Matthew 22:1-14
Jesus responded by telling still more stories. “God’s kingdom,” he said, “is like a king who threw a wedding banquet for his son. He sent out servants to call in all the invited guests. And they wouldn’t come!”He sent out another round of servants, instructing them to tell the guests, ‘Look, everything is on the table, the prime rib is ready for carving. Come to the feast!’
“They only shrugged their shoulders and went off, one to weed his garden, another to work in his shop. The rest, with nothing better to do, beat up on the messengers and then killed them. The king was outraged and sent his soldiers to destroy those thugs and level their city.
“Then he told his servants, ‘We have a wedding banquet all prepared but no guests. The ones I invited weren’t up to it. Go out into the busiest intersections in town and invite anyone you find to the banquet.’ The servants went out on the streets and rounded up everyone they laid eyes on, good and bad, regardless. And so the banquet was on—every place filled.
“When the king entered and looked over the scene, he spotted a man who wasn’t properly dressed. He said to him, ‘Friend, how dare you come in here looking like that!’ The man was speechless. Then the king told his servants, ‘Get him out of here—fast. Tie him up and ship him to hell. And make sure he doesn’t get back in.’
“That’s what I mean when I say, ‘Many get invited; only a few make it.’”
March 19th, 2007 at 5:28 pm
I get this story up until the last main paragraph…some people (I’m taking this to be Israel) have turned their backs on God and refuse his invitation so God open’s it up to the rest of mankind, some of whom willingly accept. Then one guy is chucked into hell because he doesn’t look the part. Is he meant to be someone who is making all of the right ‘Christian’ noises but not really living his life for Jesus? I’m a little confused.
But that’s the thing about these stories, they make you think.
March 20th, 2007 at 9:40 am
It is really confusing isn’t it!
But I think as with lots of Jesus’ parables he says two seemingly opposite things becasue we need to get both to see a bit more of what his kingdom is like.
Back then it was a massive insult to the host to turn up at the wedding without bothering to put the proper clothes on.
So for most of the story Jesus makes the point that the party is open to everyone, not just the religious, respectable do gooders, but the thieves and prostitutes and murderers (and me).
But then he also with the last shocking bit makes the point that taking the invitation seriously means being willing to “change”. It won’t do to have a complacent “this is how I am and this is how I’ll stay, take it or leave it” kind of attitude. Again maybe it’s actually those who think they are good and respectable already who are more likely to be like that.