Matthew 22:1-15
The Parable
“And Jesus answered and spoke to them again by parables and said: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son, and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come. 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.’” But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business. And the rest seized his servants, treated them spitefully, and killed them. But when the king heard about it, he was furious. And he sent out his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. Then he said to his servants, “The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding.” 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.
“’But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment. So he said to him, “Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?” And he was speechless. 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.”’”
The Lord’s explanation
"For many are called, but few are chosen."
Lesson
The marriage supper of the Lamb takes place at the end of the ages, when He is joined to His bride, the church. The Israelites were his chosen people, the ones invited to the feast, but whenever He sent His servants the prophets to them, they rejected them; beating some, killing others. They were consumed with their own life and ways, and didn’t have time for Him. Ultimately, they rejected His Son whom He sent to them, and He took the kingdom away from them, and gave them up, ending with Rome destroying Jerusalem in 70 A.D. The Israelites had rejected Christ, and He has taken the kingdom away from them, and given it to the church.
But it isn’t enough to once become a Christian, and then not further grow in Christ; nor can we live an immoral or unworthy life; this is the man without a wedding garment in the parable. We have to live a life worthy of Him, or in the judgment we will be cast out as well.