Does Jesus care about how you dress?

The way we present ourselves to the world, including our choice of dress, often communicates something about our values, beliefs, and priorities. For Christians who seek to follow Jesus’ teachings, discerning if and how Jesus cares about outward appearance can be an important part of living out one’s faith. Looking to Jesus’ words and actions in the Bible gives insight into how God views both the inner spiritual life and its outward expression.

What does the Bible say about dress and appearance?

The Bible speaks extensively about the inner condition of the heart as most important to God. 1 Samuel 16:7 declares, “The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” Jesus strongly critiqued religious hypocrisy and empty external shows of piety, warning in Matthew 23:25 that cleaning the inside matters most: “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.”

However, Scripture does contain various instructions about appropriate dress and appearance. God instructed the priests regarding special clothing to wear in the tabernacle (Exodus 28). Proverbs speaks of thenoble woman “clothed in fine linen and purple” (Proverbs 31:22), a metaphor for inner strength and dignity. The New Testament teaches women to dress modestly and discretely (1 Timothy 2:9), and instructs all believers to avoid showy displays of wealth and privilege (James 2:1-4).

Overall, the Bible focuses less on prescribing specific rules and outward requirements, and more on calling believers to align their hearts to God’s truth and values. Love for God and others should motivate Christ-like behavior.

How did Jesus dress?

The Gospels do not provide extensive detail about Jesus’ own clothing and appearance. As an observant Jew living under Roman domination, Jesus likely dressed in simple tunics and outer robes similar to others in 1st century Galilee. The soldiers divided Jesus’ possessions at the cross, gambling over his seamless undergarment (John 19:23-24). Prior to his betrayal and arrest in Gethsemane, Jesus removed his outer garments to wash his disciples’ feet, modeling servant-hearted humility (John 13:4-5).

Jesus’ clothing would not have stood out as unusual or extravagant. The prophet Isaiah foretold of God’s humble servant: “He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him” (Isaiah 53:2). Jesus did not dress to impress or flaunt status. His words and miraculous works drew crowds, not showy religious attire.

Did Jesus condemn people for how they dressed?

The Gospels recount various encounters where Jesus extended love and grace to society’s outsiders and outcasts. Jesus ministered to women, healed lepers, dined with disreputable sinners, and welcomed children. He did not shun people deemed immoral because of their clothing or appearance.

For example, Jesus responded graciously when a “sinful woman” anointed his feet with perfume and her tears, lovingly rebuking the Pharisee who condemned Jesus for letting her touch him (Luke 7:36-50). He refused to cast judgment on the woman caught in adultery brought before him by religious leaders, telling her to “Go now and leave your life of sin” (John 8:11).

Jesus taught God’s acceptance of all who repent, no matter their outward appearance or past sins. He looked on the condition of people’s hearts, not their clothing. Jesus declared his mission in Luke 5:32, “I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

Did Jesus teach about proper attire for religious services?

Jesus attended synagogue and temple regularly, as was the Jewish custom. He would therefore have worn customary prayer shawls and phylacteries. Jesus once criticized those seeking places of honor at banquets and in synagogues, urging humility instead (Luke 14:7-14). However, he did not seem to establish any specific dress code for worship and religious life.

Jesus did harshly criticize the flamboyant attire of the religious elite. In Matthew 23:5, he rebuked the hypocrisy of the scribes and Pharisees who dressed ostentatiously to receive recognition: “Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long.” Jesus valued inner righteousness above all.

What did Jesus teach about anxiety over clothing?

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus comforted his followers not to be consumed with worry over material needs like clothing:

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear… Look at the birds of the air: They do not sow or reap or gather into barns — and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life or a single cubit to your height? So why do you worry about clothing? Consider how the lilies of the field grow: They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his glory was adorned like one of these.” (Matthew 6:25-29)

Jesus invites anxiety over earthly matters like dress, telling believers to trust God fully for provision and not be consumed with temporary concerns.

How did Jesus say Christians should dress and present themselves?

Rather than mandate rules about clothing styles and dress codes, Jesus called his followers to modesty and simplicity, motivated by a desire to please God rather than people. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus urged:

“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. So when you give to the needy, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.” (Matthew 6:1-2)

Appearance matters less to Jesus than living out God’s justice and mercy. Christians glorify God when they “let [their] light shine before others, that they may see [their] good deeds and glorify [the] Father in heaven,” not their piety in dress (Matthew 5:16). Jesus calls all followers to humbly obey in love.

How should Christians apply Jesus’ teachings on dress today?

Most Christians agree that their bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19-20), and so they wish to show care and respect in how they clothe themselves. However, for some believers, dress codes and rules about appropriate attire can become a preoccupation and source of shame or pride.

Reflecting on Jesus’ example and principles can help modern believers develop wisdom and grace on this issue. Here are a few lessons to keep in mind:

– Focus on cultivating inner righteousness and purity of heart above all. Avoid pride and preoccupation over outward appearance.

– Remember that God judges the attitude and motivations behind our dress, more than the clothing itself. Dress to please God out of love, not to impress others.

– Be quick to extend grace to others based on condition of their heart, not outward appearance. Refrain from judgment about how fellow Christians dress.

– Maintain simplicity, utility, and modesty as priorities when dressing. Avoid showy displays of wealth, privilege or piety.

– Trust God to meet daily needs for clothing and necessities without worry or anxiety over dress. Keep temporary things like fashion secondary.

– Make sure outward presentation aligns with and supports inner spiritual life. Our choices in dress should reflect Christ-like living.

In Christ, believers find freedom from legalism and license when it comes to matters of dress and adornment. As temples of God’s presence, Christians seek to glorify God in how they care for and present their bodies. Following Jesus’ example helps believers honor God rather than themselves or others through their Christ-like dress. The condition of the heart matters most.

Conclusion

Jesus’ teachings and modeling provide valuable guidance for how believers should approach dress choices and outward presentation today. Most critically, Jesus emphasizes the importance of the inner life lived unto God above any external regulations. Rules about clothing styles neither saved the religious leaders, nor condemned the repentant sinners Jesus welcomed. Through his example and words, Jesus points Christians to focus on purifying the heart, rather than obsessing over appearances. When believers’ clothing flows out of devotion to Christ, dress becomes one more avenue for glorifying God in the world. Ultimately, Jesus calls all followers of Christ to place their trust and loyalty in God above the shifting sands of culture or fashion. Living unto God should guide all areas of life, including our dress.

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