Daily Devotions: October 15, 2017

Daily Devotions: October 15, 2017

Matthew 22:11-14

“But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing a wedding robe, and he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding robe?’ And he was speechless.” vss. 11-12

Jesus adds a bizarre twist to this mostly straightforward parable about the wedding feast when he mentions the man without the wedding robe who gets bound up and thrown into the outer darkness. And since Jesus offered no explanation he opened the door to a huge variety of interpretations. Obviously the man isn’t thrown out because he’s a bad guy…and we certainly wouldn’t expect that someone coming in off the street would have the right clothes. So what gives? Some have surmised that the wedding robe was a gift to those who came, and since the man didn’t have one, he must have refused it. If that’s the case, it could be that the man represents those who don’t believe they need the gift of grace. These would be those who rely on their own righteousness instead of the righteousness freely given by God. While this interpretation may not be what Jesus has in mind, it does have the ring of truth. Those who reject grace in favor of their own works are bound to miss the banquet. There’s no way that any of us can live up to our own expectations…and we certainly can’t avoid the stain of sin…we really do need the robe of righteousness.  Only fools would possibly think otherwise!

Thought for the Day: Why would anyone refuse grace?

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