Cheryl McGrath, February, 2003
For as many of you as were baptised into Christ have put on Christ. Galatians
3:27
For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become
the righteousness of God in Him. 2 Corinthians 6:21
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During a day put aside for worship this past week, a prophetic word was given in which the Lord exhorted those of us present to lay down the cloaks we were wearing that reflected the world, along with the cloaks we had been carrying for others. We were to strip off every garment except that which we had been dressed in by the Lord Himself.
Various kinds of garments, including robes and cloaks, are spoken of symbolically in the scriptures. For instance, the prodigal son was given the "best robe" that could be found on his return to his father's house (Luke 15:22). In another instance, Herod showed his contempt for Jesus by having him dressed in an "elegant" garment, as befitting royalty, before sending Him back to Pilate (Luke 23:11). Not much later the Roman soldiers also mocked Jesus' claim to kingship by dressing Him in a purple robe, a colour symbolising royalty (John 19:2,3). The gospel of John indicates that Jesus was wearing five articles of clothing at the time of His arrest. The inner garment, or tunic, Jesus wore was seamless, symbolising His priesthood. These seamless tunics, worn predominantly by the Jewish priests, were highly valued. It was this specific garment that the Roman soldiers cast lots for at Golgotha after nailing Jesus to the Cross (John 19:23-24).
In one of His numerous encounters with the Pharisees, Jesus related a parable to demonstrate that the Kingdom He was proclaiming was unlike the religious kingdom the chief priests and Pharisees had established in Israel. He spoke of a wedding ceremony for the son of a king, to which many were called, but refused to come. Consequently these were found to be unworthy of the invitation they'd been given, and in their place the wedding hall was filled with the common people and outcasts found along the highways of Israel. These ones would not in the ordinary course of events ever have expected an invitation to such a grand occasion, and gladly filled the wedding hall. Somehow, however, an uninvited guest gained entry to the feast and was recognised by the king immediately as one who should not be present. How is it the king recognised him amongst all the many legitimate guests? Obviously, he had managed to deceive the other guests, and even the king's servants, in order to gain entry. What was it that made him stand out to the king's discerning eyes? It was, as we know, his clothing that gave him away.
I recall not long ago watching on T.V. an important international meeting of the world's most high ranking heads of state in a foreign country. At this particular gathering the Presidents, Prime Ministers and other diplomats attending had each obviously been welcomed by the host country's head of state with beautifully made coats which they were expected to wear during the duration of the conference. It would have been a great insult for any of these world leaders to decline these very personal gifts. One can even imagine that each garment would have had to be specially made to measure in order to fit the recipient properly.
Similarly, it was the custom in Jesus' time for guests at high ranking weddings to be issued with a special "wedding garment" as a gift from the father of the groom. Jesus was a master story-teller, and I believe He would have taken great delight in painting the picture of such exquisite, tailor-made garments, being made available to the "riff raff" from the highways and byways, a concept which would have offended the self-righteous Pharisees immensely. Can't you just imagine the gleam in His eye as He pressed this point? In fact it is immediately after He told this parable that the scriptures say "Then the Pharisees went and plotted how they might entangle Him in His talk." (Matthew 22:15)
An interesting aspect of this parable is the fact that "both bad and good" were present at this important ceremony, yet the only distinguishing feature between those who were entitled to be present and those who weren't was the garment they were wearing. It was unimportant what good people had done, or what evil they had done. The one and only relevant issue was what they were wearing.
The Pharisees also were distinguishable by their distinct clothing. If you or I were citizens living in the Israel of Jesus' time we would instantly recognise a Pharisee walking along the street because his clothing set him apart, and we would be expected to give him right of way. Jesus condemned the habit the Pharisees had of enlarging the religious aspects of their clothing in order to appear more pious. Under the law of Moses, every Jewish person was required to wear a tassle, or fringe, at each of the four corners of their outer garment, as a perpetual reminder of the law. This is why the woman with the issue of blood was so desperate to touch the "hem" or "fringe" of Jesus garment, believing there must be special power there. The Pharisees would habitually make their tassles larger and more noticeable than the rest of the population and adjust other aspects of their clothing to set themselves apart in order to appear holier than others. Jesus pointed this practice out to His disciples and warned them not to imitate them. Jesus was not condemning the law, but the religious pride and hypocrisy of the Pharisees (Matthew 23:1-5).
Saul, later known as Paul, was a Pharisee who obviously placed great importance on clothing. We read by his own account in Acts 22.20, that as the disciple Stephen was being stoned, Paul had stood, consenting to Stephen's death, and "guarding the clothes" of those who were executing him. It is highly likely that Paul was himself wearing the garments of a high ranking Pharisee as he stood approving of Stephen's death and minding the clothes of his executioners. How important those outward symbols of righteousness must have been to him that he stood guard over them so zealously! How filthy and contemptible they must have seemed to him years later when he wrote :"But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ." How foolish his former love of religious appearance must have seemed to him when he wrote : "Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwelling place;" And how utterly useless all his religious instruction and great learnedness must have appeared to him when he wrote to the Corinthians: "For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified."
Let me leave you with the same challenge with which we were also challenged this week. What other robes are you wearing apart from Christ, and why are you tolerating them? And whose robes have been laid upon you, that should be cast off and laid at the Saviour's feet? What did those robes that the young Saul kept that day represent? False religion, pride, hardened hearts, rebellion, spiritual death? The Pharisees looked at themselves and saw what they thought was holiness. Jesus looked at them and saw whitewashed tombs full of dead mens' bones and all uncleaness.
Run to the feet of the King of Righteousness, lay down whatever you are walking in that is not Him, and rest in the sure promise that you need nothing more than Christ, and Him crucified. Jesus alone is our righteousness! There is no garment we can provide for ourselves, no matter how hard we work on it or how much we pay for it, that comes near to the matchless beauty of the Robe of Righteousness the Father has provided for us, Christ Himself.
And that's the only covering we'll need at the Wedding Feast of the Lamb.
Selah!
Cheryl McGrath
Great South Land Ministries, Australia
Website: www.greatsouthland.org
Email: southland@greatsouthland.org
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