Confrontational Parable Number 3
Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying, "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son. And he sent out his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding feast, and they were unwilling to come....Then he said to his slaves, 'The wedding is ready, but those who are invited were not worthy. Go therefore to the main highways, and as many as you find there, invite to the wedding feast.' Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered together all they found, both evil and good; and the wedding hall was filled with dinner guests. But when the king came in to look over the dinner guests, he saw a man there who was not dressed in wedding clothes, and he said to him. 'Friend, how did you come in here without wedding clothes?' And the man was speechless." Matt. 22:1-12, NASB.
The third confrontational parable is that of the wedding banquet. As in the first two, it ends in judgment for those who reject the Father and the Son.
The parable divides naturally into two parts. The first deals with Jesus' historic call to the Jews and ends with an explicit allusion to the destruction of Jerusalem in verse 7. It replays many of the themes evident in the parable of the tenants.
But at verse 8 the parable makes a shift as it advances beyond the Jews to those not initially invited to the banquet. Verses 8-10 foreshadow the gospel invitation moving from its earlier preoccupation with the Jews to concern for Gentiles in the larger world. Verse 9 begins with a close parallel to the great gospel commission of Matthew 28:29, 20--"Go therefore..." The command to preach to "both evil and good" reflects Christ's own preaching ministry. The gospel is truly the "good news" that everyone is invited to the wedding.
But not all can stay. They must be in harmony with the king, who has commanded everyone to wear a wedding garment. Those without one are judged unfit to remain at the feast.
A great deal of discussion has taken place as to the exact nature of the wedding garment. F. B. Brunner appears to be correct when he writes that "the wedding garment in the context of Matthew's Gospel is not passive, imputed (Pauline) righteousness; it is active, moral (Matthean) righteousness (5:20)...); it is doing God's will (7:21; 12:50...); it is evidence of repentance by law-abiding discipleship (3:7-10...)." That interpretation is in line with Revelation 19:8, which tells us that the fine linen of the redeemed "is the righteous deeds of the saints" (RSV).
Thus once again we find Jesus indicating that a genuine faith relationship with Him includes not just believing but doing God's will. Faith is not mere mental assent that Jesus is Lord. It includes living the Christ life.
Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying, "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son. And he sent out his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding feast, and they were unwilling to come....Then he said to his slaves, 'The wedding is ready, but those who are invited were not worthy. Go therefore to the main highways, and as many as you find there, invite to the wedding feast.' Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered together all they found, both evil and good; and the wedding hall was filled with dinner guests. But when the king came in to look over the dinner guests, he saw a man there who was not dressed in wedding clothes, and he said to him. 'Friend, how did you come in here without wedding clothes?' And the man was speechless." Matt. 22:1-12, NASB.
The third confrontational parable is that of the wedding banquet. As in the first two, it ends in judgment for those who reject the Father and the Son.
The parable divides naturally into two parts. The first deals with Jesus' historic call to the Jews and ends with an explicit allusion to the destruction of Jerusalem in verse 7. It replays many of the themes evident in the parable of the tenants.
But at verse 8 the parable makes a shift as it advances beyond the Jews to those not initially invited to the banquet. Verses 8-10 foreshadow the gospel invitation moving from its earlier preoccupation with the Jews to concern for Gentiles in the larger world. Verse 9 begins with a close parallel to the great gospel commission of Matthew 28:29, 20--"Go therefore..." The command to preach to "both evil and good" reflects Christ's own preaching ministry. The gospel is truly the "good news" that everyone is invited to the wedding.
But not all can stay. They must be in harmony with the king, who has commanded everyone to wear a wedding garment. Those without one are judged unfit to remain at the feast.
A great deal of discussion has taken place as to the exact nature of the wedding garment. F. B. Brunner appears to be correct when he writes that "the wedding garment in the context of Matthew's Gospel is not passive, imputed (Pauline) righteousness; it is active, moral (Matthean) righteousness (5:20)...); it is doing God's will (7:21; 12:50...); it is evidence of repentance by law-abiding discipleship (3:7-10...)." That interpretation is in line with Revelation 19:8, which tells us that the fine linen of the redeemed "is the righteous deeds of the saints" (RSV).
Thus once again we find Jesus indicating that a genuine faith relationship with Him includes not just believing but doing God's will. Faith is not mere mental assent that Jesus is Lord. It includes living the Christ life.
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