This blog is a reproduction of my husband's studies on this passage, in particular, the last verse. His take on the following verses is worth recording...l've never looked at them in quite this light. (He'll forgive me the partial mental plagiarism...what's his is mine, right? :P )
Matthew 22:1-14
1And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying, 2 "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son, 3and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come. 4 Again he sent other servants, saying, 'Tell those who are invited, See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.' 5But they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business,6while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them. 7The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. 8Then he said to his servants, 'The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy. 9Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.' 10And those servants went out into the roads and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests.
11"But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment.12And he said to him, 'Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?' And he was speechless.13Then the king said to the attendants, 'Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' 14 For many are called, but few are chosen." (ESV)
Now for the breakdown:
The King (God) first invited His his chosen people (Israel) to the celebration of His son (Jesus). Twice He invited them, even telling them what all he had done for them, but they refused to come, even killing his servants (prophets). So the King then sends His servants out to invite everyone (Gentiles).
When the King arrived at the banquet for His Son, he saw one who was not covered with an appropriate garment, and threw him out into the darkness. (The guest came in without the covering of Jesus's blood, and was not accepted)
This passage finishes with a verse that is used by some to say that, unless God elects, or chooses you, you cannot come to Him. This is my rebuttal: 'For many are invited, but few are chosen.' A guest showed up for the feast without the right covering. He was called with everyone else, and he chose to show up, but he did not to meet the requirements for the feast: the correct attire. Had he put on the robe of Jesus, he also would have been 'chosen'. Salvation is a gift all are invited to. But God lays out the one and only requirement: Clothe yourself Jesus's blood. All are called, but only those who choose His son are, in turn, chosen.
"He who has ears to hear, let him hear." ~Jesus
Amy Edwards
