The Parable of the Wedding Feast It is a story similar to the parable of the great dinner, narrated in Luke 14:16-24in which Jesus narrates the preparations for a great banquet in a town, but in this case the difference is that it refers to the great dinner given for the wedding of the king’s son.
This story is about the call that God makes to each person, so that they are part of the kingdom of heaven; and it shows what are the consequences of those who reject such a valuable invitation to that banquet that he has prepared.
In addition to showing the great benefits that those who joyfully accept the invitation will enjoy and follow Jesus during his time on earth.
Jesus narrates this parable so that the Jewish people would repent of their wicked ways, but they met with great opposition from their adversaries (Pharisees, scribes, and priests) and before them he said this:
He sent other servants again, saying, Say to the guests: Behold, I have prepared my food; my bulls and fattened animals have been killed, and everyone is ready; come to the weddings But they, paying no attention, went away, one to his farm, and another to his business; and others, seizing the servants, assaulted them and killed them.
When the king heard it, he was angry; and sending his armies, he destroyed those murderers, and burned his city. He then said to his servants: Weddings indeed are prepared; but those who were invited were not worthy. Go, therefore, to the exits of the roads, and invite as many as you find to the wedding.
And the servants going out into the roads, gathered together all those they found, bad and good together; and the weddings were full of guests. And the king came in to see the guests, and he saw a man there who was not dressed for a wedding.
And he said to him: Friend. How did you get in here without being dressed as a wedding? More he was silent. Then the king said to those who served, Bind him hand and foot, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. For many are called, and few are chosen” (Matthew 22: 1-14)
It is worth noting that Jesus narrated this parable, after exposing the parable of the wicked farmers, where He explains with analogies the way in which God sought a way to call his people to repentance. Therefore, these stories have several similarities, due to their repetitive invitation to repentance.
Meaning of the Parable of the Wedding Banquet
Obviously, this parable is not just the story of a king’s banquet for his son’s wedding. In it is woven the story of God and his incessant search for his peopletheir constant invitations to follow their divine plan, and their repeated rejections.
Continuing in his call to repentance, Jesus directs this parable to the chief priests, Pharisees, and scribes who were present, who had already made the decision not to accept him as the Messiah, planning his murder.
“The kingdom of heaven is like a king who made a wedding feast for his son; and he sent his servants to call the guests to the wedding; but they did not want to come”
The king
the king is godwho prepares a great banquet, where he invites everyone to enjoy succulent delicacies of spiritual and material blessings, those who accompany him when accepting his invitation.
Your son
Jesus is talking about The same. He is Jesus glorified, in the ultimate expression of his authority in the kingdom of God, after his ascension to Heaven, wrapped in the glory of the power acquired after his resurrection. It is the great celebration of the Wedding of the Lamb.
Wedding party
is emulating the Great Supper that speaks the book of revelationswhere those who heard the call of God will be present.
«And the angel said to me: Write: Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he said to me: These are true words of God »(Revelation 19: 9)
His Servants
“he sent his servants to call the guests to the wedding” Here it refers to the Hebrew prophets, sent by God, who, since the liberation from the yoke of Egypt, sent to give their message, and leave their evil steps.
Jesus also alluded to the ministry of John the Baptist that was prior to Him, and that called for repentance for the approach of the kingdom of heaven.
Call the guests
The custom of this time was to make invitations prior to the banquet, and when the entire celebration was ready, they arranged the reminder to attend, since the exact time was not handled, and the host’s servant fulfilled that mission. At the moment the previous invitations are made, to this great wedding of the Lamb.
The guests
Are the people of Israel, that they have been the spoiled of God, his chosen people. The determined by God to enjoy the benefits of him. In the time of Jesus, the Jewish people and the main religious leaders were the guests, that call was for them.
They refused the invitation
“but these did not want to come” At that time, since the previous invitations were made, it was evident that they had to attend, since it was an acquired commitment, and the rejection without explanation was an act of dishonor for the host, who had prepared a great feast, for all his guests to enjoy. guests.
He refers to this when speaking of the invitation made by the prophets in times prior to Jesus. And with some exceptions to the call given by John the Baptist, who was rejected by the Jewish people. In both cases they did not believe the call made by God, and did not accept his invitation to the kingdom of Heaven.
