Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear.” (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of God’s holy people.) Then the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!” And he added, “These are the true words of God.”
– Revelation 19:8-9
In late fall and early winter, the feasts begin. It is perhaps because of the abundance of fall fruits and vegetables. It is perhaps because of tradition. It is perhaps because it is a delight to smell items slow cooked and filling the house with the aroma of roasted food, of herbs and spices. It is a time for gathering in the kitchen, sharing stories around cups of tea and warm meals, a time to spend with family and friends. But meals shared are a pale reflection of the great feast of the Lamb. The wedding feast. And you are not only invited, you are the guest of honor.
We, the church, are the bride of Christ. He sees us in His pure and unadulterated love. He loves us with a love both fierce and jealous. He exults in the day that we will be called to His wedding feast. We are the beloved of Christ.
Yet, I come with no dowry. I have no item of worth that we can bring Him. I bring no treasure, no worthy gift, no tribute that has any value. The gifts I bring are paltry sacrifices and tawdry goods, given begrudgingly to my very redeemer. I have nothing of beauty in me and nothing lovely in my countenance. I am a tattered soul wearing ragamuffin garments to the court of our great King. I recoil in shame. But He only sees beauty and worth.
I come faithless. I slip with ease from fascination to fascination, enamored by my senses, my imagination and my distractions. I am fickle, with a fragmented heart that leaves meager space for anyone but myself. I trust little and nag much and live in fear. My eyes wander and my soul ignores. I look to others for amusement, for comfort and for fullness, but forget about Christ and the breadth and depth of His abounding love. But He is a trustworthy friend. He is both peace and grace. And His counsel is both wise and wonderful.
I am cold. I do not give Christ my full attention. I do not give Him my time. I love in a posture of convenience when His love is of benefit to me. I am absent when He looks for me and tone deaf to His call. My prayers can be a list, a diatribe of foolish wants and the failure to ask Him about His desires. My prayers can be empty, hurried and distracted, a phony and superficial chat; self centered and disinterested in His voice. But He is patient and long-suffering. He awaits my voice eagerly and longs to bring me good, good gifts. He will come to me in a moment as He gave His life to do so. He always delights in me.
He seeks me and seeks all He has called His own. He loves us individually and He also loves us collectively. We are beloved as ourselves and beloved as a body. Like a bridegroom gazing at his beloved, each of us completes the image of His bride. He seeks us, each and all of us. We are part of the whole picture. A picture that would be lacking without each of us. All parts are essential, both eyes and heart, both fingertips and ideas, both feet that go and arms that hold and embrace. Each part of the Body of Christ is exact and purposeful, made to fit in and weave the fullness of community and glory together.
He has found us worthy to pursue. There is something about each of us that He treasures. Something of value that we do not see. Something of beauty that we cannot comprehend. Each of us is wonderfully made to be not only ourselves, but to be something greater. His bride. We are not mere participants in His wedding feast. Nor are we merely invited guests. We are the guest of honor for the banquet He will hold. We are His delight. We are His beloved. He is ever ours. At the feast, we will celebrate not only our love for Him but He will celebrate the joy He has had in loving us. He will celebrate the joy He has in being joined with His beloved bride forever.
Written by Janet Keefe
