I am quite new here, so please forgive these elementary questions! Yesterday I was listening to Adventures in Odyssey in our van with my kids and they acted out the parable of the wedding feast as an answer to, "If God is love how can he send anyone to hell?" My ears perked right up!! Their point was that the man "chose" to NOT wear the garment offered to him and was therefore cast into the darkness. I grabbed my Bible and saw NOWHERE that he refused to wear the garment. That was no surprise!! But anyway, what does the garment represent? Does it even matter what it represents? I thought I understood the many and the few but why is only one here rejected? The king's servants invited many but only one was rejected. It seems the chosen were many in this parable. Do I at least have this part right...those bidden to come represent the Jews, the good and the bad from the streets represent the Gentiles? I feel ridiculous because it seems this should be a simple parable to understand!!
Thanks,
Kicking
P.S. I think I'll keep the Bible stories from Adv. in Odyssey out of the kid's reach from now on!!!
Here is the passage...from Matt. 22:1-14
And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said,
2The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son,
3And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come.
4Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage.
5But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise:
6And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them.
7But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.
8Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy.
9Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage.
10So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests.
11And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment:
12And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.
13Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness, there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
14For many are called, but few are chosen.