Continuing the story, Jesus highlights the patience of God, and describes what he would have to live through:
«He sent other servants again, saying: Say to those who have been invited: Behold, I have prepared my food; my bulls and fattened animals have been killed, and everyone is ready; come to the weddings But they, paying no attention, went away, one to his farm, and another to his business; and others, seizing the servants, assaulted them and killed them»
The King insisted
“He sent other servants again”
It is worth reviewing this point because, a king at that time would not have sent more servants, due to the dishonor done. Since refusing to attend was evidence of a social breach of an acquired commitment, and he stained the name of the host.
But, in this case, God is the king and symbolically he is evoking the mercy and patience that God has, in continuing to insist with his people. And the longing he has for them to return to his house, to brush up against him.
The Second Servants
In the story the servants had to be more precise, in making the guests understand the urgency and importance of their attendance. Describing what the host did for the celebration.
In the symbolic aspect Jesus is talking about himself and as the Father in his haste sent him for the salvation of his people. And that he would give the message of the kingdom of heaven through miracles, wonders and feats, and that they would see, tangibly, that delicacy of blessings for those who believed.
The Best Delicacies «Tell those invited: Behold, I have prepared my food; my bulls and fattened animals have been killed, and everyone is ready; come to the weddings”
That was a reliable sample of how important the attendance of these guests was for this king. Well, he describes the sacrifice made to have everything prepared for their enjoyment. They should not pay, just enjoy at the table.
They did not accept the invitation
«But they, without paying attention, went away, one to his farm, and another to his businesses; and others, seizing the servants, assaulted them and killed them»
Despite the fact that the servants told him about all the good things they would receive, these guests refused to attend. Well, some had to continue with their tasks. And others, tired of the insistence of the servants, killed him.
Here Jesus announced his destiny, because he was that servant, many ignored him, and others planned to kill him. It is precisely, during his story, he described what his detractors would do (Pharisees, scribes, priests) who, tired of that call made by Jesus, would lead him to death on a cross.
The King’s Fury
«When the king heard it, he was angry; and sending his armies, he destroyed those murderers, and burned his city”
The annoyance that the king had at such audacity of his guests, to murder his servants, makes him make the decision to destroy the city of origin. In this case, Israel being the city of the people who rejected Jesus, and his disciples who remained after his death, suffered that punishment.
In the year 70 AD the Roman army destroyed Jerusalem and all those who refused to listen and accept God’s call died, in addition to suffering death those who led Jesus to the Cross, and part of his disciples.
This action is the sample of God’s judgment, on the one who rejects his invitation. Being evident the punishment they suffer for their refusal to receive it.
A King’s Decision
«Then he said to his servants: The weddings indeed are prepared; but those who were invited were not worthy. Go, therefore, to the exits of the roads, and invite as many as you find to the wedding. And the servants going out into the roads, gathered together all those they found, bad and good together; and the weddings were full of guests»
In this extract it is understood that God decided to look for a new option to fill his kingdom, “but those who were invited were not worthy” speaking of that town that for many years insisted that they accept it, and received their refusal.
Therefore, he extends his invitation leaving the land of Israel, and managed to expand his call to other lands, to the so-called Gentiles who would be the new land to be blessed by God.
Those Servants
These servants are the apostles, prophets, pastors, evangelists, teachers of the Word, believers who today, in the power of the Holy Spirit, are making that invitation to go to this great wedding party.
“Go, then, to the exits of the roads, and invite to the wedding as many as you find. And the servants went out into the roads, and gathered together all those they found.”
Currently, anywhere in the world the message of salvation is being carried, speaking of the Wedding of the Lamb, where everyone has an invitation made by God.
the bad and good
«together bad and good; and the weddings were full of guests»
There are many who accept to be part of the kingdom of heaven, but in this aspect it refers to the congregation that is coming together, which can be “good ones”those who struggle every day to walk correctly in the eyes of God, and those who “bad” those who accepted the call but continue to sin, without giving so much importance to what God asks of them.
King’s Review
It is important to mention that at the time that Jesus narrates this teaching, it was customary that in celebrations of this type where a king made the invitation, he delivered the clothing that his guests should wear.
All this was done in favor of not seeing class distinctions among the participants in the celebration, and thus have an atmosphere of conciliation among all attendees.
What does ‘Many are called, few are chosen’ mean in the Bible? – Biblical studies