Matthew 22:13Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

It is indeed challenging to don this garment while still wearing the first one. You cannot embellish both body and soul simultaneously. We cannot serve both money and Christ effectively. Therefore, let us abandon the harmful habits that ensnare us. Surely, you would not willingly permit a lavishly adorned space while you sat in almost nothing. Yet you do this to yourself, adorning the outward shell of your soul, which is your body, with numerous costly garments, while leaving your soul bare. Do you not understand that a king requires more embellishment than a city? Thus, they prepare enveloping linens for the city, while for the king, they provide porphyry and diadems. Similarly, you should cover your body with the simplest attire, yet your mind should be dressed richly, crowned, and seated in grandeur. However, you are doing the inverse: you lavish adornments upon the city, neglecting the king - your mind - allowing it to be ensnared by base desires. Are you not aware that you have been called to a divine marriage? Do you not recognize that your soul, summoned into this sacred assembly, must be clothed with garments of glory? Would you like to be shown those who wear the wedding robe? Recall those saints I spoke of recently, those who wear robes and dwell in the deserts. They particularly don these wedding garments, and hence it is clear that no lavish outfits may entice them; just as a king would disdain to wear a beggar’s rags, so too will they reject regal attire. They do this not for frivolous reasons, but because they understand the true beauty of their garments. Consequently, they regard the magnificence of the world as mere spider silk. Their plight has imparted this wisdom. Indeed, they are elevated and more glorious than kings themselves. If you could open the doors to their hearts and behold the beauty of their souls, you would collapse, unable to withstand the radiance of their splendor, the lightness of their garments, and the brilliance of their consciences. We can mention the great and wondrous figures of antiquity; however, visible examples resonate more with ordinary persons, so I direct you to the very dwellings of these saints. They know no sorrow and, as if in heaven, inhabit humble huts far removed from life’s turmoil, courageously confronting the devil as though they were at play. Having constructed their shelters, they evade cities, social gatherings, and houses, for it is unwise for a soldier to remain in a structure when he is poised to move. Such is the life of those who do not dwell as we do. We live not as in military camps, but as if in a peaceful metropolis. Who, indeed, living in a military camp, expects to build a solid house when he intends to leave shortly thereafter? No one. If someone dares to do so, he would be viewed as a traitor. Who in a camp acquires land or engages in trade? No one, for it is rightly said you come to battle, not to conduct business. Now, why are you so attached to surroundings you must soon abandon? Save this concern for when you return to your true homeland. I say the same to you now: reserve these impulses for when you ascend to the highest city. There, labor will be unnecessary, as the King will provide for you. Here, it suffices to dig a hole and plant a stake; there is no need for elaborate structures. Consider the nomadic life of the Scythians, the very essence of the Christian way: to traverse the earth, combatting the devil and liberating the captives, forsaking worldly matters. What are you preparing your dwelling for? Is it to further entrap yourself? Why do you hoard treasures and invite enmity? For what purpose do you erect barriers and imprison yourself? If this strikes you as harsh, let us visit the homes of the saints and witness the ease of their lives firsthand. Having constructed simple huts, if they must depart, they leave, much like warriors moving from camp during peacetime. They truly live as if encamped, or even more pleasingly. It is far more delightful to observe a desert sprinkled with monks' huts than a battlefield filled with warriors, who erect tents in the fields, thrust their spears into the ground, and drape red cloaks on their ends - a throng of men with metal helmets, the gleam of shining shields, and heavy armors huddled around royal tents, all within a broad, open field, with warriors celebrating amidst trumpets. That tableau pales in comparison to the one I am now conveying. If we venture into the wilderness to witness the tents of Christ’s soldiers, we will find neither stretched tarps, nor sharpened weapons, nor golden fabric upon the king’s dwelling; instead, it would be as though someone unfurled numerous heavens across a terrain far wider than ours, presenting a wondrous and extraordinary sight. Their abode is not inferior to heaven, for angels descend to them, and even the Lord of angels Himself visits. If the Lord and the angels paid a visit to Abraham, a man with familial obligations, drawn by his extraordinary hospitality, how much more would they stay and rejoice at the presence of someone who has forsaken earthly ties and scorned the flesh? The meals of the saints are devoid of excess, filled instead with piety. They do not engage in bloody feasts, they do not carve meat; there are no headaches, no spices in their dishes, no irritating odors, no unpleasant smoke, no incessant noise and clamor, just bread and water, pure spring water and the harvest of the righteous. If they desired better fare, berries become their delight; they find greater joy here than at royal banquets. There is no anxiety, no dread of robbers, no necessity to bolt doors or fear anything else, as many do when they carefully snuff out lamps to avoid igniting their homes. Their conversations teem with serenity. They do not discuss trivialities that occupy our thoughts, such as the rise and fall of rulers, deaths, or inheritances; rather, they eternally converse on the future. As though they dwell in another world, as if they have transcended to heaven itself, they center their discussions on divine matters: Abraham's bosom, the crowns awarded to the saints, the joy of union with Christ; they make no mention of present concerns. Just as we find little worth discussing about the activities of ants, so they, too, ignore our pursuits, speaking instead of the heavenly kingdom, the current battle, the schemes of the devil, and the remarkable deeds of the saints. Thus, in comparison to them, how can we consider ourselves superior to ants? As ants focus on physical necessities, so do we. We should concern ourselves solely with this, or even worse, for we obsess over not only the essential but also the trivial. Ants toil with an unquestionable purpose, yet we labor driven by greed, not following the diligent paths of ants but those of wolves and leopards, becoming even more wretched than they. Nature has equipped them solely to survive; yet God has granted us reason and righteousness, and we have sunk beneath the level of the beasts. We have become worse than mute animals, while the righteous rise to angelic status, regarded as foreigners and strangers in this world. Their existence radically differs from ours: their clothing, their nourishment, their dwellings, their footwear, and their dialogue. If one were to eavesdrop on the conversations of the righteous compared to ours, it would become crystal clear that they are citizens of heaven, while we are unworthy even of earthly existence. Therefore, when someone honored approaches them, all pride dissipates entirely. This same farmer, unaware of worldly matters, sits on the soil beside a general preoccupied with his dominion, for there is no one to bow to him and inflate his pride. Here it is akin to visiting a goldsmith or a bucolic rose garden: one finds splendor from both the precious metal and the blooms, just as those who approach the righteous garner some benefit from their dignity, diminishing their prior arrogance. Additionally, as one rises to high thoughts, though they may be insignificant, they appear substantial in their midst; yet when they depart, they revert to their previous lowly state. Nothing among the saints is regal, nothing imperial; rather, just as we might smile at children pretending to be kings or rulers, so too do they look down upon the vanity of those who intimidate for their own sake. Thus, it is clear that were anyone to bestow upon them a kingdom to govern, they would refuse, unless they deemed it unworthy in light of a grander kingdom, viewing it merely as a transient endeavor. So, why do we not hasten towards such great bliss and ascend to these angels? Why do we not don pure garments and engage in these divine unions, but instead remain in poverty, no better than the beggars at the crossroads and even worse off than they are? Truly, those who unjustly seek wealth are far more miserable than beggars; it is nobler to ask than to steal, for the former bears no blame, while the latter incurs condemnation. The one who begs has not offended God, whereas the thief offends both God and humanity, often squandering his efforts as the spoils end up benefitting others. Therefore, recognizing this, let us renounce all greed and pursue the imperishable treasure, diligently seeking the kingdom of heaven, for the lazy cannot enter that kingdom. Oh, if we could all, by becoming vigilant and earnest, secure it through the grace and kinship of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom belongs glory and authority forever and ever. Amen.

