Saturday, October 10, 2026

Matthew 22:11-12 

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

To make sense of this part of the parable, we cannot assume that the man wasn’t wearing a wedding robe because he was too poor to own one. It is more logical to assume that the gracious king who invited everyone to the feast also provided wedding robes for his guests. Imagine his servants at the gates handing a beautiful robe to everyone who was coming to the feast. 

The king’s question to the man could have been a question of hospitality… a way of saying, “Let’s get a robe on you!” But the fact that the man was speechless betrayed his heart. He wasn’t wearing a robe on because he didn’t want the king’s robe. 

Like the guests who refused the king’s invitation, this man refused the king’s grace. “I will not wear the robe you provided. My own clothes are fine enough.” To understand the significance to his refusal, replace “robe” with “Jesus” and then you’ll see it. The only way to attend the feast is to allow ourselves to be clothed in Christ… to embrace what he has done for us. 

– Pr. Paul  

Lord Jesus, your kingdom is a kingdom of grace. When I refuse to forgive others, I am also refusing your grace toward me. Help me celebrate your kingdom by giving over to you those whom I still have trouble forgiving. Amen.