Parables of Jesus—
The Parable of the Wedding Robe
By Joyce Webb 2008
A parable is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning.
Jesus told stories so people could understand things about heaven.
The Parable of the Wedding Robe
Matthew 22:1-14
The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king who planned a wedding dinner for his son.
He told his servants to call the people who had invitations to come to the dinner, but the people would not come.
He sent more servants to call the people and told them, “Everything is ready. The meat has been cooked and all the food is ready.”
But the people gave them no attention—they went off to do things.
One went to his field, and another went to his business. Some other people took the servants and beat them and killed them.
The king was very angry. He sent out his army and killed those people.\
Then the king sent out more servants. This time he told them to go to the street corners and invite anyone who would come.
So the servants called to anyone who would listen and told them they were invited to the king’s supper for his son.
Many, many people came. This was a wedding of the king’s son. It was a rich wedding. Everything was very nice.
In Bible times, people in that part of the world, had different way of doing weddings.
A person who was rich would give a long white robe to each person who came to the wedding. The person was to wear the robe during the wedding.
When the person came to the door to be let in, he was given a white robe——then he went into the supper room.
The king went in to see his guests (visitors).
He saw a man there that did not have on a wedding robe.
He asked, “How did you get in here without having on a wedding robe?” The man did not know what to say.
The king told the servants, “Take him out. Throw him outside where there is darkness and weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
The king said, “Many are called, but few are chosen.”
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The meaning:
The king here is God.
God is preparing a wedding supper for his son, Jesus.
Revelation 19:7,8 “…for the marriage supper of the Lamb is come, and his wife (believers) had made herself ready. And to her was given a clean white linen robe to wear. The white linen is the righteousness of the believers.”
God has sent servants to invite the people who have a invitation. The Jewish people were God’s special chosen people. They were invited first to come to the supper for Jesus in heaven.
The Jewish people —most of them—did not believe that Jesus was God’s Son.
So God sent servants—John the Baptist and the 12 disciples—who talked to the Jewish people.
Still only a few Jewish people believed and accepted Jesus. Most of the Jewish people went on doing their business as always and ignored the call to believe in Jesus.
They killed John the Baptist. They killed the disciples. Every disciple, except John, was killed for preaching about Jesus. John was kept in prison on an island.
So God sent more servants. He sent Paul, Silas, Barnabas and many others.
This time God said to ask anyone who would listen—if they were Jewish or Gentile (not Jewish).
The Gentile people accepted the invitation to believe in Jesus. The Gentiles accepted salvation. They will be in heaven at the “marriage supper of the Lamb”.
The man who did not have on a white robe represents a person trying to get into heaven without having a white robe of righteousness.
Jesus gives white robes of righteousness to anyone who comes to Him for forgiveness.
A person must come to Jesus. He is “the door”. John 10:9
A person must ask for forgiveness from Jesus to get the white robe.
If you do not have a white robe it shows that you do not have forgiveness.
The man in the story was thrown out of the supper and into darkness where there was weeping and gnashing of teeth.
The person who tries to get into heaven without forgiveness will be thrown out into hell where there is darkness, weeping (crying) and gnashing (grinding) of teeth (pain).
Jesus said: “Many are called, but few are chosen.”
This means: There are many people who are called to salvation and heaven, but few will ask for forgiveness and few will get to stay in heaven.