THE PARABLE OF THE WEDDING FEAST

Mt 22:1-14

In today’s gospel we hear the parable of the king who prepares a wedding feast for his son. Jesus’ parable contains two stories.  The first has to do with the original guests invited to the feast but they refused. The second part of the story focuses on those who had no claim on the king, who would never have considered getting such an invitation, but accepted and attended the feast.

Reflecting on this parable, we can easily miss the point because of the way it is presented.  First, the guests invited to the wedding are closely related to the bride or the bridegroom: friends, peers and relatives. So invitations to wedding feasts are hardly refused or ignored, much less rejected. Secondly, it is almost unbelievable that the invited guests would mistreat the servants sent to remind them and even kill some of the messengers. Thirdly, it is unthinkable that because of the refusal to come to the wedding feast, the king would send out troops to destroy people because they declined the invitation. Fourthly, it is not normal that because of lack of guests, anyone on the road, good or bad, would be invited to the wedding feast. Fifth, can we expect a farmer coming home from the farm or a beggar on the roadside to be worthily dressed for the wedding? Lastly, was it just for the king to punish so severely the one who was not worthily dressed by binding him and throwing him into the darkness?

With all these points, I found the parable misleading. What is the point in this parable? What is it that Jesus wants to teach us today? The point is that simply accepting God’s invitation does not guarantee us a place at his banquet. If we want to enter the kingdom, we need to be wearing the garments of repentance and a change of life. Following Christ requires putting on the attitudes, values, and behaviors of the kingdom. The guest in unsuitable clothing hadn’t put off his sinful ways and wasn’t bearing or wearing the fruit of repentance. It is true that God may tolerate the presence of good and bad alike for a time.  But one day those who lack the wedding garment of conversion will not be welcome at his feast. So be sure to put on your wedding garment and keep it on.

From this parable, I invite you meditate on these three” “ I”s. The first I of the gospel is Invitation. The Lord invites us every day to come to his banquet of graces; the banquet of the Eucharist. He has it all prepared; he has already paid the price, but it is up to us to accept his invitation.

The second I of the gospel is Indifference. Those invited were indifferent. They ignored the invitation.  They went to their own businesses and works. This indifference continues to exist even up to today. People are not interested in God’s invitation; others are opposed or even fight God’s invitation.

The third I of the gospel is Inappropriate by which the third group of those invited belong. Just like the man who was offered proper attire before entering the wedding, but thought that he should be accepted as he was. The concern here, is more on how we are in the Church: our inner disposition; how our hearts are properly dressed. Let us pray  the Lord to make us worthy of his invitation.