NARRATOR: Jesus again addressed the chief priests and elders who challenged his authority.
JESUS: The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son. He sent his servants to summon the invited guests to the wedding, but they refused to come. He sent servants a second time.
KING: Tell those who have been invited, “See, I have my dinner prepared! I have killed my bullocks and corn-fed cattle; everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.”
JESUS: The invited guests ignored the king’s invitation and went their way — one to his farm and another to his business. The rest laid hold of the king’s servants, insulted them, and killed them. At this the king grew furious and sent his army to destroy those murderers and burn their city. Then he said to his servants:
KING: The banquet is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy to come. Go out onto the main streets and invite everyone you find to the wedding banquet.
JESUS: The servants went out into the streets and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good. This filled the wedding hall with banqueters.
Matthew 22.1-10
Sunday Readings: Isaiah 25.6-10; Philippians 4.12-14,19-20; Matthew 22.1-10