The Parable of the Wedding Banquet
Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying: <SUP>2</SUP>"The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. <SUP>3</SUP>He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come.
<SUP>4</SUP>"Then he sent some more servants and said, 'Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.'
<SUP>5</SUP>"But they paid no attention and went off--one to his field, another to his business. <SUP>6</SUP>The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them. <SUP>7</SUP>The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.
<SUP>8</SUP>"Then he said to his servants, 'The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. <SUP>9</SUP>Go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.' <SUP>10</SUP>So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, both good and bad, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.
<SUP>11</SUP>"But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. <SUP>12</SUP>'Friend,' he asked, 'how did you get in here without wedding clothes?' The man was speechless.
<SUP>13</SUP>"Then the king told the attendants, 'Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'
<SUP>14</SUP>"For many are invited, but few are chosen."
How do you interpret the wedding clothes? What is Jesus getting at? I am not sure I understand this parable. Help please.
Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying: <SUP>2</SUP>"The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. <SUP>3</SUP>He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come.
<SUP>4</SUP>"Then he sent some more servants and said, 'Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.'
<SUP>5</SUP>"But they paid no attention and went off--one to his field, another to his business. <SUP>6</SUP>The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them. <SUP>7</SUP>The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.
<SUP>8</SUP>"Then he said to his servants, 'The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. <SUP>9</SUP>Go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.' <SUP>10</SUP>So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, both good and bad, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.
<SUP>11</SUP>"But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. <SUP>12</SUP>'Friend,' he asked, 'how did you get in here without wedding clothes?' The man was speechless.
<SUP>13</SUP>"Then the king told the attendants, 'Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'
<SUP>14</SUP>"For many are invited, but few are chosen."
How do you interpret the wedding clothes? What is Jesus getting at? I am not sure I understand this parable. Help please.
