Kingdom Parables: The Wedding Feast

Aaron Wilburn, a Christian comedian, in one of his routines tells his experience of the first wedding he and his wife were invited to after their own wedding. Not sure is the wedding was casual or formal, he tells of how he tried to “split the difference” between the two options. As he came out into the kitchen, keys in hand, reading to leave, his wife gave him a slight smile, and uttered those fateful words, “That’s not what you’re wearing, is it?” Wilburn says that it was at that moment he realized that when wives sometimes ask questions, they’re really not questions at all. They are statements, as in this case, “No. That’s not what you’re wearing. You need to go change. Let me help you.” A lot of people are going to stand before God thinking, they’re dressed just fine. But God will take one look and say, “That’s not what you’re wearing, is it?” But at that moments it will be too late to change.

Here in Matthew 22, Jesus tells a story that has to do with clothing, and what to wear, and he even talks about wearing the wrong thing. It's a disturbing story in some ways, because it doesn't have a happy ending. But it's a story with several important lessons, so let's take a look at it together this morning.

I. AN INVITATION SPURNED

1. the background for the Parable of the Wedding Feast actually begins back in Matthew, chapter 21

a. he has just told the religious elite of Israel—the chief priests and the Pharisees—that because they have rejected the Lord’s Messiah, God will reject the people of Israel

b. he says very plainly: ““Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.” (Matthew 21:43, NIV84)

1) he is referring to the Gentiles

2. the priests and pharisees, according to Matt. 21:45, know that Jesus is talking about them

a. they intend to lay hands on him—and it’s not for a healing service, but an afflicting service

1) they literally want to pummel Jesus for his accusation

2) they refrain from doing so because they know that the multitudes of people who follow Jesus consider him a great prophet

3. but Jesus is not done with these guys!

a. if they’re mad now, just wait until they hear this next story

“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.” (Matthew 22:1–2, NIV84)

b. in this parable of a wedding dinner Jesus again pictures Israel as set aside by God and the despised Gentiles invited as guests to the heavenly banquet table

c. he continues to reveal Himself in ever clearer light as the central person of the Kingdom

4. so what’s the story here?

A. A ROYAL WEDDING AND A GREAT FEAST

1. this is not just any old wedding that Jesus refers to

a. he likens the kingdom of heaven to a certain king who arranges a lavish wedding and wedding reception for his son

b. this would have been the social event of the season ... the ultimate party ... the mother of all feasts ... a wedding were no expense was spared

ILLUS The most lavishly expensive wedding of all time was that of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer in 1981. The bill was $48 million in 1981, or $110 million when adjusted for inflation. All of the Queen's governors-general, as well as Europe's crowned heads, attended. 3,500 of their closest friends were in attendance, and 750 millions watched on TV. Princess Diana’s wedding gown was covered in 10,000 pearls an had a 25-foot train. It was considered one of the most closely guarded secrets in fashion history. The 27 wedding cakes and five-foot-tall main cake supposedly took 14 weeks to prepare, with a duplicate cake made in case of accidents.

2. the royal weddings of Jesus’ day were lavish affairs as well

a. they were often several days long and the climax of the event was a banquet literally fit for a king

b. it was a high honor to receive an invitation and people would often boast about being invited

3. in that place and time, there was a two-stage process of being invited to a wedding

a. the invitation was actually sent out well in advance of the banquet and everyone sent back their RSVP

b. then, those who had said "yes" received a courtesy reminder on the day the feast was to begin

c. this is the picture we see in verses three and four

vv. 3-4 “And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come.4 Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage.”

B. THE OUTRAGEOUS RESPONSE AND GREAT SNUB

1. the king sends out his servants to tell everyone to come join the party, but those who had been invited wouldn't come

a. so he tried again, sending out his messengers to say, "Look, it's going to be a great party—lots of food and fun!"

2. but invitee after invitee makes an excuse

v. 5 “But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise:”

b. they respond by saying, "We've got other more important things to do. Sorry, can't make it. We'd love to come, but we're just too busy. You know how it is."

