The Teachings of Jesus

Sermon Eighty

Matthew 22:1-14

(parable of the wedding feast)

by

Jim Bordwine, ThD

Introduction

Today we come to a passage in which the same words are a frightening declaration to some and a wonderful and encouraging promise to others. The tension between Jesus and the Jewish leaders is intensifying now that He has entered Jerusalem. They desire to silence Him and turn the people against Him. He knows what is coming and uses His time to clarify for His disciples what is happening and what they can expect in the future.

The profound message I just referred to comes in the form of a parable found in Matt. 22. It is commonly known as the parable of the wedding feast.

The Text

Matthew 22:1 Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying, 2 “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son. 3 “And he sent out his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding feast, and they were unwilling to come. 4 “Again he sent out other slaves saying, ‘Tell those who have been invited, “Behold, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and my fattened livestock are all butchered and everything is ready; come to the wedding feast.”‘ 5 “But they paid no attention and went their way, one to his own farm, another to his business, 6 and the rest seized his slaves and mistreated them and killed them. 7 “But the king was enraged, and he sent his armies and destroyed those murderers and set their city on fire. 8 “Then he said to his slaves, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. 9 ‘Go therefore to the main highways, and as many as you find there, invite to the wedding feast.’ 10 “Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered together all they found, both evil and good; and the wedding hall was filled with dinner guests. 11 “But when the king came in to look over the dinner guests, he saw a man there who was not dressed in wedding clothes, 12 and he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without wedding clothes?’ And the man was speechless. 13 “Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ 14 “For many are called, but few are chosen.”

The Teaching

I’m sure you’ve noticed the Lord’s recent use of parables. I want to mention two essential truths regarding parables. First, in chapter 13, Jesus was asked why He spoke in parables. He said that parables were used to conceal truth from some and reveal truth to others. Some were appointed by God to understand, while others were not given that privilege, Jesus said. Obviously, those who were following Him were the ones given the privilege of understanding the parables. Therefore, Jesus, in that context, interpreted one of His most significant parables for the disciples—the parable of the sower. The second truth regarding parables to keep in mind is that when Jesus does not provide an interpretation Himself, the context becomes vital in reaching a proper understanding of the story. Such is the case here.

The context gives us several helpful elements. For example, the phrase “kingdom of heaven,” which is found in previous passages, seems to refer to the rule of God; or, we might say the phrase refers to how God operates. When we read of the kingdom of heaven, therefore, we are reading of some manifestation of God’s rule. This parable starts with the words “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to . . .” This story, then, is designed to tell us something about God’s activities. And, as it turns out, the context also tells us what part of God’s activities Jesus has mentioned most recently.

Jesus has been talking about how He, as God’s chosen One, has been rejected; that rejection, however, is to no avail for His enemies. They will face terrible consequences for having refused to receive the One God sent. Following that theme, Jesus now tells a story about what happens when those meant to receive a blessing refuse to receive it. He uses the image of a wedding feast to communicate this information. Keep in mind, however, that the main point of this story has to do with God’s work in sending Jesus into the world—that point, as I just suggested, is made clear in the immediately preceding context.

Let’s now take a look at the parable. There are several chief elements or components. We start with the king who determines to put on a wedding feast. We all understand the atmosphere of a wedding feast—there is great anticipation waiting for the day of the feast; there is great joy associated with the event. Overall, the wedding feast is a time of excitement, thanksgiving, and celebration. Universally, wedding feasts are encouraging events. It is expected that both the party giving the feast and those invited to the feast will be in a cheerful mood. It is also expected that the guests will be eager to attend. And that is where something odd occurs in this story.

It was customary for the host to send servants to the guests to announce that the time for the feast had arrived. A Jewish wedding was a spectacular event; the celebration typically lasted several days. All adults knew how to act when invited to such a ceremony, which makes the behavior of the guests in this parable surprising, to say the least. As He continues the story, Jesus says that when the king’s servants visited those invited to the celebration, they were met with indifference. Jesus says that those invited to the wedding feast “were unwilling to come.” How very strange. And notice that phrasing: they were unwilling to come, not unable.

