Jesus loved to use parables. A good storyteller knows how to grab an audience, keep their attention, and get the message across, whether it's a simple entertaining premise, a deep dive into human psychology, or proclaiming an eternal truth. In today's Gospel for Mass Jesus used another pretty vivid story (Mt. 22.1-14) about a Royal Wedding. Now, you'd think most people would salivate at the chance to be at such an event, but not in this case. In fact, some of the guests engaged in felonious assault and murder on the messengers (I sense issues...), so the king turned to the common rabble. But not everyone who showed up was dressed appropriately and those had to be turned away (rather forcefully, it turned out).
Keep in mind Jesus is still hammering a message home to the religious establishment, how they not only failed to RSVP God's invitation, but engaged in some truly sociopathic means to refuse that invitation. Remember a couple of weeks ago when we read Jesus telling them the prostitutes and extortioners were getting into the Kingdom of God ahead of the community leaders? Yes, this is pretty much the continuation of that story. However, there is a note of caution for us whores and grifters also.
Keep in mind that to enter the Kingdom of God we need to repent of our sins and bear fruits worthy of repentance, that is, show behaviour befitting someone who got a second chance...cleaning up our acts, remembering and helping those who are at a disadvantage, showing them the same love and giving them second chances like God has given us. Those are our wedding clothes. So many of us, when we get the invitation realize our lives are a hot mess. We have nothing to wear. We are selfish, bound up in our pleasures, addictions, pass-times, and have no time to do the hard work of turning our lives around and helping others do the same. FORGET about the cleaning up of others' morality, that is their task, our task is just to show the love of God to them. The best way is to clean up our own and offer our lives as an example, and love them. It's up to them to put on the wedding clothes.
We recently read in our parish Bible Study on Romans how in chapter 11 St. Paul wanted to get his nation to follow the Way by inciting them with envy...envy that the outsiders were getting in. Let's do that...let's get all dolled-up for the wedding of the ages and incite a desire in others to do the same. Let's make them envious of how well we are put together, then give them opportunity to do so by taking away impediments. Someone who is worried about food, shelter, clothing, sickness, injustice, loneliness will have little time to worry about a party in the future.
So let's put on all our party clothes: the upstanding life that are our foundation garments, our prayers, our acts of mercy, and our humility. Yes, our humility, because we don't have these items, they have to be given to us by God Himself, but He wants us to look our best for the party. Let's turn our hearts and minds to Him, and He will clothe us.
It is then we can come to the party and instead of hearing, "Friend, where is your wedding clothes?" we can hear, "Nice get-up. Thanks for coming."
Coptic Icon of a Wedding Feast