Intro: Two weeks ago I read a list of character qualities in Colossians chapter 3

Although it seems like Paul rattles them off,
– each one requires years of devoted practice to embody them fully
• I said then, it would be good for us to meditate on the qualities in that list
• I realize it would be very good for me – and we’ll start today
– so why are we in Matthew this morning and not Colossians?
• because Paul frames the list within a specific context
◦ before the character qualities, he produced a list of vices
◦ regarding those vices, Paul says,
now you must put them all away . . . seeing you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator (Col. 3:5-10)
◦ then he begins the list of virtues with,
Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved . . . (v. 12)
◦ the context, then, has to do with this allusion to putting off and putting on

That is why we being with Jesus’ parable in Matthew

Reading it, I find myself carried up and down with alternating emotions
– first joy at the prospect of the heavenly wedding reception
• then gratification, because Jesus exposes hypocrisy of his religious critics
• but then, I am disturbed and thrown off balance
– first, at the king’s retaliation against those who insulted him (v. 7)
• but I’m bothered most of all at the king’s treatment of one guest
• I identify with that person more than any other in the story

When something I read in scripture disturbs me, I pause and deep breath
– this is a parable–and parables speak through symbols and analogies
• to understand Jesus’ meaning, we have to interpret the parable
• even that isn’t enough–a full understanding requires insight given by God’s Spirit
– how it looks to us:
• this guy is thrown out of the reception over a technicality – a minor offense
◦ but remember, this is Jesus who is telling the story
◦ and literal clothing was not an issue for him
◦ the meanings behind the symbols are bigger than the literal object or idea
• the only people who were excluded from the reception were:
◦ those who excluded themselves by rejecting the invitation
◦ and a man who took being there for granted
• every other type of person was accepted, bad and good (v. 10)

The man’s offense was not merely a lack of respect or reverence
– but he accepted the invitation, thinking he did not have to change
• “change” is the first word of Jesus’ message
After his baptism and temptation: From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Mt. 4:17)
• not changing into wedding clothes symbolized a more significant failure
– Jesus had in mind people who pretend to be disciples, but aren’t
• if I can put it this way:
◦ this guy came and sat in the house of God with a godless heart

It might surprise you, how often clothing is mentioned in scripture

From the Garden of Eden, when humans first felt shame over their nakedness,
– to the last chapter of Revelation, where those who wash robes are blessed,
• clothes do more than cover the body
• clothing:
– was expensive and calculated among a person’s assets (2 Ki. 5:22)
– signified status – long sleeves of pampered royalty (2 Sam. 3:18)
– was like body-language–communicated emotional state
• joy and celebration
Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart . . . . Let your garments be always white. Let not oil be lacking on your head (Ecc. 9:7-8)
• torn clothes could signify frustration and anger (2 Ki. 5:7)
◦ or devastating grief (Job 1:20-21)
• sackcloth was a way of praying with the body
◦ it spoke of a person’s despair or desperation (1 Chr. 21:16)
– identified women who were widows (Gen.38:14)
• and also identified people with contagious skin diseases (Lev. 13:45)
– there are stories in scripture in which clothing plays important role in plot
• changing in and out of clothes (Gen. 38:14 & 19)
• using clothes to deceive someone (Josh. 9:4-5; 1 Ki. 14:2)
• David put off Saul’s armor, “This isn’t me” (1 Sam. 17:39)
• my favorite: the woman who touched the hem of Jesus’ robe
◦ I read that story this week – at the same time I was reading in Leviticus
◦ the priests were sheltered in sanctuary so no one could touch their holy garments
(the touch of a normal person would violate the holiness that permeated the fabric)
◦ when the woman touched Jesus, he asked, Who touched my garments?
not because he felt he had been defiled, but he felt someone being healed
◦ he really did change religion — he brought God’s holiness out into the world

Now we have the context for Paul virtue list

Put off the old self and its vices – Put on new self and its virtues
– the image he uses is that of taking off old clothes and putting on new clothes
• get rid of old habits, the old lifestyle, the old person
• become your new person in Jesus
– can you hear your mom, “Take off that ridiculous shirt!”?
• it’s sort of like that
◦ the difference is that Mom’s concern was about image
◦ Paul’s concern is about identity
• image is about how we look – identity is about who we are

Christians in the first four or five centuries of Church history,
– were very fond of vice and virtue lists
• Paul provides several lists like this one in his other letters
◦ so did Jesus–for instance, the Beatitudes
• in time, they were streamlined into seven or eight vices and virtues
– one reason believers appreciated these lists,
• was that they provided clear boundaries and guidance
◦ the lists showed them how to keep themselves out of trouble and in God’s will
• but there was another more important and valuable reason
◦ these lists laid out a spiritual path for living in God
◦ the lists were an aid to prayer, helping them to clear their minds and keep their focus

One Beatitude sums up the purpose of all Beatitudes and virtues
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God (Mt. 5:8)
– avoiding vices and practicing virtues serve this purpose
Olivier Clement, “It frees human nature to follow its deep instinct to ascend towards God.”
Arthur Deikman, “But piety, for its own sake is not the point. In mystical science, virtuous behavior is prescribed as a necessary step in the development of intuitive perception. Mystics . . . know that virtuous behavior leads to specific psychological effects essential to their goal.” “Traditional virtues are consistent with the underlying reality and provide the possibility of knowing that reality. Virtues prepare the mind for a more advanced perception.”
• Deikman warns, we can desire spiritual development for the wrong reason
Deikman, “Most people bring to meditation an acquisitive, self-centered orientation that is the cultural norm. According to the mystical literature, such an attitude determines the outcome of meditation. For this reason, the instructions that accompany the classical descriptions of meditation deal first with the necessity of ‘purifying the heart’ – developing a selfless orientation – before aspiring to special powers [experiences].”
– this will be our purpose in carefully reading Paul’s virtue list
• to wash the windows of our heart in order to see God with greater clarity

Conclusion: Last week I closed by saying,

“Even when you’re not praying, think about God”
– as I did that this week, I found my mind goes to deep issues
• “purpose of life” issues – “meaning” issues
– am I doing anything significant enough to give me:
• aesthetic satisfaction before I die? Am I creating beauty that will last?
• altruistic satisfaction before I die? Am I doing good for others that will be remembered?
• gravity satisfaction before I die? Am I causing others to think about the deeper issues of life?
• grace satisfaction before I die? Am I sharing anything that will free others and lift them up?

This is why we want a list like Paul provides
It is better for us than a list of the healthiest foods
Better than the best program for physical fitness
More valuable than lessons on how to amass a fortune
This is the sort of list that will help each of us continue to be a good person
and live the life of Jesus in such a way as to brighten the world