Those hearing this story would have immediately concluded that this was completely inappropriate. It would have represented a tremendous insult toward the king and those in the wedding party. The king’s reaction, however, was measured. Although he had every right to be insulted, he decided to send another group of servants to explain to the invited guests that the dinner had been prepared, the oxen and fattened livestock had been butchered, and everything was ready for the feast. Once again, therefore, in the name of the king, the servants say “come to the wedding feast.”

In a previous parable, Jesus told the story of a generous land owner who prepared a vineyard and rented it to vine growers. In the end, they turned against the land owner and killed his servants and his own son. In spite of the land owner’s kindness and patience, the vine growers showed themselves to be wicked and greedy men. Notice the similarities now as Jesus reports what happened when the second group of the king’s servants visited the wedding guests: some paid no attention to the invitation, some went off to take care of other concerns, and others attacked the servants, mistreating and even killing them.

This response to the king’s invitation is beyond any justification. The king had merely desired to include these people in a wonderful event; he was prepared to treat them to a royal feast in honor of his son’s marriage. Without any provocation, the king’s invitation was ignored and on top of that, some of the invited guests abused and killed his messengers. As I suggested, there are noticeable parallels between the previous story and this one. In both, the kindness and patience of a man stands out in opposition to the insulting and murderous responses from those he sought to bless. This king was honoring the guests invited to the wedding; he was doing something nice for them. The response, however, is shocking. That which was meant to be an honor for the guests became the occasion for dishonor and insult.

In our story, the king’s invitation meant nothing to the guests. They would not come to honor the king’s son at his wedding. This behavior finally enraged the king and he sent his armies, Jesus states, to destroy the murderers and set their city on fire. The consequences for responding to the king as they did were severe, indeed. Those who went so far as to murder the king’s servants, who were only carrying out the king’s will, were executed for their action. With no explanation for their conduct, the parable shifts away from the first set of invited guests to another set.

Determined to go through with his plans to honor his son, the king tells his servants to go and find other guests because the first ones invited had shown themselves unworthy. “Go therefore to the main highways, and as many as you find there, invite to the wedding feast,” commanded the king. This was a most unusual move. Strangers were never invited to such important events. That’s why it was considered an honor to take part in a wedding feast, like the one described in this parable.

But remember—Jesus is describing the kingdom of heaven, not just some ordinary wedding celebration. He is explaining what God was doing at that time in history. This is where we see an undeniable connection between this story and the reality of current events in first century Judaism. Israel had been favored by God from before the nation’s formation. God singled out the people of Israel for particular treatment; God took the nation as His own peculiar people. They had been told of the end that was to come when God would be with His people in bliss forever more; they had been warned about straying from the path of obedience. When necessary, God sent His servants, the prophets, to call the people to repentance and restoration so that they might not lose their privileged position before God. But what had happened?

Over time, as we know from the Biblical record, Israel grew further and further away from the Lord. Their idolatry increased and, in time, they reached the point of no return—and that was the day of Christ’s visitation. He came to announce the termination of God’s favorable disposition toward Israel because the nation had repeatedly broken covenant. In this parable, Israel is represented by the first guests who acted so shamefully when called to the wedding feast. Those guests spurned the kindness of the king and thought more of their immediate interests than the king’s invitation. So Israel spurned the kindness of God shown over the centuries. Every generation distinguished itself through disobedience and repeated failures to walk rightly before the Lord.

One of the leading messages of the New Testament is a description of a transition—a transition in which the loving attention of God turns from Israel to all nations, from a single people to all people. In the parable, this transition is represented in the command of the king that his servants go out and find others to come to the wedding feast. This time, the invitation was not selective; this time the servants of the king called everyone they found regardless of factors that were of concern the first time the invitation went out. By the middle of this first century, this transition I’ve described resulted in a world-wide effort underway to bring the message of God’s grace to all sinners on earth, regardless of ethnic origin. This parable is summarizing God’s relationship with Israel and His intention to bring the knowledge of salvation to all the world after Israel committed that final act of rebellion in the rejection of Christ.

