The King's Wedding Banquet

Jesus told another parable. He said the kingdom of heaven is like a king preparing a wedding feast for his son. The king sent servants to call the people who had already been invited, but they would not come. Then he sent more servants to say that the meal was ready and they should come to the wedding feast.

The invited guests paid little attention. One went off to his farm, and another to his business. Others grabbed the king’s servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them. In the parable, this was a terrible rejection of the king and a cruel attack on his messengers.

The king was angry. He sent his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city. Then he told his servants that the wedding was ready, but the first invited guests were not worthy. So he ordered them to go to the road crossings and invite as many people as they could find.

The servants went out to the roads and gathered everyone they found, both bad and good. The wedding feast was filled with guests. The invitation had gone far beyond the first group who refused to come.

Then the king came in to see the guests. He noticed one man who was not wearing wedding clothing and asked how he had come in like that. The man had nothing to say. The king told the servants to bind him and throw him into the outer darkness, where there is weeping and grinding of teeth.

Jesus ended the parable with these words: many are called, but few are chosen. This is a serious ending. The king’s invitation must not be treated lightly. What do you think Jesus wanted his listeners to hear in this warning?