“The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son.

He sent out his slaves to summon those invited to the banquet, but they didn’t want to come.

Again, he sent out other slaves, and said, ‘Tell those who are invited: Look, I’ve prepared my dinner; my oxen and fattened cattle have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.’

“Then he told his slaves, ‘The banquet is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy.

Therefore go to where the roads exit the city and invite everyone you find to the banquet.’

So those slaves went out on the roads and gathered everyone they found, both evil and good. The wedding banquet was filled with guests.

“When they had gone to buy some, the groom arrived. Then those who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet, and the door was shut.

Now an opportune time came on his birthday, when Herod gave a banquet for his nobles, military commanders, and the leading men of Galilee.

Then Levi hosted a grand banquet for Him at his house. Now there was a large crowd of tax collectors and others who were guests with them.

You must be like people waiting for their master to return from the wedding banquet so that when he comes and knocks, they can open the door for him at once.

“When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, don’t recline at the best place, because a more distinguished person than you may have been invited by your host.

On the contrary, when you host a banquet, invite those who are poor, maimed, lame, or blind.

Then He told him: “A man was giving a large banquet and invited many.

At the time of the banquet, he sent his slave to tell those who were invited, ‘Come, because everything is now ready.’

For I tell you, not one of those men who were invited will enjoy my banquet!’”