The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son.
‘Come to the wedding banquet.’
Quite honestly, I was surprised to receive the invitation. Although I suppose it was to be expected. My father had been recognized for his service to the king and our family had a long history as supporters of the royal family. We were confident. We enjoyed the wealth and privilege of those who were the king’s own people.
‘Blessed are Those Called to the Supper of the Lamb.’
The celebration was for the wedding of his only son, and we had no doubt it would be a great occasion. It would last for days, and we would have to be there for the whole event. We would all need new clothes – I, my wife and all the children. We would need to buy gifts, plan the journey, the whole event would be very costly – costing too much time as well as money.
‘… a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes.’
In a way I could see that taking part in that banquet would involve more than a one-day commitment. The clothes are only a small part of it. I would need to know more about the young man if I wanted to really take part in the meal and enjoy the company. I should spend time in preparation of more than my clothes, but I knew that the young prince had a way of making demands on those who came to him. Some of them had left everything they had to follow him.
An Invitation Declined
The problem was that my business venture was on the brink of success, and I had an opportunity to meet with investors that week. I could have gone but … well, really, I doubted that my presence would make much difference to the king and the prince. I sent my reply, saying that, with regret, I must decline the invitation as I already had engagements on the day of the wedding. Other people would be happy to go, I was sure.
Other people, however, also declined the king’s invitation. It was not a good time of year (his Majesty should have thought of that). People have land and farms to manage at that time. Really his Majesty should not expect people to drop whatever they were planning to do and spend days preparing for a wedding and buying gifts. The young prince seems to be a delightful person; he had made a tour of my business, and he showed real concern when my daughter was taken ill. In fact, there are those who believe her recovery was due to him, but we all have such busy lives nowadays. Everyone knows that.
‘… those I invited did not deserve to come’
How were we to know how many people declined the king’s invitation? Honestly, it was embarrassing – there were so many people who had other commitments – sporting events, meetings, and family celebrations. You would not expect it but still I was sure that the king would understand. I did not expect to receive another letter from his office, and I could not fathom the tone of it. It was a reproach. The king was extremely disappointed by the responses to his invitation, particularly disappointed by the dishonor shown to his only son by so many of those people whom he had thought of as his friends.
That event brought an end to any special relationship we had with the king and his family. I was shocked to read later about those who did go to the banquet: families he met on some of the charitable projects, homeless people and migrants who had probably entered the country illegally, to give just a few examples.
‘The outer darkness’
And now it seems as though my business is failing, and we will have to give up our beautiful home. I dread the future without the life I had built around it. And, I link my losses to my fall from the favor of the king. I never meant any harm; I simply had other things to do in life besides attending a wedding banquet for the King’s Son. I declined an invitation to another life, to friendship with the Son of God and life in the Kingdom of God.
