Jesus introduces the Kingdom of God in the parable of a king who generously invites his people to a great wedding banquet. Wedding banquets are a symbol of an event of great joy and celebration, bringing people together to share in the abundance offered by a generous host. However, the invited guests refused the king's invitation on various pretexts, while others responded with violent refusal. Met with the disdain of those invited, the king ordered his servants to go out and bring in all that they could find, which included some rather unlikely characters one would hardly expect to meet at a wedding banquet! When one guest is found, unsuitably dressed for the occasion, he is thrown out of the assembly rather unceremoniously!

Given the context, it is evident that Jesus is referring to the religious authorities standing before Him who were invited, but found excuses to refuse the 'good news'. The second group of people included those whom the stricter Jewish authorities considered totally unacceptable, the poor and humble who actually listened to Jesus' words and followed Him. These would have also included even the Gentiles. What are we to take from this parable?

Joy is fundamentally offered to everyone. However, the dominating opinion of selfish joy is hostile to Jesus' hospitality. Nobody can, through his own might, possess the joy of the Lord's hospitality. Jesus' terms of hospitality is simply to accept Him without excuses.