PARABLE 40 - The Wedding Banquet

PARABLE 40 — MATTHEW 22:1-14 — WEDDING BANQUET

1 And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said, 2 The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, 3 And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come.

4 Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage.

5 But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise: 6 And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them. 7 But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.

8 Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. 9 Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage. 10 So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests.

11 And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: 12 And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.

13 Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness, there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

14 For many are called, but few are chosen.

Discussion Questions – Parable 40

PARABLE 40 — MATTHEW 22:1-14 — WEDDING BANQUET

1. This parable starts in a similar way to Parable #27 about the Great Banquet (Luke 14:16-24) but from Matthew 22:6 on, it is quite different (and much harsher). What are the differences?

This parable is similar in some ways to the Parable of the Great Banquet (Luke 14:15-24), but the occasion is different, and it has some important distinctions.

The differences between Matthew and Luke are significant. In Luke the story starts with "a certain man," but here it is the King. In Luke it is a great supper, but here it is a wedding banquet. In Luke there is one invitation, but here there are two. In Luke the invited guests make excuses, but here they refuse and turn violent. In Luke the invited guests are passed by, but here they are destroyed. These are major differences. Each passage fits its context very well, and so if one were to conclude that it was originally one story, there would have to have been significant editing to make the parable work in the contexts. 

Matthew’s parable is harsher than Luke’s, but then it comes later in Jesus ministry in Matthew, at a time when he was facing severe opposition from the Jewish leaders. It is most likely that this parable was a separate story, not a re-telling of the one in Luke, although in some ways the two are similar.

2. How does the parable of this “Wedding Banquet” fit into Israel’s history? How did the character of the banquet change given the new guest list? 

The wedding banquet was one of the most joyous occasions in Jewish life and could last for up to a week. In His parable, Jesus compares heaven to a wedding banquet that a king had prepared for his son (vs. 2). Many people had been invited, but when the time for the banquet came and the table was set, those invited refused to come (vs. 4-5). Vs. 5 says they made light of it and went their own ways. In fact, the king’s servants who brought the joyful message were mistreated and even killed (vs. 6). 

The king, enraged at the response of those who had been invited, sent his army to avenge the death of his servants (vs. 7). He then sent invitations to anyone his servants could find, with the result that the wedding hall was filled (vs. 8-10).

The king is God the Father, and the son who is being honored at the banquet is Jesus Christ, who “came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him” (John 1:11). Israel held the invitation to the kingdom, but when the time actually came for the kingdom to appear (see Matthew 3:1), they refused to believe it. Many prophets, including John the Baptist, had been murdered (Matthew 14:10). The king’s punishment against the murderers can be interpreted as a prophecy of Jerusalem’s destruction in A.D. 70 at the hands of the Romans (Luke 21:5). 

Note that it is not because the invited guests could not come to the wedding feast, but that they would not come (see Luke 13:34).  And since Israel refused to come, the wedding invitation was extended to anyone and everyone, total strangers, both good and bad. This refers to the gospel being taken to the Gentiles. 

This portion of the parable is a foreshadowing of the Jews’ rejection of the gospel in Acts 13. When Paul and Barnabas were in Antioch, where the Jewish leaders strongly opposed them. The apostle’s words echo the king’s judgment that those invited to the wedding “did not deserve to come”: They told the leaders, “We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles” (Acts 13:46). 

Verse 22:10 affirms “The Great Commission” the gospel message, Jesus taught, was now made available to everyone.

3. In the parable, the wedding clothes that were needed for admittance to the banquet represent what? (Isaiah 64:5-6 and Isaiah 61:10) 

The matter of the wedding garment is instructive. It would be a gross insult to the king to refuse to wear the garment provided to the guests. The man who was caught wearing his old clothing learned what an offense it was as he was removed from the celebration. 

This was Jesus’ way of teaching the inadequacy of self-righteousness. From the very beginning, God has provided a “covering” for our sin. To insist on covering ourselves is to be clad in “filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6). Adam and Eve tried to cover their shame, but they found their fig leaves to be woefully scant. God took away their handmade clothes and replaced them with skins of (sacrificed) animals (Genesis 3:7, 21). In the book of Revelation, we see those in heaven wearing “white robes” (Revelation 7:9), and we learn that the whiteness of the robes is due to their being washed in the blood of the Lamb (verse 14). We trust in God’s righteousness, not our own (Philippians 3:9).

Just as the king provided wedding garments for his guests, God provides salvation for mankind. Our wedding garment is the righteousness of Christ, and unless we have it, we will miss the wedding feast. 

I will greatly rejoice in the Lord… for He hath covered me with the garments of salvation… (Isaiah 61:10).

4. Verse 22:14 says, “many are called (invited) but few are chosen.” Who does the choosing? 

Jesus concludes the parable with the sad fact that “many are invited, but few are chosen.” In other words, everyone has been invited, but only a few will respond. Those who try to come without the covering of the blood of Jesus Christ for their sins are inadequately clothed and will be sent into “outer darkness” (vs. 13). 

Only a few will respond because they are the ones who are truly hearing. Jesus said many times, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear” (Matthew 11:15; Mark 4:9; Luke 8:8, 14:35). The point is that everyone has ears, but only a few are listening and responding. Not everyone who hears the gospel receives it but only the “few” who have ears to hear. The “many” hear, but there is no interest or there is outright opposition toward God. Many are called or invited into the kingdom, but none are able to come on their own. God must draw the hearts of those who come; otherwise they will not (John 6:44).

How do we know if we are among the few that are chosen? By responding to the call. Assurance of this chosen call is from the Holy Ghost. Consider Philippians 1:6, which says, “Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” “Therefore, my brethren, as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence, continue to work out you own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose” (Philippians 2:12-13). Do you have God’s Spirit living within you? Did you take the necessary steps toward salvation?

If we listen with our spiritual ears and respond to the invitation, there will be fear and trembling in our souls as we recognize that it was God’s work in us that caused our salvation. 

For more information see “Plan of Salvation”

5. Vs. 5 says “but they made light of it and went their way”. Will you make light of the invitation and ignore it? 

6. Many will try and enter into heaven on their own terms (clothed with their old clothes). A few respond to the invitation to come, and respond in the proper manner so that they are prepared to enter the kingdom. Which group are you in? Are you sure?