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The third parable that Jesus spoke on the unfaithfulness of Israel concerns a marriage feast. It represents God's offer of salvation thru the Gospel and man's acceptance of it.
Note the preparations are represented here by a feast. The feast was to celebrate the marriage of the King's Son. The Gospel, represented by the feast, was prepared by the Lord. Christ is the Bridegroom and the Church is the Bride. In preparation for the bringing together of these two, a feast is prepared.
We know from the Book of Revelation that the marriage will take place at the Third Coming of Christ. The feast, symbolic of the Gospel, represents the fullness of life that we have in Christ here on earth and all the blessings of the Covenant. Notice what they are:
This is what was offered to those who attended the marriage feast. Notice the food. Oxen and fat calves all substantial food.
Notice the feast contained three courses:
Surly this was a feast fit for a king and like most marriage feasts, it was extravagant, free and joyful.
Notice the King was hosting the feast, not for one of His servants but for His Son. Unlike most marriage feasts, the host was providing the gifts, gifts for everyone who attended and these were not ordinary gifts, these were gifts that only a King could give.
Now notice the invitation. It would appear that those who were invited, knew about it ahead of time. The servants merely reminded those who had been called that the feast was ready. Now, who was called? The Jews were called. How did they know about it ahead of time? The Prophets told them about it ahead of time.
How were the invitations received? They all refused to come. Again He sent out other servants telling those who were invited that the feast was ready, but again they refused. Some had business to take care of, some ignored the invitation, while the rest seized the servants, treated them shamefully and then killed them.
How did the King respond to this? He sent His troops to destroy them and their cities, for they were not worthy. Them He sent out other servants with instructions to go out into the streets and invite as many as they could find. And they went out into the streets and invited all they found, good and bad, so the wedding hall was filled with guests.
What appears to be the sin that brought ruin to those who were first invited? It was not lying or murder, or procrastinating, it was the turning down of the invitation. There is but one unforgivable sin and that is rejecting Christ. The punishment is destruction.
Well Israel's rejection did not stop God from having a "wedding feast". He sent out His servants to the Gentiles, good and bad, with an invitation. Notice this about the invitation:
What success did they have? A multitude was assembled. The guest chamber was filled. It was like a fisherman casting out his net, he gathers in a lot of fish, some good and some bad. Here, all were accepted on the basis of their acceptance of the invitation, (God's gift of salvation) all accept those who tried to get in some other way. These were noticeable because they did not have on the wedding garment, the "robe of righteousness". The King calls them out and asks them why they do not have on a wedding garment. They did not know what to say. It must have been a starling bit of news that they were not worthy of being at the feast. They had come in another way and the King informed them that there is only one way and any one who tries to get in some other way is a thief and a robber.
This must have been a startling bit of information to those who thought they were secure in their ancestry and surly worthy to enter the feast only to find out they were not worthy.
Notice how the King dealt with these people. He had them bound hand and foot and cast into utter darkness where there was weeping and gnashing of teeth. "Depart from me, I never knew you."
Then Jesus ends this set of parables with a much-misunderstood statement, "Many are called but few are chosen." This is a difficult statement that deals with a Person's conversion. All are called into Christian Fellowship by one of two ways. One, by personal choice and the other, by divine choice. Those who are called by divine choice are chosen from the foundation of the world (the Foreknowledge of God). They are effectually called, in what is called by Paul in Rom. 8:30, "in the fullness of time". By His own choosing. In His own time. Those people are saved by Grace apart from nothing, and the lives they live is of their own choosing. Paul says in Rom. 11:7, "The election will obtain that which is chosen", for it is God's will. Matthew Henry says in his commentary, "There are few "called Christians" in comparison to those who as called Christian, therefore we should build our hope upon the rock of eternal choice not upon the sand of external call."
How was Jesus applying this to the unfaithful of Israel? They had a form of religion consisting of outward appearances, mandatory worship and meaningless ritual. All of which spells hypocrisy.
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