The Parable of the Wedding Feast
Matthew 22:
And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying,
“The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son, and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come.
If you have been following our series on wisdom you will already recognize that the banquet prepared for us by the king anticipates words of wisdom from our host. Recall also that many proverbs of wisdom from scripture were given to us by Solomon, King of Israel, son of David.
Before we continue let’s reflect on the King and Son mentioned.
Matthew 1:
The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
It is highly significant that the crowds of Jerusalem recognized this worker of miracles and teacher of parables as ‘the son of David. Jesus further frequently as the ‘son of man,’ meaning ‘a son of adam’ or human born in the flesh like you and me.
For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done. – Matthew 16:27
Let’s be clear: Jesus’ claim to His place in this parable is Son of the King, Almighty God. He has both prepared the table and invited the guests.
You have read the Law of Moses, witnessed the faith of Abraham and sung the Psalms of David. Though you read the wisdom and Proverbs of Solomon, you deny that the Lord tore away his kingdom, then restored Israel for a time.
Servants of the Son of Man proclaim His message and the King now invites you to His banquet.
Will you accept the invitation of the LORD?
The King ‘sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast’, honored guests who claimed Abraham, followed Moses and were among the chosen; ‘but they would not come.’
A Second Chance
MATTHEW 22:
4 Again he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.”’ 5 But they paid no attention and went off…
God has prepared the feast of feasts for the Son of glory. Therefore Prophets like Ezekiel, God’s messenger frequently called ‘son of man,’ invited family to repent and come to the feast.
2:3 וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלַי בֶּן־אָדָם שֹׁולֵחַ אֲנִי אֹֽותְךָ אֶל־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶל־גֹּויִם הַמֹּורְדִים אֲשֶׁר מָרְדוּ־בִי הֵמָּה וַאֲבֹותָם פָּשְׁעוּ בִי עַד־עֶצֶם הַיֹּום הַזֶּֽה׃
Ezekiel and other repentant men begged God’s chosen to also repent of their sins and humbly return to the King of creation. Most refused, yet he LORD shows mercy and compassion for those whom He loves.
To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against him and have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God by walking in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets. – Daniel 9:9-10
Will your repent and return to your Lord?
Matthew 22:
… the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them. 7 The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.
Certainly that had been the experience and lament of Daniel when a remnant of Israel survived in Babylon.
A New Invitation
8 Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy.
Would you be a ‘worthy guest’ of the King?
Would the King ask you, a sinful Samaritan of sorts; a gentile, even a non-Christian?
Hear how the Lord has reached out to many to celebrate the wedding of the Son.
9 Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.’
10 And those servants went out into the roads and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests.
‘Both bad and good’ certainly includes you and me? Look at the definition of the greek word meaning bad, πονηρός ponēros.
- pressed and harassed by labours
- bringing toils, annoyances, perils
- of a time full of peril to Christian faith and steadfastness
- in a physical sense: diseased or blind
- in an ethical sense: evil wicked, bad
Do any of these describe your present life?
We are invited.
Will you accept the invitation of the King to the Banquet for the Son?
To be continued…
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