Matthew 22:1-14

Kingdom Reversals

This parable of Jesus is like the other two before it (cf., Matt. 21:28–32, 33–44) in that its focus is on kingdom reversals. Continuing the theme begun in Matt. 20:1–16 where the last become first and the first last, the unexpected guests at the wedding of the king’s son illustrate a fundamental principle of the kingdom of God — those who might otherwise have been expected to inherent the kingdom due to their status, religiosity, or ethnicity find themselves unworthy heirs of what God is establishing in the eschaton.

Jesus’ parable here, as with every other, invites its readers to establish ostensive references to the characters and events it purports. This is sometimes difficult in Jesus’ parables, but less so in this Parable of…