(See end of this article for copy of the gospel passage).
Observation:
In reading this gospel, I’m sure many questions came to mind:
- Is it possible that people will really refuse the invitation of a king? I’m sure if you were invited in Malacanang Palace, you will make sure you attend (no matter what your political bias is).
- Why did some of the people kill the servants who were merely inviting them?
- When the king sent his army to destroy the city in order to retaliate the death of the servants, didn’t that take at least several days? And yet, the invitation to the banquets continued, as if the destruction took only an hour or two.
- And why was the person inappropriately dressed sent out and killed? He did not gate-crash the party, he was just invited off the streets when no one else would come, and could not be expected to come in wedding attire.
- And why did the parable end with “many are called, but few are chosen?” In the first part of the parable, all the guests were let in. And in the latter part, only one was thrown out.
These questions are all valid, and cannot be answered logically. It can only mean that this parable is not meant to mirror a real life situation from which we can extract the meaning. This parable is meant to be interpreted allegorically, or symbolically. (An allegory is a work where the character and events symbolize certain things, in order to reach the deeper meaning).
Interpretation:
The gospel of Matthew was written between 80-90 AD, way after the death and Resurrection of Jesus. The early Christian church has formed and gone through some trials and discernment of directions. Matthew was incorporating and justifying some of these directions in the parable. Thus, the allegorical (or symbolic) interpretations in this parable are:
- The wedding feast is the Kingdom of God proclaimed by Jesus. The early church saw herself as the bride, and Jesus as the bridegroom, hence the wedding feast.
- The invitation is sent to all, but initially to the people of Israel, who rejected the invitation, and thus the mission expanded to non-Jews and pagans.
- The servants who repeatedly invited people to attend the feast refer to the prophets, and later Jesus himself, who were persecuted and killed.
- The invitation to the Kingdom is open to all, “both the bad and the good” as stated in verse 14. Your background and previous life does not matter to enter God’s Kingdom.
- The wedding garments symbolize Christian life – it should be a life of faith and good works. Being a Christian involves responsibilities.
As for the line, “many are called, few are chosen,” a linguistic analysis of this line actually indicates that the more accurate translation is “not all those called are chosen,” which serves as an additional reminder of the responsibilities of Christian life.
Thus in summary, the interpretation is: Just as distinguished guests, who refused to attend a royal banquet, were replaced by people found at random, one of whom was afterwards excluded for lack of appropriate attire, so also the Jews, having refused the Gospel, will be replaced in the banquet of the Kingdom of God by the pagans, some of whom will be afterwards excluded for lack of good deeds.[1]
Generalization:
Today, the meaning of this parable to us is this:
Our being part of God’s family is not something we earned because we were good; in fact, many of us were bad. It is a gift, and this gift is undeserved.
Further, in God’s family, there is no distinction between those who grew with the “proper training and environment” and the recent convert with a sinful past. God loves both the good and the bad. In fact, if Jesus had a bias, his bias was towards the poor and the sinner.
But, our membership has responsibilities: our faith in Jesus must be accompanied by good works, lest we become like the guest without the proper wedding attire.
Application:
- What have we done to grow in God’s family?
- What do we resolve to do to continue this growth?
- What can we do to bring others to God’s family?
Gospel: Matthew 22:1-14
1 † Jesus again in reply spoke to them in parables, saying,
2 “The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who gave a wedding feast † for his son.
3 † He dispatched his servants to summon the invited guests to the feast, but they refused to come.
4 A second time he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those invited: “Behold, I have prepared my banquet, my calves and fattened cattle are killed, and everything is ready; come to the feast.”’
5 Some ignored the invitation and went away, one to his farm, another to his business.
6 The rest laid hold of his servants, mistreated them, and killed them.
7 † The king was enraged and sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city.
8 Then he said to his servants, ‘The feast is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy to come.
9 Go out, therefore, into the main roads and invite to the feast whomever you find.’
10 The servants went out into the streets and gathered all they found, bad and good alike, † and the hall was filled with guests.
11 † But when the king came in to meet the guests he saw a man there not dressed in a wedding garment.
12 He said to him, ‘My friend, how is it that you came in here without a wedding garment?’ But he was reduced to silence.
13 † Then the king said to his attendants, ‘Bind his hands and feet, and cast him into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.’
14 Many are invited, but few are chosen.”
[1] Nil Guillemette, SJ. Parables for Today (Makati: St. Paul’s Publications, 1987) p 102.
