Over the last century, there has been a dramatic change in how people dress for various occasions. I still remember my mother telling me that women prior to World War II did not go downtown without dressing up—hat, gloves, dress, and even jewelry. Pictures from that era show that men commonly dressed up as well—a suit, tie, hats, and dress shoes. That seems so strange to us today.
Whenever I fly out of Charlotte, I wear a pair of shoes needing to be shined, because I have gratefully observed that the Charlotte airport seems to have the best shoe-shiners found at any airport in the United States. A shoeshine is a waste of money at most airports, which is why you almost never see a line of men or women waiting to get a shine—but not so in Charlotte. There will often be three or four people working while one or two customers are lined up to wait, eager to give their shoes a 15-minute treatment and a new look.
Even so, when you sit in the shoe-shiner’s chair and watch the hundreds passing by, you see only a small minority with dress shoes—and that’s okay. Comfortable walking shoes may even be preferable, considering the distances one must walk in some airports and the hassle of going through security. But it is easy to see that modern society has become very casual, which brings both pros and cons. Most of us would likely be uncomfortable with the dress-up attire of the 1700s. Real men today would not wear long curly wigs and ruffled shirts, and I am sure my wife would not like to wear the wide-bodied dresses that would have prevented women from fitting through a modern doorway.
Of course, I am only addressing attire in the Western world. Other countries have their own customs of casual and dressy. Some customs may be the same today as a thousand years ago, while others may have evolved over time, as have ours. When my wife and I attended the 1981 Feast of Tabernacles in Bermuda, we saw men conducting services while wearing shorts—Bermuda shorts, of course! These were not the shorts seen on the beaches, and the men wore them with sport coats and ties, calf-length dress socks, and dress shoes. This was (and may still be) dress-up attire in Bermuda. How we dress ourselves is to a great degree a product of culture, but even within a culture there are different ideas as to what is “dressed up” and what is not.
A Sobering Parable
Jesus began a parable about the Kingdom this way: “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” (Matthew 22:2–3). He went on to explain that many who were called to the dinner were too busy to be bothered, “and they were not willing to come” (v. 3). Each invitee had an excuse and did not value what the invitation meant (vv. 5–10). Then we come to the sobering conclusion:
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.’ For many are called, but few are chosen (vv. 11–14).
We can draw several points from this. The parable’s primary message involves righteous behavior, as is also depicted in the book of Revelation: “And to her [the Bride of Christ] it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints” (19:8). But it also drives home the point that there was protocol regarding how one should dress for a wedding—and surely for other special occasions as well.
How that special attire differed from other attire, I do not know. I have never heard an explanation of the exact difference—and, to be plain about it, I have not bothered to research this detail. But the point is clear that there were differences. The point Jesus was making is abundantly clear to anyone willing to understand—how we dress spiritually is of vital importance for eternal life, but our outward attire is also important.
There are some finer points to the parable. The improperly dressed man is called “Friend.” There is no animosity, just a recognition that he came disrespectfully to the occasion. And the man was speechless upon being cast out—shocked that his attire mattered. We should also note that he will bear terrible regrets for the error of not taking his calling seriously enough.
Modesty Matters
Peter addressed the dispersion in Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey) regarding the need to dress modestly (1 Peter 3:3–5). And Paul instructed Timothy to admonish women in a similar fashion. “In like manner also, that the women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with propriety and moderation, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing, but, which is proper for women professing godliness, with good works” (1 Timothy 2:9–10).
We see here that our good works accompany our outward appearance. We also understand from the wider biblical context that there is no prohibition wearing a moderate amount of jewelry. It is our focus that is important. God is more interested in our inner beauty than in our physical appearance, and He does not respect self-focused attempts to attract attention by visually standing out from the crowd.
Modesty also involves restraint in displaying parts of one’s anatomy. Much beach attire is scandalous today. If you have seen news reports describing Spring Break, or accounts of the ways in which many young women dress on the beaches of Florida (or elsewhere), you understand what I am saying. And modesty does not apply only to women. God instructed those men offering sacrifices, “Nor shall you go up by steps to My altar, that your nakedness may not be exposed on it” (Exodus 20:26). God’s mind on this matters.
Indeed, “God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be held in reverence by all those around Him” (Psalm 89:7). We are instructed that “as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, ‘be holy, for I am holy’” (1 Peter 1:15–16).
But what concerns me more than how we may sometimes fall short of proper attire is the lack of seriousness with which many people receive these admonitions. Too often, their response is returned in words or actions saying, No one is going to tell me how to dress. I’ll dress any way I please. Friends, we need to understand that this is a frame of mind that goes beyond outward appearance and can find us thrown “into outer darkness.”
Will we walk self-willed, “according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience,” or will we “walk as children of light” (Ephesians 2:2; 5:8)?
God’s Church has consistently taught that we are not to go to either extreme—neither narcissistically focusing on our outward appearance, nor looking as if we do not care about how we present ourselves. Sabbath services and the annual Feasts are times to dress up before God. And modesty is a godly admonition—whether for services or for spending time at the beach or swimming pool.
Dr. Roderick C. Meredith often reminded us that the Bible reveals the mind of God. How we display our bodies and present ourselves is a matter of showing respect for the One who created us. What message do you send to others?