From “Three Great Friday Sermons” by Apostolos Makrakis:
A third parable from the family and family life is the following:
“The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king who made a marriage for his son, and sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding; and they would not come. Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them who are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage. But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise; and the remnant took his servants, and insulted them, and killed them. But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth; and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they who were bidden are not worthy. Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage. So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good; and the wedding was furnished with guests. And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man who had not on a wedding garment; and saith to him, Friend, how earnest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. Then said the king to his servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. For many are called, but few are chosen” (Mat. 22:2-14).
The marriage in the parable bears a resemblance and analogy to marriage in the society of men; for marriage is the essential constituent of the society of men, because by means of it men multiply and form cities and states and the kingdom. Likewise, the marriage in the parable is the essential constituent of the kingdom of God, because by means of it the souls of men are regenerated, and the citizens and people of the kingdom of God multiply.
For this reason, the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who made a marriage for his son. Accordingly, Christ is to be understood as the Son and Bridegroom of this wedding, being the Son of the living God; the original Church formed of the flesh of Christ is to be understood as the bride, having received the Spirit of Christ on the day of the Pentecost for the regeneration of souls. Those invited to this wedding of Christ the Bridegroom with the Church the bride were the Jews; but they refused to attend and be regenerated, because they did not desire better things.
But the apostles, the servants of God, again invited them after the resurrection of the Bridegroom from the dead and His ascension into heaven. Some of them, being infatuated with earthly things, spurned the heavenly and future boons; while those who were guilty of the murder of Christ, being indignant because Christ was being preached, took the announcers of Christ’s wedding, insulted them, and killed them.
Then the wrath of God sent against them the Roman troops, and they killed those murderers and fired their city.
After the invited Jews had suffered condign punishment for their malignity and spitefulness, the preachers of the Gospel went forth among the nations and gathered within the fold of the Christian Church all they could find, both bad and good; and the wedding was filled with guests. But from those who accepted the invitation the king makes a choice, and those who have a wedding garment, who wear the robe of Christ, who are adorned with the moral virtues of Christ, He keeps in His house and in the city of God. On the other hand, those who are bare of Christian virtues He binds hand and foot, and casts them against their will into outer darkness, where they shall weep and wail day and night – that is, everlastingly and without end.
Therefore, those who have not worked to obtain a wedding garment are condemned and excluded from the kingdom of God, just like those who, though invited, refused to come.
EDITOR COMMENT: This parable is an excellent one to use against Full Preterism and the believe that “all things were fulfilled” by the 70 AD destruction of the temple.
Apostolos Makrakis 