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229. The Parable of the Wedding Banquet

Matthew 22:1-14
Key Verse: "For many are invited, but few are chosen."
Matthew 22:14

Is Jesus repeating Himself here? Maybe, but this time, His story of the banquet has a different emphasis. The first time that Jesus told this story, in Luke 14:15-24, He was a guest at a banquet Himself. The comment came up about the Great Banquet at the resurrection and Jesus took the opportunity to talk about who would actually be there.

At this telling, the Triumphal Entry has taken place and this parable is part of Jesus’ teaching in the temple courts. As we have already said before, it wouldn't be uncommon for Jesus to repeat Himself. Lecturers do the same today, telling similar stories to different audiences, adapting the message as necessary. This time, however, instead of dwelling on just the feast, Jesus adapts the parable to become an illustration of, not the Great Banquet, but the Kingdom of God itself.

"The Kingdom of Heaven is like a King who prepared a wedding banquet for His Son." (Luke 22:2) In Revelation, we learn that the bride is none other than the Church itself. Yet, the Bride of Christ may not quite consist of those we may expect to be there. This again would be another dig at the religious leadership. It also serves as a sober reminder to us.  Rather than assuming that we will be there, it would be wise to regularly to examine ourselves.

Many of Jesus' teachings from now on will emphasize this theme. You may think you will be there, but you could be wrong. "Many are invited, but few are chosen." (Matthew 22:14) Certainly, the invitation is extended to all, but those who think that they will get in on their own terms, or in their own sweet time, are sadly mistaken.

Again, in this retelling, Jesus briefly mentions those who are distracted by the concerns of the world: a field, a business. Some who have the invitation extended become outright abusive! Again, those who would not appear to be worthy, the poor or sinners, are the ones who actually end up enjoying the feast, except for one individual who insists that God will just have to take him as he is. He rejects the garment provided, thinking that his filthy rags are good enough. "All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags." (Isaiah 64:6a)

This is like the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus Christ would die for the world, and as it says in John 3:17-18, "God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's One and only Son." Again, as we read yesterday, He is the stone that is either accepted or rejected and what we decide to do with Him determines our eternity, whether we are in the banquet or not.

This isn't a decision that can be treated lightly. This isn't a decision that can be put off. This isn't a decision in which we can set our own terms. We are guests, after all, of the bridegroom, Jesus Christ Himself. He has paid the way for us to be there. Like the banquet, He has provided all we need to be there. All we need is to accept what has been given, including His "garment of righteousness instead of our spirit of despair," (Isa. 61:3) so that we can appear before His Father. Instead of being defensive about who we are on our own, we need to be grateful that, knowing who He is, The Holy One, He wants us to spend eternity with Him anyway.

Hymn: "Come to the Feast” 

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