God’s kingdom is pictured in Scripture as a feast—abundant, joyful, and full of welcome. In Matthew 22, Jesus tells of a king who prepares a wedding banquet for his son. The table is ready, the invitations go out, but the guests refuse to come. Some are distracted by work, others dismiss the call, and some even harm the messengers. Yet the king does not cancel the celebration. He widens the invitation, sending his servants into the streets to gather everyone they can find until the hall is full. The story shows us a God whose grace is persistent and whose love will not be defeated by human rejection.

The wideness of this invitation is startling. In a world that sorted people by worthiness, Jesus says both “good and bad” are welcomed. The kingdom is not reserved for the polished or respectable—it is for the broken, the overlooked, and the forgotten. God does not wait for people to clean themselves up before offering a seat. The invitation itself is the gift, and the table is open to all. This is the scandal and the beauty of grace: no one earns a place, but everyone is invited.

Yet the story also includes a man who comes without the wedding garment. In that culture, the host often provided garments. To refuse to wear one was not about poverty but pride—a way of saying, “I’ll come, but on my terms.” This part of the story reminds us that God’s grace is not only inclusive but also transformative. We are welcomed as we are, but we are also clothed in Christ so that our lives reflect the One who has invited us. Grace pardons, but grace also changes.

For us today, this story carries both comfort and challenge. Comfort, because we are reminded that God has not given up on us—the invitation still stands, no matter how many times we have turned away. Challenge, because we are sent as the servants into the streets. Outreach is not about filling pews but about carrying God’s welcome to those who don’t yet know there is a place for them. The hall is not yet full. God is still inviting. And we are called to go and share that invitation until everyone knows there is a seat at His table.