This is a set of three parables and you'll want to read them in a Bible before continuing on here.
When interpreting these parables of Jesus it is important to remember that Jesus teaches them while in the temple courtyards, and important in his audience are religious leaders who he just silenced. (See 21:23-28)
The parables are directed against a religious establishment that has gone astray but does not realize it. We can realize pretty easily in the parable of the two sons (21:28-32) that the son who says he will work, but then doesn't, refers to the religious leaders. Meanwhile those son who said he would not work, but then did, refers to the sinners so often rejected by the leaders. Jesus is basically calling the leaders hypocrites.
Similarly in the parable of the wicked tenants (21:33-46) we can see a critique of the religious establishment. Jews knew well that their ancestors had ignored, rejected, and even killed any number of the prophets sent by God. One of the interesting thing about ancient Judaism is how truly they accepted that their ancestors had gone astray. They did not boast a proud heritage of righteousness. Instead they knew of their need for God's grace. But that did not seem to have rubbed off on the leaders of that day. They were continuing their ancestors patterns through John the Baptist, and soon, Jesus. We see that clearly in 21:45-46: "When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables they realized he was speaking about them. They wanted to arrest him, but they feared the crowds, because they regarded him as a prophet."
Here we see their actions are based in worldly concerns. If Jesus was truly a threat to orthodoxy then they should have had the courage to arrest him on the spot. That's something the prophets would have been bold enough to do! However, the leaders are ironically fulfilling Jesus' teachings even as they hear them.
The third parable (Matthew 22:1-14) is the parable of the wedding banquet. This one will give us pause. We can understand that those originally invited are the religious leaders. However, they have made their excuses for not coming to the celebration God has in store. Therefore God invites anyone and everyone to the banquet. Indeed these people do come and fill the hall.
Problematic for us is the final scene. There a man is attending the banquet but without the proper party clothes. But how could a man who was invited from the street be expected to have proper party attire? Perhaps it is best to see this scene through the light of the baptismal practices of the early church. When baptized a person would put on a new set of clothes, thus expressing the giving up of the old way of life and embracing the new Christian identity. But what if a new convert simply came in for the benefits of Christian community and did not cease old sinful ways? Such a person would still be living the old way/wearing the old clothes. The message is that simply showing up doesn't cut it. Faith is expected to manifest itself in a significant change in life. If the first two parables, and the first half of this one, were directed toward the religious leaders, this part is directed towards Jesus' own followers.
God's grace is not something we should take for granted. It is not something to be exploited. It is not a strategy where one determines that since God's love is unconditional therefore one can get away with anything and everything. Receiving grace begins with knowing that we need grace. From there we can be surprised by it and delight in it. This parable is not meant to frighten us into works righteousness. But it is intended to take away the strategies of those who plan to exploit. For God true relationship is built on love; not on strategies.
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