22 Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying: 2 “The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. 3 He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come.

4 “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.’

5 “But they paid no attention and went off—one to his field, another to his business. 6 The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them. 7 The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.

8 “Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. 9 So go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.’ 10 So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, the bad as well as the good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.

11 “But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. 12 He asked, ‘How did you get in here without wedding clothes, friend?’ The man was speechless.

13 “Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

14 “For many are invited, but few are chosen.”

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In this parable Jesus speaks of a wedding feast that a king prepared for his son... Everything was ready, but... the guests didn't want to go! Then the king sent his servants out to look for all they found, and invited them freely. The only condition for admission to the feast was to be dressed in a "wedding garment" provided by the king. When the room was full, the king came in to see his guests. There he observed a man who did not have the required garment. To the king's question, "How did you get in here," the man could not answer anything. Then he was cast "into the outer darkness.

This parable applies to the present period. Jesus was rejected by his people, and since then the Gospel is proclaimed to all, without distinction. God receives, saves, and justifies freely everyone who believes in Jesus.

The man who was not dressed for the wedding represents those who claim to be Christians without having accepted for themselves the divine grace that forgives their sins.

But God can only accept into his holy presence those who have been justified by his grace. Those who believe they are righteous and have not received the forgiveness of their sins will be cast out! They were so close, mixed with the true believers, they looked good, but they will be condemned.

Let us be authentic before God. Let us accept by faith that "garment," free salvation, before it is too late!

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