Jesus told the following parable: The kingdom of Heaven can be compared to a king who held a wedding feast for his son and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they didn't want to come. Again he sent other servants to tell those who were invited to come and that everything was prepared for the wedding feast, but they wouldn't come. Some even seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them. The king became angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed these murderers and burned their city. Then he said that those invited weren't worthy to come. His servants should therefore invite as many as they could find. His servants went out into the streets and gathered everyone they found, both bad and good. But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment. He asked him how he came in without a wedding garment. The man was speechless. Then the king told the servants to bind him and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. For many are called, but few are chosen. (Mat 22:1–14, Luk 14:16–24).
Jesus is speaking to the religious elite in Israel who have mostly rejected him. This parable is about the many ways we can respond to the invitation we receive from the Lord Jesus Christ. It provides useful information for us in our time.
The people responded to his invitation in the following different ways:
- They refused the invitation, they simply refused to come (Mat 22:3). The wedding wasn't important for them. They probably didn't understand why they got an invitation in the first place. This applies to people who don't understand why they need Christ, who don't think they are sinners, or that it's not a big deal because they think they're good enough. They need no Savior.
(Heb 2:2–3). - Some were too busy with life and business (Mat 22:4–5, Luk 14:18–20).
The king said that everything was prepared, it was only a matter of coming and receiving. But they gave excuses why they couldn't come. This applies to people who believe they need to get their lives in order before they come to Christ, before they visit a church (Luk 17:26–30). - Other resisted the invitation with violence, even resorted to murder
(Mat 22:6). God the Father sent his Son to die for us in our place because sin has separated us from him. If we accept him for what he did on the cross for us, we receive forgiveness for our sin, a promise of eternal life with God, and we become children of God, see Salvation. It may be difficult to understand how such an invitation can be met with violence, but that's how it is for some people (John 3:19–20). The king in the parable became angry and sent his troops and destroyed these murderers and burned their city (Mat 22:7). The Romans destroyed Jerusalem in 70 AD, which can be seen as a result of the Jews rejection of Christ. See God has wrath in God's Attributes. - The king then invited all who wanted to come, both good and bad
(Mat 22:8–10, Luk 14:21–24). It was the former persons who first received the invitation and rejected it who wasn't worthy (Mat 22:8b, Luk 14:24). - Some people don't really receive the offer from God. When the king came in
to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment
(Mat 22:11). The king had prepared everything (Mat 22:4, Luk 14:17). It included wedding garments for the guests. The wedding garment is a picture of the righteousness that we receive as a free gift when we come to Christ (Isaiah 61:10). A right standing with God. The reason we are Christians is because we don't have righteousness and have to come to Christ to get it. It's the righteousness of Christ that we literally put on almost like clothing. God the Father now sees us in the righteousness of his Son
Jesus Christ. (Rom 3:21–22). Not all people in the churches have received Jesus into their lives (John 1:12, Mat 22:12–13). This man has no excuse for not wearing a wedding garment. He was speechless (Mat 22:12).
This parable is directed not only to the Jewish people, but also to the Gentiles
(Luk 14:22–23). The invitation has gone out to the whole world. See the video:
Invitation To The Kingdom Of God (The Parable Of The Wedding Banquet).
(Mat 22:14), see The Narrow Gate. All these persons who were invited were called, but in the end only a few were chosen, those who responded to the invitation and wore the wedding garments (received Jesus), see The Atonement and Salvation.
