The Wedding Banquet

(Matthew 22:1-14) Jesus talked to them again in parables, saying

"The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come.

"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.'

"But they paid no attention and went off -- one to his field, another to his business. The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them. The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burnt their city.

"Then said to his servants, 'The wedding banquet is ready, those I invited did not deserve to come. Go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.' So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, both good and bad, and wedding hall was filled with guests.

"But when the king came in to see the guests he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding cloths. 'Friend' he asked, 'how did you get in here without the wedding cloths?' The man was speechless.

"The king told the attendance, 'Tie him hand and foot and throw him outside, into the darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of the teeth.'

"For many are invited, but few were chosen."