Matthew 22: 1-22

We are not sure if Matthew was written before or after the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD, but it was close to that event, which was interpreted by Jews and Christians as relating to the judgment of God. This may explain why so many of the parables in Matthew are about the final judgment of God.

Most of the parables of Jesus are straight forward and it is not difficult to identify the subjects of the metaphors Jesus used. Today’s parable is much more of an allegory in which each character or event is representative of something else. Correctly identifying the cast is essential in interpreting this parable. Here is my understanding of the cast:

          The King represents God; the son represents Jesus; the marriage feast is the great feast of the Lamb and God at the end of time, envisioned in Rev. 19:9; the slaves are the prophets of God; those who were invited are Israel; the violence is the rejection of the prophets by Israel; the city destroyed is the fall of Jerusalem; the gathering of all people, good and bad, are those brought into the church through the evangelistic mission of the church; the wedding hall is the church; and the wedding garments represent the Life in Christ (see Gal. 3:27, Eph. 4:24, and Col. 3:10,12.)

Matthew well remembered the sacrifice Jesus made that gave birth to the church and her mission to proclaim the Good News, to invite all people to come and live under the shelter of God’s reign. Matthew well remembered the sacrifice so many of the followers of Jesus paid to establish the church; the martyrdom of Stephen and the Apostle James. Matthew could not understand, in the light of such extravagant grace, how anyone could be glib about their Christian witness, their Christian life. Matthew knew that many responded to the gracious, altogether unmerited invitation of Jesus with lives of reverence, humility and awe. But, there were others who received the same invitation and responded as though they were at happy hour in Hooter’s rather than the marriage feast of the Lamb.

When I picture the wedding feast Jesus painted, I don’t want to belly up to the buffet table; I want to sing:

I love you, Lord

And I lift my voice

To worship You

Oh, my soul rejoice!

Take joy my King

In what You hear

Let it be a sweet,

sweet sound in Your ear

What does today’s reading reveal to you

about God?

What does it reveal to you about yourself?

Think about what God wants you to do

or remember about this passage.

Does God want you to change anything in your life?

9-Sep-11      Matthew 22:23-46