The Kingdom of God - Wedding Feast

Author: Joseph

Date: January 28, 2024

After showing that the kingdom of God would be given to those who do the will of the landowner in the parable of the vineyard, Yeshua beings another parable regarding the outcome of all mankind according to how they receive God’s invitation to repent and find salvation.

Yeshua spoke and said, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son. And he sent out his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding feast, and they were unwilling to come” (Matthew 22:2-3). This was not an ordinary wedding feast, but that of the King Himself. The refusal of such an invitation meant a refusal of the King’s authority.

Yet, despite their initial refusal, the king was merciful and sent out other servants, saying, “Tell those who have been invited, ‘Behold, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and my fattened livestock and all butchered and everything is ready; come to the wedding feast’” (Matthew 22:4). The King had prepared all the necessities of the feast, that no one had to do anything to contribute anything of their own to the actual feast itself. They simply needed to accept His invitation and come. Despite all the preparations having been done, the invited guests still did not heed the words of the king. They instead went about their own business, some of them even mistreating the servants or killing them upon their invitation. The servants of the King, who represented the authority of the King in their duties, were treated wickedly.

When these servants were killed, instead of sending servants again to relay the wedding invitation, the King sent His armies instead to destroy those who committed this evil (Matthew 22:7). The murderers were killed and their cities were destroyed by fire, being burned down to the ground. Those who murdered the messengers not only lost their dwelling place and their property, but their very lives. They had not only dishonored the King and rejected His rule over them, but they added to their evil in killing His messengers. They hoped to silence the announcement of the wedding feast, but instead suffered the wrath of the King.

Those whom the King invited were the people of His kingdom, yet when they rejected Him, He destroyed them for their rebellious and murderous behavior. Who would come then to the wedding feast? The King sent out his slaves to gather anyone who was willing to receive the invitation, going even to the highways where people were traveling, to people who had not known the King. The slaves of the king gathered everyone who thy found willing to accept the invitation of the King, regardless of who they were, “both evil and good” (Matthew 22:10). Those who received the invitation of the King would come under His authority, therefore, if they had been evil before, their acceptance of His authority over them would atone for their evils, because He is a righteous King and His kingdom is good, having punished even His own people who had rejected His rule over them when they murdered His messengers.

The slaves gathered those who were willing to receive the invitation of the King and “the wedding hall was filled with dinner guests” (Matthew 22:10). The time had come for the wedding feast and so no one else would be invited to the feast. But not all who came into the wedding hall would partake in the feast.

“But when the king came in to look over the dinner guests, he saw a man there who was not dressed in wedding clothes…” (Matthew 22:11). The proper garment for the occasion was not worn by this guest. He had heard the invitation to the wedding feast, but instead of heeding the message of how to come into the wedding feast properly, he simply came without regard to what the invitation entailed him to do, that is, to be clothed as a wedding guest. He wanted to be a part of the wedding feast, without actually heeding the words of the King and therefore was a man without belief in the King’s authority. This wedding guest had come without submission to the King, hoping by his own being among the rest that he would go unnoticed by the King and deceived himself that he would be accepted without actually believing.

The King brings judgment upon the man, asking him how he even came to the wedding feast without the proper clothing. He didn’t believe the King, yet he brought himself shamelessly before the King. The man could not speak. No response could be given because he understood now that he would bear the consequences of his unbelief. The wedding feast was about to begin. There was no second chance to put on the garment that should have been worn. The doors had been shut.

The King finalizes his judgment upon the self-deceived wedding guest, telling His servants, “Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 22:13). Thinking he would take part in the feast without believing the King, the man not only suffered himself with the self-deception that he would be accepted without coming under the authority of the King, but he also suffered the great horror of being thrown out from the wedding hall in which he felt false security simply by being there.

Yeshua ends the parable with a statement that calls for severity in understanding, “For many are called, but few are chosen” (Matthew 22:14). It is not enough for someone to hear the invitation as the slaves go about the highways proclaiming the wedding invitation, but they must accept it by faith so to believe the King. Faith would be worn as the wedding garment, for if we believe that the King is holding a wedding feast, we must put on the wedding garment, expecting what He says to be true, putting our faith in Him.

"...believe the King."

It is not enough to dwell among those who believe and have put on the wedding garments. We must ourselves also believe and come under the King’s authority, being clothed properly as the King requires for the wedding feast. Many are called - many hear the message of repentance unto salvation – but few are chosen. Few people will actually put their faith in the words of God so as to believe in Him and be prepared for His kingdom.

You have been called by God. You have heard the message to “Repent, the kingdom of God is at hand,” (Matthew 4:17), to believe Yeshua and put your faith in Him (John 11:25-26). Now, how will you respond? Will you believe and so be dressed in your faith for when the time comes for the kingdom of God to come in its fullness? Or will you reject the messengers of God? Or will you even come along with those who do believe, but not in faith, hoping to deceive the King? There is only one way to enter and partake in the wedding feast, the Kingdom of God, and that is to believe in God and put your faith in Him.

The consequence for rejecting God and His merciful invitation is to be cast out into darkness, into suffering. To be thrown out from what could have been a joyous celebration into a place of “weeping and gnashing of teeth,” the place of death and suffering for all eternity.

Choose what you will today. Will you accept the wedding invitation in faith? Will you accept the Kingdom of God in faith and believe in the King? Or will you reject Him and be cast into darkness forever?

Matthew 22:1-14

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.lockman.org