Invitation to the feast: The setting of the parable is a wedding feast, an Old Testament metaphor for the time of final salvation. With this setting, the allegory becomes a detailed account of salvation history.
The king who gives the wedding feast is God. The son for whom the feast is given is Jesus. The people of Israel, the invited guests, refuse to come to the wedding feast, when the servants, the prophets, convey the king’s invitation.
Because of the actions of the invited guests, the king is enraged and sends his troops to destroy the murderers, and to burn their city. Here Matthew reflects the historical destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in 70 A.D. and gives the reason why he believes the city was destroyed—Israel’s unfaithfulness. Since Israel refused to come to the wedding feast, the Gentiles have now been invited. They accept the invitation and come to the feast. Here Matthew reflects a theme which he has worked with throughout the Gospel—Gentiles are invited to the kingdom.