We, too, who have stained our souls through a life of wickedness after receiving the grace of Holy Baptism, must heed this warning, fearing that we may not only find ourselves excluded from the wedding feast but also subjected to the harshest penalties. Therefore, we must prioritize the condition of our inner garments over the outer ones, as concern for the external will not lead to the care of the internal. Someone might wonder why the Church is united more closely with the Father than the Son. The answer lies in the fact that the Son, having been made flesh, lived among her, and through the Son, the Church is also connected to the Father, for the Son declared, 'I and the Father are one' (John 10:30), and, 'He who sees me sees the Father' (John 14:9).

When we speak of ‘inward’ darkness, we refer to the spiritual blindness of the heart, while ‘outward’ darkness describes the everlasting night of condemnation. Thus, every condemned soul is expelled not into inner darkness, but into outer darkness, for those who have willingly turned to spiritual blindness are sent against their will to the shadows of judgment. In that place where weeping and gnashing of teeth occur, those who reveled in gluttony will gnash their teeth, and those who succumbed to unholy desires will shed tears, for every member that indulged in various vices will face individual punishment.

Paul: do not deceive yourselves; neither fornicators, nor adulterers, nor wrongdoers, nor those who engage in lust, nor sodomites, nor greedy individuals (who are also known as idolaters), nor slanderers, nor thieves, nor predators (and I would also add for myself, nor anyone who harbors hatred or envy against a brother), shall inherit the kingdom of God (1 Cor. 6:9-10), and they will not have a place in the marriage feast of our Lord Jesus Christ. Do you see how every passion and sin soils the garment of our souls and excludes us from the kingdom of heaven?

Christ, as already mentioned, will be the crown that adorns the heads of all the saints. Remaining unchanged, He will make Himself known to each uniquely; He will offer Himself to everyone according to their rightful place and merit. Thus, Christ Himself is to be the garment for all, a robe that each has worn and labored to don while still in this life; it is inconceivable for anyone to enter into that sacred marriage without being adorned in that glorious attire. However, if someone were to slip in unnoticed (which, although uncommon, is not impossible), mingling among the righteous, they would be swiftly cast out. And the Lord Christ, wishing to demonstrate that it is impossible for anyone clothed in sorrowful garments to remain at the feast, illustrated this through a parable, wherein He asked: ‘Friend, how did you come in here without the wedding garment?’ and then declared: ‘Bind him hand and foot, and cast him into the outer darkness’ (Matthew 22:12-13). It seems the Lord spoke in this manner, not because the man dressed in rags could conceal himself from God, who sees all, but rather because the time had not yet arrived to unveil such a mystery, and He hesitated to plainly state that it is impossible for anyone without the garment of My Divinity to enter into the marriage. Thus, He veiled the message under this illustration. Nonetheless, the Apostle Paul has already made this clear, stating, “As many as have borne the image of the earthly, let us also bear the image of the heavenly” (1 Cor. 15:49).