Over the years, God sent servants, as I noted, to call His people back to Him. In the parable, this truth is seen in the king sending his servants out to the invited guests calling them to come to the feast. Israel rejected God’s servants, the prophets, and continued the way of rebellion. God sent others, most recently John the Baptist, and he called the people to repentance and told them to prepare for the day of the Lord. In the parable, this is represented when the king sends more servants after the first ones were ignored. In the parable, the second appeal to the guests resulted in the mistreatment and death of the king’s servants. So, in the day when Jesus told this story, Israel was rejecting God’s latest prophet, John the Baptist, and soon would reject God’s own Son. This will mark the final step in Israel’s fall.

In the story, the king finally rescinds the invitations and tells his servants to go and find others to fill the banquet hall. This is God, as I noted, opening up the avenue of redemption to all nations, regardless of race or previous connections. In the parable, people are called from the streets, both evil and good, meaning all kinds of people; no previous relationship with the king was necessary. He chooses to honor them when those first chosen refuse to receive his favor. In reality, those are the Gentiles who will have the gospel preached to them shortly. They are going to be given access to God’s saving favor after His own people reject Him for the final time.

And, of course, in the parable, those who spurned the king’s urging were destroyed; so Israel may now expect a coming destruction. Jesus will, indeed, soon begin to describe this day of wrath and His words are found in chapters 23 and 24. In AD 70, the Romans will come to Jerusalem and eventually level the city and the temple of Go d. That act, for centuries too horrific to be imagined, will correspond to the wrath of the king who destroys those who were ungrateful in our parable and burns their city.

In this parable, those who had a place reserved at the feast ignored the kindness of the king and counted his invitation as an unimportant thing. They are replaced by strangers to the king’s favor. The wedding feast will be observed and it will be a time of great joy and celebration, but those for whom it was first intended will not be present due to their wicked behavior. This is the story of Israel—so favored by God, so blessed, with such a glorious future. Yet the people turned away from God and trampled under foot His acts of goodness. This parable, and many other things Jesus says during His ministry, indicate that they are being replaced. As I said, that is one of the messages Jesus came to deliver. Those hearing this parable were hearing their own future announced and it was not one of gladness.

Following the king’s orders, the servants have now filled the wedding hall with guests. They are people from every walk of life—not those originally invited, but replacements, as it were. These guests are totally surprised at this turn of events. Prior to being contacted by the servants, they had no expectation of ever participating in such a wonderful event. Now they are honored guests at the wedding feast for the king’s son. The truth to note here is that the king compelled these guests to come; they did not attempt to enter uninvited; as I said, previously they had no place in this event. But the king was determined to honor his son, so they have become part of that effort.

Customarily, as guests arrived for a wedding feast, they wore special clothing for the occasion. Given the places from where these new guests were taken, they probably would not have had wedding garments in their possession, which is part of the point—the kindness of the king extended to the provision of wedding garments. And note that wedding garments were required in order to be accepted as a guest. Without the garments, a person was not in a position to receive the blessing of being in the king’s favor.

All of this becomes vital to a proper interpretation of this parable. Once again, we have to keep in mind what Jesus said at the beginning: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son.” Every main element of this story has a significant counterpart in the spiritual realm. What, then, is represented by the wedding garments? We may begin answering this question by stating that the garments relate to whatever it is that allows us to be prepared to come into the presence of our King. We’ll look at this more momentarily.

For now, look at vv. 11 and 12. The king comes to inspect the assembled guests and he finds one not dressed in wedding clothes. When confronted, the man is speechless—he had no defense, no reason to offer for his presence without the proper clothing. Then the king has this intruder bound and thrown out of the banquet hall—in fact, the stranger is taken to a place of darkness where there is much suffering. Israel has forsaken the Lord and cannot now “sneak” back into the wedding feast, as it were. The discipline of God awaits the nation and the time for Israel has passed.

