Who’s Who and What’s What in the Parable

Discover more in this parable, (aka the parable of the Marriage Feast), than you may have seen before. In considering any parable, we’ve got to look at the context, purpose, actors, events, and things seen in the parable with an eye for analysis. Let’s do that here.

And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said, the Kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain King, which made a marriage for his son, and sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come. Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, tell them which are bidden, “Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage.” But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise: And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them. But when the King heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.

Then saith he to his servants, the wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage. So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests.

And when the King came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. Then said the King to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness, there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. For many are called, but few are chosen. (Matthew 22:1-14)

Context of the Parable

The triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem had taken place, so He is just days from being crucified, the religious leaders looking for a way to take Him. They have been trying to ensnare Him with questions and Jesus has told them that He was the stone rejected by the builders and that the Kingdom of God would be taken from them. He shared the parable of the two sons and the wicked husbandman, both about the Jews rejection of the Messiah, leading up to this parable of the marriage feast.

Included in the original audience are Scribes, Pharisees, Sadducees, Priests, Jews in town for the Passover, people of Jerusalem, and Jesus’ disciples and followers. The Kingdom of Heaven is being compared to a wedding reception thrown by a King for His son.

The Purpose of This Parable

The message Jesus has for the religious leaders in telling them this parable is that the Kingdom of Heaven is upon them, and that they have refused to repent because they don’t believe the truth of Christ Jesus being the Messiah. Because of this, the Jews will be set aside for a time in favor of the Gentiles. Jesus not only told them as much in parable after parable, but He also warned them outright of their impending loss: “Therefore say I unto you, the Kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.” (Matthew 21:43)

The Actors, Events, and Things Mentioned in the Story

(addressed in the order they appear):

Kingdom of Heaven

The Kingdom ushered in and ruled by Jesus Christ, founded at Pentecost, and whose citizens have been born into it.

The King

Represents God Almighty – the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. There is only one true King (Psalm 24; 74:12; Isaiah 43:10-15; 44:6-8; Jeremiah 10:10; Zecheriah 14:9)

The Marriage

The Messiah is the bridegroom (Matthew 25:1; Revelation 21:2; Revelation 21:9), whose marriage represents the setting up of His Kingdom. (Matthew 9:15; John 3:29; Ephesians 5:27)

The Son

Jesus Christ. We do not hear from Him in this parable, but He is the Groom.

The Bride (Unmentioned but Inferred)

The predominantly Gentile church is represented in scripture by the bride of Christ and, though she is not seen here, she can be inferred. The King’s son, after all, is not marrying a ghost.

The Servants of the King

In reading the parables of Jesus we find His followers are represented by fishermen and laborers, by good seed and good ground. Here they are represented by servants of the King which obey Him in calling those who were originally invited to the wedding and those from the highways after those on the original guest list refused. Five times in this parable, the word “servant” is rendered from the Greek, doulos. This will be an important distinction as we reach the end of the parable.

They That Were Invited to the Feast

The Jews are represented here by the original occupants of the King’s guest list and who had been invited prior (Old Testament Messianic prophecies and promises). The sending out of the servants is to let them know the King’s marriage feast is now ready. A verse in a parallel passage reads, “And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, “Come; for all things are now ready.” (Luke 14:17 KJV)

To think of 4,000 years of Old Testament promises of a Messiah and the establishment of a kingdom over which He would rule was what the Jews were looking for, but when their visitation had come, they were neither believing nor ready.

The Preparations

From the calling of Abraham to the ministry of Christ, God has been preparing for the wedding feast. God’s promises to Abraham, Sarah giving birth to a son in her old age, the deceptions of Jacob, Joseph in Egypt, Moses and the Exodus, the Law at Mount Sinai, the conquest of Canaan, the kings, and the prophets are all part of the preparations made by God that led to this wedding feast.

The Refusal of the Invitation

The Jews failure to believe the preaching of John the Baptist regarding the Kingdom of God being close at hand, their treatment of the Messiah and ultimately putting Him to death, and their persecution of the church are all represented here by the refusal of those on the original guest list to accept the invitation to the wedding feast of the King’s Son.

They Went Their Ways (Farm/Merchandise)

They made light of the invitation – they slighted the King, choosing the mundane interests of life over the extraordinary invitation to an event hosted by the King.

The Slaying of the Servants

The servants are killed doing what the King had commanded them to do. It is interesting to note here that the Apostles of Jesus, by and large, were martyred doing what their King had commanded them to do.