The attendants, with authority over the wretched, are the demons; although these entities harbor a frenzied animosity toward the Divine, they nonetheless act as servants of God’s boundless omnipotence and wisdom, governing those who have willingly surrendered to their malign influence. Those who yield to such powers have chosen a path forbidden by God, driven by pride and a willful rejection of divine obedience.

Do not hastily approach the wedding feast of the Son of God, clad in old, foul garments, without first examining your attire, even if you have been invited to this union to which every believer is beckoned. The servants of this Lord will bind your hands and feet and cast you into the outer darkness, estranged from God (Matthew 22:11-15). These servants wield authority over those who are arrogant, unrepentant, and consumed by grandiosity, seeking love and other exalted spiritual experiences—fallen angels. Darkness indicates the blindness of the human spirit, a state consumed by passion and carnality. In such a condition, sin and malevolent spirits dominate the individual, stripping him of moral agency; his hands and feet are bound. Binding signifies the forfeiture of the ability to live righteously and achieve spiritual success. Those ensnared in this disheartening state can only emerge by realizing their errors, rejecting them, and embarking on the redemptive journey of repentance.

The King will command, ‘Having bound his hands and feet, cast him into outer darkness.’ For the outcast from the Kingdom of God, for the unrepentant sinner, ‘the night comes when no one’ can act (John 9:4), a time will arrive when repentance and correction will no longer be possible, for he chose not to dwell in the light, did not seek the light of life, and thus became a child of darkness and everlasting ruin. Death will ensnare all the active passions of his soul. St. Chrysostom states, ‘When we speak of darkness, do not think that he is merely punished by being sent to a dark place; indeed, there will also be weeping and gnashing of teeth, which signifies unbearable torment. Let all of you who, having received the Sacraments and been invited to the wedding, clothe your souls with sinful actions, take heed! Remember from where you are called! From desolation. What were you? Lame and blind of spirit, which is far graver than physical blindness. But honor the humanity of Him who called you; do not permit anyone to enter in filthy garments, but let each one ensure they are properly adorned in spirit. Hear, O wives and husbands! It is not the golden attire that embellishes your body you need, but that which beautifies your soul. Yet it is challenging for us to don this divine garment while we are still in the old one. You cannot embellish both soul and body at once—this is impossible! We cannot serve both wealth and Christ as we ought. Therefore, let us abandon these harmful habits that ensnare us. Surely, you would not kindly endure if someone beautified their home with golden draperies while seating you in rags, almost exposed. Yet behold, you now do this to yourselves, adorning the dwelling of your soul, your body, with countless garments while leaving your soul uncovered. Do you not recognize that your soul, called to this sacred gathering, must enter adorned in golden attire? Would you like me to show you those who wear such beautiful garments—those arrayed in the wedding robe? Consider the saints, who wear humble attire and dwell in the wilderness. They truly wear wedding garments. They would not accept wealth even if offered; just as a king would scorn a command to don a beggar’s rags, so too would they dismiss luxury. They do this solely because they understand the true beauty of their garments. Thus, they regard earthly finery as nothing more than a spider’s web. If you could pry open their hearts and behold their souls, radiant with inner beauty, you would fall to your knees, unable to withstand the brilliance of their splendor and the luster of their conscience. Now, when we compare ourselves to them, what makes us superior to mere ants? Nothing. For just as ants concern themselves with material things, so do we. And we are even more culpable, for we fixate not only on the essentials, like ants, but on the superfluous. Ants toil, albeit clumsily, while we labor out of greed.’ ‘I,’ says Innocent, Archbishop of Kherson, “always tremble when I recall the words, ‘Friend, how did you enter here without your wedding garment?’ These sobering words ought to be at the forefront of our minds as we prepare to partake of the Lord’s Supper—to receive the Most Pure and Divine Mysteries of Christ. No royal banquet can compare with this heavenly meal from the Heavenly King. With what reverence and trembling should we approach it, with purity of heart and soul! ‘None are worthy who are chained by carnal desires and indulgences to come forth, or to draw near, or to serve You, O King of Glory…’ (Prayer of the Priest during the Cherubic Song). Yet, the good King of Glory Himself offers garments to all who wish to partake of His spiritual feast: this garment is the grace of repentance. Before partaking of the Lord’s Meal, seek out a servant of Christ, purify yourself through repentance, and don the robe of righteousness, and even if you find yourself unworthy, the Lord, in His mercy, will exalt you for your humility to partake of His Immortal Meal…