THE WEDDING BANQUIT

Passage: Matthew 22:1-14

Key verse: 2

NIV

The Parable of the Wedding Banquet(A)

22 Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying: 2 “The kingdom of heaven is like(B) a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. 3 He sent his servants(C) 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(D) 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(E) and burned their city.

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(F) 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,(G) and the wedding hall was filled with guests.

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(H)?’ 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.’(I)

14 “For many are invited, but few are chosen.”(J)

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Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

The Parable of the Wedding Feast

22 And again Jesus (A)spoke to them in parables, saying, 2 (B)“The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave (C)a wedding feast for his son, 3 and (D)sent his servants[a] to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come. 4 (E)Again he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my (F)dinner, (G)my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.”’ 5 But (H)they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business, 6 while the rest seized his servants, (I)treated them shamefully, and (J)killed them. 7 The king was angry, and he sent his troops and (K)destroyed those murderers and burned their city. 8 Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not (L)worthy. 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 (M)gathered all whom they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests.

11 “But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there (N)a man who had no wedding garment. 12 And he said to him, (O)‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. 13 Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot and (P)cast him into the outer darkness. In that place (Q)there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ 14 For many are (R)called, but few are (S)chosen.”

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Footnotes
  1. Matthew 22:3 Or bondservants; also verses 4, 6, 8, 10
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

The king invited some people to his son’s wedding feast many times. But the invited ones kept refusing to come with different excuses, mistreating and killing the king’s messengers. They were too busy to accept the king’s invitation. People today are too busy to think about their spiritual need and salvation. They are busy with their studies, careers, relationship building, shopping, traveling, gyms, or even cool tech gadgets. But “What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?” We need to take the time to deal with our spiritual need today.

The king destroyed them and invited people on the street without regard to social status, race, or nationality. The Gentiles received God’s invitation because the Jews rejected it. This invitation is still open today. But there is one thing we need to join the heavenly feast. We must wear wedding clothes. The king provided everyone wedding clothes to enter the feast. But he found a man who did not wear the wedding clothes and expelled him from the feast. The wedding garment refers to the righteousness of Christ, and God himself provides it. We need to take off our own filthy unrighteousness and pride and put on the righteousness of Jesus. The sad reality is: “Many are invited, but few are chosen.”

Prayer: Lord, thank you for your invitation to the heavenly feast. Let me wear Jesus’ righteousness.

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