In reading this gospel, I’m sure many questions came to mind:
- Is it possible that people will really refuse the invitation of a king? I’m sure if you were invited in Malacanang Palace, you will make sure you attend (no matter what your political bias is).
- Why did some of the people kill the servants who were merely inviting them?
- When the king sent his army to destroy the city in order to retaliate the death of the servants, didn’t that take at least several days? And yet, the invitation to the banquets continued, as if the destruction took only an hour or two.
- And why was the person inappropriately dressed sent out and killed? He did not gate-crash the party, he was just invited off the streets when no one else would come, and could not be expected to come in wedding attire.
- And why did the parable end with “many are called, but few are chosen?” In the first part of the parable, all the guests were let in. And in the latter part, only one was thrown out.
These questions are all valid, and cannot be answered logically. It can only mean that this parable is not meant to mirror a real life situation from which we can extract the meaning. This parable is meant to be interpreted allegorically, or symbolically. (An allegory is a work where the character and events symbolize certain things, in order to reach the deeper meaning).
Interpretation:
The gospel of Matthew was written between 80-90 AD, way after the death and Resurrection of Jesus. The early Christian church has formed and gone through some trials and discernment of directions. Matthew was incorporating and justifying some of these directions in the parable. Thus, the allegorical (or symbolic) interpretations in this parable are:
- The wedding feast is the Kingdom of God proclaimed by Jesus. The early church saw herself as the bride, and Jesus as the bridegroom, hence the wedding feast.
- The invitation is sent to all, but initially to the people of Israel, who rejected the invitation, and thus the mission expanded to non-Jews and pagans.
- The servants who repeatedly invited people to attend the feast refer to the prophets, and later Jesus himself, who were persecuted and killed.
- The invitation to the Kingdom is open to all, “both the bad and the good” as stated in verse 14. Your background and previous life does not matter to enter God’s Kingdom.
- The wedding garments symbolize Christian life – it should be a life of faith and good works. Being a Christian involves responsibilities.
As for the line, “many are called, few are chosen,” a linguistic analysis of this line actually indicates that the more accurate translation is “not all those called are chosen,” which serves as an additional reminder of the responsibilities of Christian life.
Thus in summary, the interpretation is: Just as distinguished guests, who refused to attend a royal banquet, were replaced by people found at random, one of whom was afterwards excluded for lack of appropriate attire, so also the Jews, having refused the Gospel, will be replaced in the banquet of the Kingdom of God by the pagans, some of whom will be afterwards excluded for lack of good deeds.[1]
Generalization:
Today, the meaning of this parable to us is this:
Our being part of God’s family is not something we earned because we were good; in fact, many of us were bad. It is a gift, and this gift is undeserved.
Further, in God’s family, there is no distinction between those who grew with the “proper training and environment” and the recent convert with a sinful past. God loves both the good and the bad. In fact, if Jesus had a bias, his bias was towards the poor and the sinner.
But, our membership has responsibilities: our faith in Jesus must be accompanied by good works, lest we become like the guest without the proper wedding attire.
Application:
- What have we done to grow in God’s family?
- What do we resolve to do to continue this growth?
- What can we do to bring others to God’s family?
Gospel: Matthew 22:1-14
1 † Jesus again in reply spoke to them in parables, saying,
2 “The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who gave a wedding feast † for his son.
3 † He dispatched his servants to summon the invited guests to the feast, but they refused to come.
4 A second time he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those invited: “Behold, I have prepared my banquet, my calves and fattened cattle are killed, and everything is ready; come to the feast.”’
5 Some ignored the invitation and went away, one to his farm, another to his business.
6 The rest laid hold of his servants, mistreated them, and killed them.
7 † The king was enraged and sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city.
8 Then he said to his servants, ‘The feast is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy to come.
9 Go out, therefore, into the main roads and invite to the feast whomever you find.’
10 The servants went out into the streets and gathered all they found, bad and good alike, † and the hall was filled with guests.
11 † But when the king came in to meet the guests he saw a man there not dressed in a wedding garment.
12 He said to him, ‘My friend, how is it that you came in here without a wedding garment?’ But he was reduced to silence.
13 † Then the king said to his attendants, ‘Bind his hands and feet, and cast him into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.’
14 Many are invited, but few are chosen.”
[1] Nil Guillemette, SJ. Parables for Today (Makati: St. Paul’s Publications, 1987) p 102.
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