Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying: 2 ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. 3 He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come.
4 ‘Then he sent some more servants and said, “Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and fattened cattle have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.”
5 ‘But they paid no attention and went off – one to his field, another to his business. 6 The rest seized his servants, ill-treated them and killed them. 7 The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.
8 ‘Then he said to his servants, “The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. 9 So go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.” 10 So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, the bad as well as the good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.
11 ‘But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. 12 He asked, “How did you get in here without wedding clothes, friend?” The man was speechless.
13 ‘Then the king told the attendants, “Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
14 ‘For many are invited, but few are chosen.’
One detail from the account is that the king notices a man not wearing wedding clothes. When the man cannot give an excuse for the fact he is incorrectly dressed, the king has him tied up and thrown into the outer darkness.
It's the reference to wearing the proper clothing which has stayed with me this week. Modern day weddings would have guests supplying their own clothing (or hiring their clothes from Moss Bros - other retailers are available), so are we missing some detail which needs further explanation?
The Wedding Feast was one of the most joyous occasions in Jewish life and the event could last for up to a week. Thus, it was traditional for the king or lord to provide clean wedding garments for all of his guests.
The only modern equivalent to this tradition relates to the bridesmaids' dresses, which are usually paid for by the wedding organiser. The only other adornment provided would be a corsage or a buttonhole for the other guests. Everyone else who need to source their own fancy clothing ...
To clarify, hosts at weddings in biblical times provided guests with a full change of clothes. These garments weren’t about fashion. They symbolised honour, purity, and belonging. This also ensured that everyone, regardless of their background, had the proper clothing for the occasion.
The question is raised in verse 11 because the wedding guest in question isn't wearing the wedding clothing. He is inappropriately dressed ... and it's pretty obvious. Did the servants failed to screen the wedding guests carefully, or did the man sneak into the back of the hall in some way? It is queried and clarified that the man was on the guest list, however he has deliberately refused to wear what was given to him. It’s about someone who rejected the host's provision and tried to enter on his own terms.
You might feel that the subsequent eviction from the Wedding Feast is not particularly nice - particularly after the earlier passage of inviting the whosoever to the feast! However, remember God is good.
This is because the parable confirms the wearing of wedding clothing is symbolic of being covered by the righteousness of Jesus (see Romans 3:21–31). Participation in the feast requires accepting God's provision rather than relying on one's own goodness.
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