Did you get up early and watch the wedding between Meghan Markel and Prince Harry? Have to admit, I did not. I watched Prince William and Kate’s wedding, but for whatever reason, I just could not drag my body out of the bed that early nor did I have the inclination to record it to watch later. I did however study the photographs. I love looking at the clothes and the hats the women wear to such events. The picture that struck me the most was the one of Meghan’s mom sitting by herself. Such a classy looking lady. I read somewhere she’s yoga instructor, so the clothes for the royal wedding wasn’t something she went and found hanging in her closet.
As a matter of fact, everyone there had a special outfit for this event. Amal matched her husband George Clooney. Oprah had her dress made the day before or something crazy like that.
Not one person who was allowed into the wedding looked like they had slept in their clothes much less lived in them for a week or more. Everyone put on their finest. Bought the finest they could afford just to attend, and just because someone could afford the finest clothes didn’t mean they were invited. Did you see what they held in their hands? An invitation. How did they score that?!
Each invited guest had a relationship with either the bride or the groom whether it was friend or family.
If you did not have an invitation or your name was not on the list, you were not permitted in.
If you looked like you had been living in your clothes for a week or a month, you were not permitted entrance.
Why?
Respect? The occasion? The location? The people who were being married?
If this was all done for a young man who will most likely never be king, then why would you expect the King of Kings to do anything less?
Matthew 22:11-14 But when the king came in to view the guests he saw a man there who was not dressed for a wedding. So he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without wedding clothes?’ The man was speechless. Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him up hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. ‘For many are invited, but few are chosen.’
All of the others who were attending the wedding had been changed into wedding attire, but this man refused. He may have been invited, but he had not accepted the royal attire and was thrown out. He would never be allowed back into the wedding party again.
The one who entered the party in his rags may have attempted to behave and look like the other wedding goers, but he wasn’t like them at all.
When the King saw the man in rags, he saw the filth which is sin. The other attendees were clothed in the righteousness of God. When the King looked at them, He saw Jesus.
We all come to God in filthy garments because none of us are righteous (Romans 3:10-12), but when we come to the Father, He removes the sin, the filth, the rags, and redresses us in His likeness, in the blood of Jesus.
The man in rags made his choice. He chose NOT to allow the King to change him from his filthy rags. He chose not to accept a new life in Jesus, and because he didn’t choose Jesus, he was kicked out of the wedding party to a place where there was weeping and gnashing of teeth.
So the questions are:
Are your garments white as snow?
Have you accepted the invitation to be part of the bridegroom of Jesus Christ?
Are you ready to lay down the rags of your sin, shame and guilt, and allow the King to clothe you in His splendor?
And if you have accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, are you living your life every day as if you are clothed in the splendor of Christ?
There are consequences of not choosing Christ in this life. There is a real place called hell that was created for Satan and his followers, and if you choose not to accept Christ’s invitation, allow Him to enter your heart and redress you and your life, then you are choosing the other by default.
Life is too short to live it in filthy rags.