3. imagine how this great king feels—you’ve probably been there

a. we've all had that happen to us at some time or another

1) you work like a dog getting ready for something

2) maybe it's a party ... maybe it's a Sunday School lesson ... maybe it's some get-together for a group of co-workers

3) you spend hours and hours getting everything ready

b. you work hard and you're excited about what you've got planned

1) the big day comes

2) twenty-five people have said they’ll be there, but only three show up

3) you know how it feels ... you want to cry ... it makes you angry and frustrated and depressed

3. you know how the king in this parable felt, and if you know how the king in this parable felt, then in some small way, you know how God feels whenever lost people spurn His offer of grace

a. but it got even worse

“The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them.” (Matthew 22:6, NIV84)

4. the meaning of the parable up to this point is pretty obvious

a. the king of the story represents none other than Yahweh, the Lord our God, creator of the universe

b. the son of the story represents our Lord Jesus Christ, the bridegroom who is coming for his bride, the church

c. the servants of the story represent Moses and the Prophets and, I think, John the Baptist

d. the first group invited represents Israel, God’s chosen people who were the first to receive the joyous call to receive the Messiah

1) they rejected the Lord

2) in Acts 13:46, Paul and Barnabas said to the Jews of Antioch, "It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first; but since you reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles."

3) and that's exactly what they did

5. in God’s grand redemptive scheme—ordained before the foundation of the world— God offers the gospel to another group: The gentile nations

a. in short, everyone has been given an invitation, but not everyone has accepted the invitation

II. AN INCENSED KING

1. I'm sure the Jews listening to Jesus would have thought to themselves, "Who would do such a thing—refuse to go to a king's banquet? The very idea is preposterous."

a. and yet these people refused to attend

1) they were indifferent and just carried on with business as usual, snubbing the king’s gracious offer

2) some of them got downright violent with the messengers, showing contempt for the king and committing a flagrant act of rebellion

2. the king is furious

a. he punishes those rebellious people, and then he decides to extend the invitation to this feast to anyone and everyone who wanted to come

ILLUS. Some of you who know your Bible history, know that in 70 AD—some forty years after the crucifixion of Jesus—the Roman general Titus attacked, besieged and eventually destroyed Jerusalem and Israel ceased to exist as a nation. At that point the early church concentrated on winning the pagans to faith in Christ.

b. he tells his servants, "Round up all the folks you can."

““Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. 9 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, both good and bad, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.” (Matthew 22:8–10, NIV84)

ILLUS In 1997 Nicole Contos, whose father owns the American Banana Company, became the world's most famous jilted bride, when she was left standing at the altar. She showed up, the Archbishop of New York, showed up, 350 guests showed up, but the groom took off to Tahiti without her. Flowers had been flown in from France. Invitations went out to guests from Greece, Israel, Japan. The ritzy Essex House was set up for 250 guests at $175 a plate—a whopping $43,750 tab. But she was a trooper. She told her guests, “You’re here, the food and drink is here. Let’s have a party.”

3. that's what the king does here in this parable

a. he says, "The food is ready. The drink is ready. We're gonna have a party."

1) and he did

2) he invited everybody ... anybody who wanted to come was welcome to enjoy the feast—good and bad

3) when the respectable folks refused, he invited the disreputable and despised

4. now, to understand what Jesus was trying to say, you need to remember that for three years, Jesus had been teaching and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, which included proclaiming himself as the Messiah, the Son of God

a. His message was primarily for the people of Israel, the chosen people of God—the people who for centuries had been praying for the very Kingdom Jesus had come to establish

b. so far, it’s a parable that is straight forward and easy to understand with just a modicum of biblical knowledge

c. but then there is “the incident”

1) a guest arrives without a wedding garment

III. AN INCIDENT AND AN INTRUDER

““But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. 12 ‘Friend,’ he asked, ‘how did you get in here without wedding clothes?’ 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.”” (Matthew 22:11–14, NIV84)

1. the king comes in to see how the banquet is going, and he spots someone without a wedding garment and he is furious

ILLUS. At the end of World War II, the Russian head of state, Joseph Stalin, gave an elaborate banquet to honor British prime minister Winston Churchill. The Russians all arrived in their best formal wear—military dress uniforms perfectly pressed with medals cascading down their chest. But their honored guest was dressed a tad bit casual. Churchill arrived wearing his famous zipper coveralls that he had worn during the German blitz on London. He thought it would provide a nostalgic touch the Russians would appreciate. They didn't. They felt humiliated and insulted that their prominent guest of honor had not considered their banquet worthy of his best clothes.

a. wearing the right clothing to a formal dinner honors the host and the occasion

1) neglecting to wear it is an insult

2. weddings were such a big and important occasion in that day and time that people were expected to wear the proper clothing

a. getting cleaned up and dressed up was a way of showing appreciation and respect for the invitation

3. at first, you might wonder how any of those who accepted the king's invitation could have been expected to come properly attired

a. after all, they had been rounded up from every part of the land, and many of them had been taken off the streets

b. even if they had time to dress properly, many would not have had any clothes appropriate for such an occasion as the wedding of the king's son