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! (Matthew 23:37 KJV)

The King’s Armies

The legions of Titus, the Roman General, used here to execute judgement upon the Jews. One might object to the King’s armies in this parable representing Roman legions, but there is no power but of God and the powers that be are ordained of God. (Romans 13:1) This would not be the first time God used Gentile powers to judge Israel. (Nebuchadnezzar, Cyrus, and Xerxes come to mind.)

The Destruction of Their City

A foretelling of the destruction of Jerusalem (AD 70). We could read right over this detail if we are not careful. The King, being angry with those that were originally invited to the wedding feast, dispatched his armies to burn their city. This took place when Titus destroyed the Jewish capitol, Jerusalem, an event well documented in history – i.e. in Josephus, a Jewish pagan historian of the first century, writing for a Roman audience. He was a translator for Titus. Notice too, Jesus’ prophecy in Matthew 24:1-2; Mark 13:1-2.

The Highways

These represent the world of the Gentiles.

The Wedding Garment

It would have been customary for the guests to be provided with a garment to wear at the wedding feast. White or clean robes/garments are mentioned over and over in the Apostle John’s visions of the end (Revelation 3:5,18; 4:4; 6:11; 7:9-14; 19:7-9,14). They are symbolic of the righteousness of Christ imputed to us by faith (Romans 4:5). 

The Parable Within the Parable

One peculiar individual is mentioned – a man among the guests isn’t wearing the wedding garment that would have been supplied to him and was cast out of the feast because he was clothed in his own righteousness, which is as filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6). Imagine attending a wedding feast with everyone dressed in their best, and you are dressed in dirty, smelly, moth-eaten clothing. That sounds like a nightmare.

The Man Without a Wedding Garment

Possibly a Judaizer, a Jewish follower of Christ. The man without the wedding garment was not only invited, but he made the journey, was allowed into the banquet hall, and was seated among all the guests, who themselves wore wedding garments (the righteousness of Christ by faith). The most predominant heresy of the first century church was Jewish Legalism. This false doctrine taught that circumcision, Sabbath observation, ceremonial washings and the Law of Moses were still binding on Christians which amounted to salvation by works. It was so prevalent in the early church that it was the catalyst for much of what Paul had to say in his letters. For instance, in Philippians 3:9 he wrote that he wanted to be found in Christ, not having his own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Jesus Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith. Paul wrote extensively to the churches in Rome, Galatia, and Corinth about this heresy.

The Last Servants Mentioned

Regarding the man among the guests not wearing a wedding garment, the King has his servants (diakonos, ministers) bind his hands and feet and take him away, casting him into outer darkness. Five times prior to the mention of these servants here (v. 13), the word “servant” is rendered from the Greek, doulos. Here it is ministers (angels), and not servants, that bind the man and take him away. (See Hebrews 1:14 and Matthew 13:39)

The Participants in the Wedding

God, Christ, the Apostles and prophets, the Jews, the Gentile Church, the Roman legion, and the man without a wedding garment – all seem to be accounted for except the guests at the wedding. Who are they? Who can they be but everyone else? “So, those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests.” (Matthew 22:10 KJV) Anyone they found (all of them, everyone), both good and bad were brought to the wedding feast.

Outer Darkness

Some see outer darkness as being the state in which the wicked exists for eternity. In the context of Matthew 8:12 and Luke 13:28, Jesus says that the children of the Kingdom (the Jews) will be cast into outer darkness. This is not to be confused with being lost, as the Jews are, in the end, saved. (Romans 11:26)

I am not even sure that “outer darkness” is a phrase that belongs to Eschatology at all. The Jews have been set aside and the Gentiles have been receiving the Gospel since the first century. At some point, the scales fall from their eyes, and they see their Messiah in Christ Jesus and are delivered from the wrath of anti-Christ. So, not only is it temporary, but the Jews are in outer darkness now!

Weeping and Gnashing of Teeth

Weeping and gnashing of teeth is a horrendous reaction to devastating news or horrible events. An uncontrollable response, it reflects such anguish on the part of those who experience it that they are out of their minds with grief and pain.

An extraordinary parable, the Wedding of the King’s Son is a detailed analogy of the rejection of Christ by the Jews and God’s subsequent turning to the Gentiles. The passage has many moving parts and more than one subplot which makes it easy for it to be misinterpreted or for the secondary messages to be missed. The bottom line is that it is a warning to the Jews about their unbelief and rejection of their Messiah and a rejoicing for the Gentiles arrival at the wedding banquet of the King’s Son.

The Parable of the Marriage Feast

The Actors, Events, and Things Mentioned in the Story (addressed in the order they appear):