Parable of the Wedding Feast explained

The Parable of the Wedding Feast is one of the parables of Jesus and appears in the New Testament in Luke 14:7–14. It directly precedes the Parable of the Great Banquet in Luke 14:15–24.^{[1] [2]} In the Gospel of Matthew, the parallel passage to the Gospel of Luke's Parable of the Great Banquet is also set as a wedding feast (Matthew 22:1–14).^[3]

In New Testament times, a wedding was a very sacred and joyous thing. Some even lasted up to or more than a week. When Jesus told this parable, many people were able to understand the picture he was trying to create because he used a Jewish wedding – specifically, a Seudat Nissuin – as the setting of the story.^[4]

Luke 14:11 says "Every one that exalteth himself shall be humbled; but he that humbleth himself shall be exalted"; this saying is also found in Luke 18:14 and Matthew 23:12. It is similar to Matthew 18:4.^[2]

Commentary

The German theologian Friedrich Justus Knecht (1921) gives the typical Catholic interpretation of this parable:

Roger Baxter in his Meditations, reflects on this passage, writing:

See also

• Life of Jesus in the New Testament
• Luke 14
• Ministry of Jesus
• Parable of the Faithful Servant
• Parable of the great banquet
• Parable of the Ten Virgins

Notes and References

1. J. Dwight Pentecost, 1998 The parables of Jesus: lessons in life from the Master Teacher pages 85-86
2. Luke by Sharon H. Ringe 1995 page 195
3. Aland, Kurt, ed. Synopsis of the Four Gospels: Completely Revised on the Basis of the Greek Text of the Nestle-Aland, 26th Edition, and Greek New Testament, 3rd Edition, English Edition. 1st ed. United Bible Societies, 1982. Print. pericope 216.
4. Bauckham. Richard. The Parable of the Royal Wedding Feast (Matthew 22:1–14) and the Parable of the Lame Man and the Blind Man (Apocryphon of Ezekiel). Journal of Biblical Literature. Autumn 1996. 115. 3.