Wedding Feast by Invitation Only

 Matthew 22:1-14

1 And Jesus answered and spoke to them again by parables and said: 2 "The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son, 3 and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come. 4 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."' 5 But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business. 6 And the rest seized his servants, treated them spitefully, and killed them. 7 But when the king heard about it, he was furious. And he sent out his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. 8 Then he said to his servants, 'The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. 9 Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding.' 10 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.

11 "But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment. 12 So he said to him, 'Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?' And he was speechless. 13 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.'

14 "For many are called, but few are chosen."

This parable of the wedding feast speaks of the wedding of the Lord’s Son which is by invitation only and the proper attire has been provided already for entrance to those who are chosen.  “The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son…”  Just hearing the invitation is not enough to gain the right to enter the wedding supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:9).  In fact, this parable tells us many are invited and most turn down this great privilege with an unwillingness and even violence in response to the invitation.  The Father has prepared the feast and bids us to come join Him in the celebration pointing to the church as the bride in Ephesians 5:32 of which the chosen who were called heard and put on the righteousness of Christ as the only proper wedding attire to be able to enter in.  We have been gathered to Him like those along the roadside who have heard and by faith respond eagerly and willingly to follow and enter into the kingdom represented here.  Without that wedding garment of the righteousness of Christ the bridegroom, we have no right to be there and will be quite speechless if we are turned away on that day unless we have been chosen by the grace and mercy of the goodness of the Lord.  All who assume they can enter but have not been invited rely on their own works instead of trust in the work of the Lord Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9, John 6:29) and are thrown into the outer darkness on that day instead with tears of torment and grinding teeth of pain and eternal suffering.  There are no wedding crashers in heaven who attempt entrance only to avoid what is due to the uninvited.  Only those specifically invited by God are given entrance into the kingdom as His bride, the church.  The general invitation of the gospel goes into all the world to be heard, but the only ones able to listen and respond (John 1:12) are the faithful few who have been chosen (Revelation 17:14) and not just called, who are given the right of a changed life (Matthew 18:3, John 3:5) to attend the reception meal afterwards in the kingdom of God in Christ.  Indeed, many are called by the proclamation of the good news (Romans 10:13-14, 16-17), but only a few have been chosen (Ephesians 1:4) to attend the wedding feast with personal invitations written long ago, the ones who are clothed in the righteousness of Christ (Isaiah 54:17,  61:10, 1 Corinthians 1:30, Galatians 3:27, Ephesians 4:24, Revelation 21:2) as the only acceptable wedding garment.  May all who hear the personal invitation, receive Christ, and put on His clothing of righteousness by faith when we hear the gospel of the kingdom of God that we may rejoice together forevermore!  Have you been invited and accepted the invitation and are rightly clothed to gain entrance to the kingdom of heaven?