4. commentators tell us that on grand occasions hosts would give special robes to their guests

a. in that day and time a royal wedding was an opportunity for the king to show his magnificence, wealth and benevolence by providing all the guests with a special wedding garment

b. all the guests had to do was just put it on

c. but here was a man who didn't even make the small effort involved in putting on the proper clothing provided for free

1) he may well have been what we would call a gate crasher

2) maybe he was a member of the paparazzi of his day

3) at any rate, he shows up to the wedding feast and he is not properly dressed

A. ACCEPTING AN INVITATION MEANS ACCEPTING THE TERMS OF THE INVITATION

ILLUS If you go to eat at a restaurant that has a sign out front that says, "Coat and tie required", don't go wearing your jeans and T-shirt and expect to get a good reception at the door

1. at first glance, it seems a small thing, but it's not

a. this guy without a wedding garment thought he could come to the wedding feast on his own terms, thinking his own clothes were good enough

b. forget about what the king wanted or had provided for the occasion

3. and, so often, isn't that the case with people and the kingdom of God today?

a. a lot of people want to be a part of God’s eternal kingdom, but they don't want to submit themselves to God's terms for entrance into that kingdom

1) they want to go to heaven, but they want to do it in their own way and on their own terms

IV. LESSONS OF THE PARABLE

1. the central lesson of the parable is not one we especially like

a. it is found in verse 14 – “For many are called, but few are chosen.”

2. in our pluralistic society, we’ve come to believe that anyone who wants to go to heaven ought to be able to go to heaven

a. the problem is, that’s not what God’s Word teaches

3. receiving an invitation to God’s kingdom does not guarantee inclusion

a. one must be properly clothed

4. although everyone who hears the gospel has been invited, and although many may claim to be in the kingdom, only those clothed with Christ’s righteousness are actually presentable to God

“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 righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.” (Isaiah 61:10, NIV84)

a. to enter the Kingdom of God, you must be born from above by the grace of God

b. Jesus, in his conversation with a man named Nicodemus was very clear: “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God,” (John 3:3, KJV)

A. OUR RESPONSE TO GOD'S INVITATION IS CRUCIAL

1. it's a dangerous thing to make light of God's invitation!

a. in the parable, some of those who were summoned ignored the king

b. others declined because they were too busy with other things

c. still others became hostile and violent

2. but all of them, each in his own way, according to verse 5, made light of the invitation

a. the Greek verb used there means to neglect or be unconcerned about someone or something

b. it's the same word that used in Hebrews 2:3, "How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?"

3. the invitation to the feast just wasn't important to many of those who were invited; it had no priority for them

a. it reminds me of folks we know who just don't seem to have any interest in spiritual things

b. they aren't antagonistic toward the things of God, they just simply have no time for them

4. what makes a person worthy of salvation today is the same thing that has always made a person worthy of salvation

a. it is not your righteousness, but the righteousness of Christ in you

b. it is something wrought in you by the supernatural regenerating power of the Holy Spirit

c. the Apostle Paul tells us in Rom. 3:22 that the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ is available for all them that believe

B. GOD'S INVITATION IS EXTENDED TO EVERYONE

1. the king sends his servants out into the streets to invite everyone they can find, both bad and good

a. God's invitation is extended to people who have lived moral, upright lives since the time they were little children, as well as to the dregs of society—the murderers, rapists and prostitutes of this world

b. the parable reminds us that you can be lost in your goodness, just as easily as you can be lost in your badness

2. that's why we need grace—the “good person” needs grace as much as the “bad person”

a. it's one of the things that distinguishes the kingdom of our Lord

b. our salvation is not merited by anything we do

1. it is by grace alone, through faith alone in Christ alone

C. WE COME INTO THE KINGDOM ONLY BY ROBING OURSELVES IN HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS

1. the king who gave this banquet discovered a man who had no "wedding garment"

a. he thought he could enter the banquet “dressed as he came” —he was wrong

b. God’s eternal banquet is not a “come-a-you-are” party

2. it's true that the door of salvation is open to all men, but when we come through that door we must put off the old man and put on the new man

a. we must be clothed in a new purity and a new holiness and a new righteousness

3. you can get wet from head to foot and be physically baptized a thousand times over

a. but if you're not baptized from the inside out; if your heart stays the same, there's no amount of water on the face of this earth that can save you

Jesus said, Many are called, but few are chosen. That's another way of saying: Everybody is invited, but very few wind up at the table. Do you know Jesus as Savior? Are you clothed in His righteousness? For those of you who don’t know Christ, one of these days you will stand before God and here Him say, “Is that what you’re wearing? Not in my Kingdom!” The only problem is that at that point, it will be absolutely too late to change cloths.

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