"Please pack your knives and go." "You are out." "You're fired." "You did not make the cut." "You are the weakest link." "Send him to the place where there will be much weeping and gnashing of teeth." Words from Jesus in Matthew's 22 chapter sound like words of ending for a certain guest to the party. What makes these words even harder is when we realize that he is sent out because he is not prepared. Much like reality television, when one person does not qualify to go on to the next round, this guest is not only asked to leave the party, he is tied, bound, and sent to a place that conjures up images of hell itself. What makes this passage even harder for me is the fact that he is thrown out because his clothes are not up to par.
If one were to take a kind of literal reading, one could say that one interpretation of scripture leads us to affirm the need to dress up in worship. If that were the case, I would expect to see everyone in their white robes next week. Perhaps the more dangerous reading is to say that since the man is not prepared, he is thrown to the place where there will be much weeping and gnashing of teeth. If that is the case, and if Jesus is indeed teaching us about being prepared for the kingdom of heaven, it seems that all we need to do is work on obtaining our Christian merit badges, or the appropriate garment.
No longer is the way of a Christian about running the race, pressing on, or serving the Lord. Instead, we linger on the sidelines, we look back to make sure that we have done what is necessary, and we end up serving our own self interest. When Christ invites us to the party, he invites everyone. All are called, few are chosen. For Christians, freedom and salvation does not come by what we dress, what we accumulate, or how high we esteem ourselves. It is God's grace that frees us, that welcomes us, and even in our times of weeping and gnashing of teeth, is aware of how many hairs are on our heads.
