The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son. And he sent out his servants to call those who had been invited to the wedding, but they would not come.
“Again, he sent out other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited: Now I have prepared my dinner. My oxen and fattened animals have been killed, and everything is ready. Come to the marriage.’
“But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his business. And the rest took his servants, mistreated them and killed them.
“But when the king heard of it, he was angry, and he sent out his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. Therefore go into the highways, and invite everyone you find to the marriage.’
“So those servants went out into the highways and gathered together everyone they found, both bad and good. And the wedding hall was filled with guests. And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man who was not wearing a wedding garment. And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. Then the king said to the servants, ‘Tie him up hand and foot, take him away, and throw him into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
“For many are called, but few are chosen”.
Matthew 22:2-14
The Gospel invitation goes out to a many, but only a few show themselves to be actually the chosen of God.
“Many are Called, but Few are Chosen” (Verse 14): The parable ends with this sobering statement. While God calls many through the gospel, only those who respond in faith and obedience are chosen to enter His kingdom. It’s not enough to simply hear the gospel or be invited to the banquet; we must respond to the invitation by receiving Christ and living in obedience to Him.
The Parable of the Wedding Banquet is a reminder of God’s grace, the seriousness of our response to His call, and the importance of being clothed in the righteousness of Christ. God invites all of us to the wedding banquet, but how will we respond? Will we accept His invitation, or will we be too distracted by worldly concerns? Will we come properly clothed in Christ’s righteousness, or will we rely on our own works?
Let us take this parable to heart and respond to God’s invitation with humility, faith, and gratitude, knowing that He has prepared a place for us in His eternal kingdom.
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