David Bahn – Reflections

There is something about this parable that is easily understood, but difficult to apply. When the king gives a party, you will want to attend it. That seems true on two levels. Who wouldn’t want to be at a party where the king’s resources, food, wine, and hospitality would be the fare of the evening? Then there’s the issue of showing up when the king invites you to be present: who wants to dismiss the king’s invitation; it’s nearly a command attendance.

Faith sees the invitation of God to the wedding feast in heaven as an invitation to the perfect party. Faith recognizes the privilege and looks forward to the celebration. While there is indeed a bit of a “You don’t want to ignore the King’s invitation” aspect to the party; that is truly secondary. Are you ready for the party? Will you ready yourself with the clothes of repentance and faith? It’s the King’s feast; and you won’t want to miss it!

Matthew 221-14

The Parable of the Wedding Feast

¹And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying, ² “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son, ³and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come. ⁴ Again he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.’ ⁵But they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business, ⁶while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them. ⁷The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. ⁸Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy. ⁹Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.’ ¹⁰And those servants went out into the roads and 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 a man who had no wedding garment. ¹²And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. ¹³Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ ¹⁴For many are called, but few are chosen.”