The Parable of the Wedding Banquet: A Short Comments on Matthew 22:1-14
In Matthew 22:1-14, Jesus tells a parable and shows how it is important in people’s lives.
The Parable of the Wedding Banquet
1 Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying: 2 “The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. 3 He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come.
4 “Then he sent some more servants and said, ‘Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.’
5 “But they paid no attention and went off—one to his field, another to his business. 6 The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them. 7 The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.
8 “Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. 9 So go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.’ 10 So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, the bad as well as the good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.
11 “But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. 12 He asked, ‘How did you get in here without wedding clothes, friend?’ The man was speechless.
13 “Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
14 “For many are invited, but few are chosen.”
Here’s a short comment about the parable.
I. The Calling
The calling of God is a polite invitation to anyone. He calls us to live in a world of boundless love, mercy, and grace. By this, it calls us that we can feel the joys of being linked to him and the experience associated with his kingdom that has no end.
II. The Rejection: Ignoring the Divine Invitation
Ironically though, the summons refuse to respond to the Kings command. Worries eat them up and deprive them of taking part into any ritual. Similarly, we may at times be tangled into earthly possessions and fail to respond, even though He is calling us. This means for us that we rather choose our wealth and private pleasures over our relationship with God.
III. The Inclusivity: Inviting the Unlikely
The king invites others on his first refusal. These outcast’s, drifters, have been vagrants on the roads. This means that it is open for even those unworthy among people joining the kingdom of God. This narrative reveals that there is no bar when it comes to divine grace; it embraces everybody irrespective of a person’s tribal background, social standing, and past histories.
IV. The Wedding Garments
The garments portray righteousness and holiness. This is to mean that accepting an invitation from God implies one’s sincere conversion of the heart. We cannot fool God by masking ourselves with Sunday emotion and any acts of charity or whatsoever. The only means to get in to the banquet is to clothe ourselves with righteousness and holiness.
