The simpleton's moral for this story could be summed up by saying, "When you get an inviation to the King's son's wedding, then attend it wearing the appropriately respectful clothes." Why wouldn't you? It's the ultimate cosmic party with great food. You don't want to miss it.
But the people invited to the wedding react in several ways:
- Some (maybe most of us) "make light of the invitation" refusing to reconginize the significance of the invitation and go back to taking care of our personal business. We have no idea that we are being invited to play a role in a cosmic feast that will change the history of mankind. And our reply is "Thanks. I am just not that interested. Just not that committed to the King. Got better things to do."
- Some behave even worse. They kill the messengers sent to invite them! See, the messengers didn't just drop off the invitation. This time, they were there to make sure those invited understood the choices they were making. And those on the invite list didn't want to hear that they were making a mistake choosing the mundane activities of the world over the King's feast. Better to kill the messengers rather than have them call us out.
Matthew 22:1-14 Once more Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying: 2 "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son. 3 He sent his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding banquet, but they would not come. 4 Again he sent other slaves, saying, 'Tell those who have been invited: Look, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready; come to the wedding banquet.' 5 But they made light of it and went away, one to his farm, another to his business, 6 while the rest seized his slaves, mistreated them, and killed them. 7 The king was enraged. He sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city. 8 Then he said to his slaves, 'The wedding is ready, but those invited were not worthy. 9 Go therefore into the main streets, and invite everyone you find to the wedding banquet.' 10 Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered all whom they found, both good and bad; so 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 a wedding robe, 12 and he said to him, 'Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding robe?' And he was speechless. 13 Then the king said to the attendants, 'Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' 14 For many are called, but few are chosen."
When the king shows up for the wedding feast, at least one of the guests is not dressed appropriately. The man doesn't have on a wedding robe. Not being dressed appropriately is a sign of disrespect - a sign that he is there, but not really part of the kingdom. This guest came, but his dress shows that his heart is not in the right place. He isn't really committed to being part of the feast. So the king - after giving him a chance to explain - binds him and throws him out.
The moral of the story is that many are invited to the feast, but few are chosen. The chosen are those who show up in wedding robes. I believe there is a distinct difference in those who believe and those who have faith. Those who believe show up for the wedding - they believe that the King, the Son, and the wedding exists so they come. But those who have faith - they are committed to wearing the wedding robes. They have chosen not just to show up, but they are committed to the King's invitation and their heart is in it. The Kingdom of God is not about getting an invitation to the party and showing up, it is about showing up wearing the robe.
Do we ignore Jesus' teaching that many are called, but few are chosen?
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