Are You Wearing Suitable Garments? 8-15-25

BIBLICAL Facts - Not Opinions! My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge because you have rejected knowledge (Hosea 4:6)

As I continue writing about the parables of Jesus illustrating a spiritual truth, this is to remind the reader that Jesus is likening it to the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, He is referring to born again believers. These footnotes are the closest to what I’ve been taught.

And Jesus answered and spoke to them again by parables and said:  “The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come. 

Again, he sent out other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fatted cattle are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding.” ’  But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business.  And the rest seized his servants, treated them spitefully, and killed them.  

But when the king heard about it, he was furious. And he sent out his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.  Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy.  Therefore, go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding.’ So those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good. And the wedding hall was filled with guests.

 “But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment.  So, he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless.  Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth’ (Matthew 22:1-13).

These footnotes are the closest to what I’ve been taught.

Reference to Matthew 8:11-12. Footnote- Hebrew Greek Keyword Study Bible – It gives two views of what the parable is saying: The one that I have heard by so many scholars say that “Outer darkness” is hell, which I disagree with.

Whereas this one I totally agree with:

Others say that this parable does not refer to unbelievers or hypocrites at all, but to those believers who neglect to exercise their God given talents. The Lord calls such a servant ponere (4190) “wicked” (Matthew 25:26), and hoi kateramenoi (2672) “cursed” despite the fact that he or she is one of the Lord’s servants. Hence these terms may also be applied to believers who have failed the Lord in their service.

The words of Paul in 1 Corinthians 3:10-15 are in full support of the fact that the works of faith by God’s servants will be tried as by fire. Therefore, in this instance  the “outer darkness” may be a reference to a place or position of far less rewards for the servants who proved themselves less diligent than those who used and exercised their talents to the fullest.

Entrance into heaven is gained by accepting Christ’s sacrifice for justification, but a person’s rewards will be determined by what he did for Christ on earth (Matthew 5:3-12, 7:21-23, 10:15; Luke 6:20-26, 12:47-48; Acts 10:4, 31; Romans 2:1-16, 24:10-23; 1 Corinthians 3:13, 4:5,; 2 Corinthians 5:10; 1 John 4:17; Revelation 20:11-15).

I said this earlier that Jesus called the “talents’ (money) to invest in, which would be “gifts” in the church. Question: Would it make sense to give credit to, or reward someone for something they didn’t do?

His handmaiden, Betty A. Burnett ~ burnettministries.org