The Parable of the Wedding Banquet Matthew 22:1-14

Matt. 22:1 Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying: 2 “The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. 3 He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come.4 Then he sent some more servants and said, ‘Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.’ 5 But they paid no attention and went off—one to his field, another to his business. 6 The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them. 7 The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.”

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The first part of this story is about being invited to a wedding banquet. The king had spent a lot of time preparing the cattle so the finest meat would be served. But those who were invited spurned their invitation. It is not even as if they told Him they weren't coming. They just went off about their business and ignored the invitation. Others turned on the king’s servants with violence. The king’s response was rage and the burning of the cities by the king.

Matt. 22:8 “Then He said to his servants, ‘The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. 9 So go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.’ 10 So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, the bad as well as the good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.”

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The second part of this story is when the master sends his servants to gather in everyone, the bad end the good to fill his wedding banquet. This is first of all about the banquet being open to strangers, the non-Jews. This shows the great generosity of the Lord by inviting peoples of all nations to come share his banquet. 

Matt. 22:11 “But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. 12 He asked, ‘How did you get in here without wedding clothes, friend?’ The man was speechless.13 Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie Him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ 14 For many are invited, but few are chosen.”

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In the last part of this story, we see that everyone has been invited to the banquet, the good and the bad. Yet still even after the invitation, some show up and show disrespect by not being prepared. One possible meaning might be that some who are invited show up but do nothing to prepare their hearts or to show respect and gratitude.

Praying with the word: Lord Jesus, Master of the heavenly banquet, open our eyes and hearts to this parable about the Heavenly feast. Show us how to be prepared and to come when we are invited. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Meditations

1. Reflect on the part of the story in which the chosen were invited but did not come. To whom do you think Jesus is referring? Think of times in your life when you, in fact may have been one of the chosen who decided not to come

2. Later in this story we hear about the Lord inviting all, the good and the bad, to come to His heavenly banquet. Reflect upon what this says about the generosity of the Lord.

3. The hard part of this story is when someone who was invited did come but later was thrown out. Reflect on what it means to be properly prepared for the banquet.