The Parable of the Wedding Feast

Matthew 22:1-14 New King James Version

Matthew 22:1 And Jesus answered and spoke to them again by parables and said:

1. Due to opposition to Jesus recorded in Matthew 21, Jesus tells another parable recorded in Matthew 22:1-14.

a. Matthew 21:45 Now when the chief priests and Pharisees heard His parables, they perceived that He was speaking of them.

b. Matthew 21:46 But when they sought to lay hands on Him, they feared the multitudes, because they took Him for a prophet.

i. We won’t look at the parables recorded in Matthew 21since our focus in this series is “The Kingdom of Heaven” Parables.

1. The Triumphal Entry (Matthew 21:1-11)

2. The cleansing of the temple (Matthew 21:12-17)

3. The withered fig tree (Matthew 21:18-22)

4. Jesus’ authority questioned (Matthew 21:23-27)

5. The Parable of the Two Sons (Matthew 21:28-32)

6. The Parable of the Wicked Vinedressers (Matthew 21:33-46)

Matthew 22:2 “The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son,

Matthew 22:3 and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come.

Matthew 22:4 Again, he sent out other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fatted cattle are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding.” ’

Matthew 22:5 But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business.

Matthew 22:6 And the rest seized his servants, treated them spitefully, and killed them.

Matthew 22:7 But when the king heard about it, he was furious. And he sent out his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.

1. Some see in this parable a foreshadowing of the Destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 due to the Jewish nation’s rejection of Jesus, God’s Son.

Matthew 22:8 Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy.

Matthew 22:9 Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding.’

Matthew 22:10 So those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good. And the wedding hall was filled with guests.

Matthew 22:11 “But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment.

Matthew 22:12 So he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless.

1. Matthew 20:13 But he answered one of them and said, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius?

Matthew 22:13 Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

Matthew 22:14 “For many are called, but few are chosen.”

Six reasons many are called, but few are chosen:

1. The invitation is open to all, regardless of whether they are bad or good.

a. Matthew 22:10 So those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good. And the wedding hall was filled with guests.

i. Matthew 13:47 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind,

ii. Matthew 13:48 which, when it was full, they drew to shore; and they sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but threw the bad away.

2. Those in the service of the King are to invite others.

a. Matthew 22:9 Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding.’

3. We must put aside our own desiresto accept the invitation.

a. Matthew 22:5 But they made light of it and went theirways, one to his own farm, another to his business.

4. To reject the invitation is to designate yourself as not worthy.

a. Matthew 22:8 Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy.

i. Not worthy = not willing to come (v.3)

5. Rejection of the invitation brings judgment.

a. Matthew 22:7 But when the king heard about it, he was furious. And he sent out his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.

6. To be unprepared to be in the King’s presence leads to expulsion from His presence.

a. Matthew 22:11 “But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment.

b. Matthew 22:12 So he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless.

c. Matthew 22:13 Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

i. There are two possibilities for what this means: (1) There is some evidence in the ancient world for a king supplying garments for his guests (cf. Gen. 45:22; Est. 6:8–9), and, more broadly, there is the story of God clothing his unworthy people in beautiful garments (Ezek. 16:10–13). Jesus could thus be alluding to imputed righteousness, which Paul elaborates later (e.g., Rom. 3:21–31; 4:22–25). Thus by not wearing the garments provided, this guest has highly insulted the host. (2) The wedding garment may refer to a clean garment, symbolizing evidence of righteous works (see note on Matt. 5:20). In either case, the man lacks something that is essential for being accepted at the wedding feast.[1]

[1] Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible(p. 1868). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.