Finally, Jesus says “For many are called, but few chosen.” (v. 14) This is one of a handful of verses routinely misapplied by Christians. Taking it out of this contest, some declare that this verse “proves” the efforts of the Church in spreading the gospel in this fallen world will be minimal. God calls so many, they say, but only a very few respond and believe the gospel. But is that what this verse teaches? The contest is God’s call of the Jews to be His people and enjoy His blessings. Israel responded, as we’ve said repeatedly already, with disobedience and neglect. It is Israel’s history to which this verse refers according to the context. Out of the several generations of Jews called to walk with God, a relative few had actually known the Lord in a saving manner. Understood in its context, this is a very disturbing comment on the Biblical nation of Israel.

In summary, the king in the parable is God. The first group of guests is Israel. The second group is the Gentiles. The garments required at the feast represent our faith, which God Himself supplies so that we might be in His presence forgiven and without fear. This parable is a grime declaration to the Jewish leaders who were opposing Jesus; it is, at the same time, a glorious declaration for the rest of mankind.

Application

As you think of this story, what comes to mind in terms of applying it to your life—to where you are right now in the unfolding history of redemption? We might point to a number of lessons, but there is one that stands out above all others. This parable, given to you this day, you who are the people of God, serves as a stark reminder of the fact that God’s favor must never be taken for granted. When God blesses a people, they are to respond with thanksgiving; when God protects and provides for a people, they are to respond with praise and a willing heart to serve Him. When God’s goodness is abundantly supplied to a people, they must respond with faithfulness and dedication and loving service. That is the norm; they is what is reasonable; that pleases God.

Think, therefore, about what God has done for you. Where would you begin if you were asked to recall the blessings you have enjoyed and are enjoying right now? If you were to begin such a recounting, what do you think would happen to your spirit? Would you not become joyful and would you not want to speak God’s praise and would you not want to thank Him for His amazing grace? Would you not be humbled by the thought of your own salvation? Would you not be moved by the contemplation of those times when God has raised you up and restored your joy? Would you not open your mouth in song as you remembered the calling and the provision of God for you and your family?

Does not this parable warn us about complacency in the face of God’s favor? Are we not reminded here that taking for granted the goodness and greatness and kindness of God is a deadly transgression?

How are you responding to God’s blessings? How are you reacting to your salvation and the salvation of your household? What marks are evident in your life showing that you are grateful beyond words for being delivered from darkness and the horrible consequences of your sin? Where are those evidences of your thanksgiving for Jesus Christ, your Savior, your Defender, your Captain, your King?

This parable is a call to remember the gospel. Remember what God has done for us in sending a Savior. Remember that this Savior suffered for sinners like us and died for sinners like us. Remember that He did this because you were in need and because God chose to love you with an eternal love. When you had to ability to deliver yourself, when you faced the displeasure of God as an end of your existence, when you sat under the weight of God’s just condemnation, Jesus took your place. Jesus took your place. Your guilt was put upon His shoulders and He paid for it with His very life.

It is that great truth that is to govern every day of our lives. It is that truth that is to serve as the foundation for our decisions and our goals. What, therefore, does God see when He looks at your life?

If you are listening to these words and have no relationship with God, if you know you have only your own sins and no way to pay for them, then the favor of God that we’ve heard so much of today is for you, too. Those who believe must praise God and in chorus offer our thanksgiving; those who have not yet believed the gospel must now confess their sins and seek Jesus. God is a God of great compassion. He alone is worthy of our life-long dedication. What does He see, once again, when His gaze falls on you?

Let’s pray…

Communion hymn

Conclusion

That we might not take for granted the work of God in providing us with a Savior, Jesus established this sacrament. It calls us to remember—to remember our sin and condemnation, to remember His love and substitution. We honor God and our Redeemer when we take these elements and meditate on the saving work done for us. We honor God and our Redeemer when we go forth and live holy lives.

The bread and the wine you are about to receive declare plainly that Jesus gave His life for your and shed His blood to cover your transgressions. Through this means appointed by Christ, you are invited to join Him in the heavens right now, as it were, as you contemplate the glory of your salvation.

1 Cor. 11:23 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes.