Readings: Matthew 22:1-14New International Version – UK (NIVUK)
Where: St Stephens on the 15 October 2017
Who: Brent Richardson
The parable of the wedding banquet
22 Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying: 2 ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. 3 He sent his servants 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 and said, “Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and fattened cattle have been slaughtered, 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, ill-treated them and killed them. 7 The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers 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 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, 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?” 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.”
14 ‘For many are invited, but few are chosen.’
What does this parable tell us?
This parable, with its party atmosphere interlaced with violent episodes, tells us quite a lot about God’s relationship with humanity and especially his relationship to his chosen people Israel. It also contains an important message for all who are invited to share in his banquet. This parable tells us a lot about what it means to be saved and in God’s family.
(P) First, we need to set the scene because context is important. Jesus is in Jerusalem speaking primarily to the chief priests and Pharisees who see him (rightly) as a threat to them. He has just been speaking to them a parable about a vineyard owner who rented his vineyard to tenants but when the owner sends his servants to collect his share of the harvest the tenants abuse the servants and refuse to pay.
Finally, the owner sends his son to collect the rent but he is killed by the tenants. This parable is describing the history of Israel. God plants them in the land and expects fruitfulness from them (ie they are expected to be faithful to him in worship and righteousness). He sends his prophets over and over again to warn them to be faithful but they abuse and kill the prophets. When he sends the son (Jesus) the same thing happens. The parable ends with the warning: “Therefore the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit” (Matt 21:43).
(P) The parable of the wedding banquet continues this theme.
It starts with a king who prepares a wedding banquet for his son. No mention is made of the bride so that’s probably not a critical detail. Instead the focus is on the invited guests who refuse to come to the party. They are asked a second time and are reminded that this feast is lavish- oxen and fatted cattle have been prepared- but still they refuse, some going off to their farms and businesses while others seize the servants who bring the invitation and kill them.
Parables often have a shock factor and this is a shocking turn of events. It was bad enough to refuse the invitation but to kill the servants seems way out of line. But remember who Jesus is aiming this at- he is recounting Israel’s history here and in a not too subtle way! The king responds by sending his army to destroy the murderers and burn their city.
Some people speculate that this is a reference to the Roman sacking of Jerusalem in 70 AD. After that time the Jewish nation ceased to exist and the Jews were scattered over the earth living as foreigners in others countries. Taken at face value, Jesus is predicting his rejection by the Jews and judgement from God on the nation.
The parable returns the focus to this banquet. The king hasn’t given up on having a party so he widens the invitation list- “to anyone you find”. This is important. The first invitation was to Jews only but they refuse his invitation. The second invitation is to anyone, regardless of who they are. Men, women, children, high born, low born, rich, poor, good or bad. This speaks of the great commission given by Jesus at the end of Matthew’s gospel: 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
And this time they come! The wedding hall was filled with guests. This is a joyous scene as so many accept the invitation to the feast. It is a picture of the church that is birthed in Jesus name and includes every nation and tongue and culture.
But we’re not given long to enjoy this joyous scene because the king, on entering to see the guests notices a man not wearing wedding clothes. It’s the first mention of a dress code and when the man is asked how he got in without wedding clothes he is speechless. In other words, he has no defense or excuse. We come to another violent turn in the tale; the man is bound hand and foot (presumably to stop him getting back in) and cast out into darkness.
That all seems rather over the top for not having the right clothes on doesn’t it? Especially given that the invitation was so broad and inclusive- even the ‘bad’ people were invited. So what is going on here?
Firstly, I think this is a reminder to Christians to not be too smug about the judgement that came on the Jews. For centuries Christians have been hard on Jews. Hitler famously laid the accusation that the Jews killed Jesus to stir up hatred towards them. We have a regrettable history of anti-Semitism. But this parable reminds us that we are guests of the king and inclusion is on his terms, not ours. If we fail to come on his terms, we may be cast out.
(P) Saint Paul says as much in his letter to the Romans in his discussion on the wild olive branch being grafted into the cultivated tree (talking about Gentiles enjoying the kingdom of God). He says the cultivated branch was broken off so that a wild branch could be grafted in but his punchline is that if God was prepared to remove the cultivated branch, he would not hesitate to remove the grafted one if necessary. (See Roms 11:17-21)
Another important thing to understand is that the wedding clothes represent the willingness or attitude of the guests to participate in the feast and behave appropriately. It’s a bit like school uniforms; when kids wear a school uniform they represent their school and the school expects their students to follow the school rules when they are in uniform. Otherwise the school will get a bad name.
Christians also have a uniform. (P)
Isaiah 61:10New International Version – UK (NIVUK)
10 I delight greatly in the Lord;
my soul rejoices in my God.
For he has clothed me with garments of salvation
and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness,
as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest,
and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
The invitation to come to the banquet of the king includes the provision of ‘robes of righteousness’. This is what that one guest refused to put on. He refused to wear the lifestyle of someone who had accepted the invitation to salvation. He thought it was ok to come to the party but not embrace the lifestyle required. To put it bluntly this is the person who thinks they can have Christianity without Christ, religion without repentance, grace without gratitude, sacrament without surrender and hope without holiness.
The good news is these wedding robes are given to us. Continuing the wedding theme we see these words in Revelation 19:7-8 (P)
Revelation 19:7-8New International Version – UK (NIVUK)
7 Let us rejoice and be glad
and give him glory!
For the wedding of the Lamb has come,
and his bride has made herself ready.
8 Fine linen, bright and clean,
was given her to wear.’
(Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of God’s holy people.)
These righteous acts are given to us. They come from our response to God’s invitation to follow Christ and build our lives on him. When we live in obedience to his word our lives begin to reflect and represent our Lord and this brings him glory and honour.
We have been invited to the wedding feast of the king. May we, with thanksgiving and praise, wear the robes of righteousness freely given to us. And may we live to bring him honour.
Amen
