************************

The Parable of the
   Wedding Feast

Matthew 22:1-14

Good News Translation (GNT)

  1  Jesus again used parables in talking to the
    people.
  2  "The Kingdom of heaven is like this. Once
    there was a king who prepared a wedding
    feast for his son.
  3  He sent his servants to tell the invited guests
    to come to the feast, but they did not want to
    come.
  4  So he sent other servants with this message
    for the guests: 'My feast is ready now; my
    steers and prize calves have been butchered,
    and everything is ready.
    Come to the wedding feast!'
  5  But the invited guests paid no attention and
    went about their business: one went to his
    farm, another to his store,
  6  while others grabbed the servants, beat them,
    and killed them.
  7  The king was very angry; so he sent his
    soldiers, who killed those murderers and
    burned down their city.
  8  Then he called his servants and said to them,
    'My wedding feast is ready, but the people I
    invited did not deserve it.
  9  Now go to the main streets and invite to the
    feast as many people as you find.'
10  So the servants went out into the streets and
    gathered all the people they could find, good
    and bad alike; and the wedding hall was filled
    with people.
11  "The king went in to look at the guests and
    saw a man who was not wearing wedding
    clothes.
12  'Friend, how did you get in here without
    wedding clothes?' the king asked him.
    But the man said nothing.
13  Then the king told the servants, 'Tie him up
    hand and foot, and throw him outside in the
    dark. There he will cry and gnash his teeth.'"
14  And Jesus concluded
    "Many are invited, but few are chosen."

*************************

Commentary taken from
'The Applied New Testament
Commentary' (Kingsway)

The Parable of the
Wedding Banquet

Jesus often compared the kingdom of heaven to a great banquet. In this parable the king represents God, and the son represents his Christ. The king had invited many guests, that is, the Jews.

But most Jews did not believe that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of God. Therefore, they refused to come to a banquet in His honour.

The king, with great patience, sent his servants twice, to call the guests, but still they refused to come.

Not only did they refuse to come, but they also mistreated the servants who invited them. The servants represent Jesus's disciples, whom the Jews persecuted.

The king, therefore, destroyed those murderers and burned their city.

This was a prophecy of the destruction of Jerusalem, which was fulfilled forty years after Jesus' death.

In 70 A.D. the Roman army came and destroyed Jerusalem and all the Jews living in it.

Because most of the Jews rejected God's invitation to the Christ's banquet, God then invited the Gentiles. The servants went and called all kinds of people to the banquet, both good and bad. They invited tax collectors and prostitutes, outcasts and sinners. They gathered all the people they could find.

There were wheat and weeds together. There were good fish and bad in the same net.

One guest did not have wedding clothes. The wedding clothes represent the righteousness of the Christ, which we put on by faith.

All who come to the banquet must be clothed in the Christ's righteousness The one guest without proper wedding clothes represents all those who have not truly believed in Jesus and put on His righteousness. They are the bad guests mentioned in verse 10. Even though they have come to the king's house with all the other guests, they may not sit down to eat. They will be thrown out.

For many are invited, or called, but few are chosen. The Gospel of Jesus is preached to all men, and many hear the Christ's call. They come at first. They say the Christ's Gospel is pleasing. They may agree with it. But in their hearts they do not fully give their lives to Jesus.

They come to his wedding banquet to partake of all the tasty food - the blessings of the Christ - but they are not prepared to stay and be servants of Jesus.

They are not chosen.

Other versions are available here

Return to the Home Page

  Contact the Rector
  The Revd.Nic.Edwards
  The Rectory,
  Church Lane,
  BUGBROOKE,
  Northampton,
  NN7 3PB

  Land Line: 01604 - 815496
  (Can be accessed from the mobile device)
  Mobile: .....
  E-mail:
  thebeneficeofbhkandr at gmail dot com

  Contact the Benefice Office
  Sunday School Rooms, Church Lane,
  BUGBROOKE, Northampton, NN7 3PB
  Land Line: 01604 830373
  E-mail:
  thebeneficeofbhkandr at gmail dot com
  Mon., Tues., Wed,, Thur., Fri.
  9:00^am to 11:30^am

  For Baptism bookings  (Christenings)
  to arrange an appointment please contact
  the Benefice Office.

  For Wedding bookings:
  please contact the Benefice Office to arrange an
  appointment.

  Who Made This?
  Seeing as you asked, if you can give helpful advice or report
  factual corrections and 'deliberate mistakes',email
  regparker3 at gmail dot com

Email addresses shown using words in an attempt to avoid 'spam',
Type the email address replacing 'at' with '@', and 'dot' with '.'