The Rest of the Story

In Matthew 22:1-7, Jesus begins a parable about the kingdom of heaven, addressing it first to rulers of the kingdom of Israel who are seeking to arrest him. He depicts the king of heaven as inviting leaders in a city to come to the marriage feast for his son; but they disregard that king and son–and go about their profitable businesses. So the king will send his soldiers to destroy them and their city in the future.

In Mat, 22:8-14, Jesus continues the parable with the king telling his servants that since those first invited (called) to join the feast were not worthy, the servants should go to the outskirts of the city–and beyond–inviting as many as they find. So they gather everyone, both evil and good, who agree to join, and the wedding hall is filled. When the king comes in and sees those reclining at table, he notices a man not wearing wedding garments. The king addresses the man as “friend,” and asks the man how he got into the wedding hall without wedding clothes; the man is speechless. The king tells his servants to tie the man’s hands and feet and throw him out into the darkness, where there is weeping and grinding of teeth. Jesus concludes this story by saying many are called (invited) but few are chosen (to enjoy the final feast).

Earlier, when Jesus contrasts the faith of a Gentile with the (less) faith found in Israel, he says many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the end. But the sons of the kingdom (later descendants of Abraham) will be thrown into the darkness outside, where there is weeping and grinding of teeth (Mat, 8:10-12). Here, joy and feasting in the final kingdom of heaven is contrasted with crying and grinding of teeth in outer darkness. Like Mat. 22, the invitation to the feast has gone out from Israel, to the east and west–all over the world–and many (compared to those of Israel) join the great final feast in the end.

Likewise, in Jesus’ earlier parable about a net that gathers all kinds of fish, both good and bad, the bad are thrown out at the end into the fire, where there is crying and grinding of teeth (Mat. 13:47-50). In Mat. 22:12, the king addresses a man at the feast as “friend;” this man is without wedding garments, representing the bad who were gathered for the feast. In Mat. 26:50, Jesus addresses one of his twelve disciples, Judas, as “friend;” but Judas has betrayed him. He becomes the chief example of one gathered for the kingdom of heaven, who turns out bad.

Compared to Jesus and his earliest Jewish disciples, many Gentiles will eventually be invited and be gathered into groups of disciples of Jesus. Compared to all the people in the world not gathered, disciples of Jesus will not be many. For the way that leads to life (in the kingdom of heaven) is narrow, and only a few find it (Mat. 7:14). Indeed, even many gathered in churches will be rejected in the end.