What does Matthew 22:10 mean?
As told in this parable (Matthew 22:1–6), the king's chosen citizens have refused to come to a wedding feast in honor of his son. After enacting harsh, but deserved, judgment (Matthew 22:7–9), the king has called the original invitees unworthy and sent his servants out of the city into highways and intersections to invite all who would willingly come to the banquet. The servants succeed in finding guests, filling the wedding hall with people of all kinds, both "bad and good."Those who may have somewhat followed the meaning behind Jesus' parable may now be confused. To understand the king as God and Jesus as His Son, they are doing well. The king's servants may represent prophets and, later, evangelists. The unworthy guests are the religious leaders who have refused to honor God's Son, Jesus, as the Messiah. The comment about "bad and good," however, can be confusing when it comes to the replacement guests. If the wedding banquet is the kingdom of heaven, how can both "bad and good" be represented there?
In one sense, this follows Jesus' pattern of distinguishing between outward appearances and a person's sincerity in responding to God (John 7:24; Matthew 21:31–32). In the form of this parable, Christ is explaining a kingdom in which some who have not rigorously followed the Old Testament law are welcomed by God. At the same time, there is a difference between superficial attendance and sincere obedience, as shown in upcoming verses (Matthew 22:11–14). It's good to keep in mind that parables are loose analogies—not every minute detail is meant to have an explicit parallel.
Commentators disagree whether these guests gathered from the roadways are meant to predict the inclusion of Gentiles, or simply represent Jewish people who are outside of Judaism and the elite religious class. In either case, Jesus' description of them being welcomed to the feast is something new, especially since some of them are "bad." The following verse offers additional explanation of who might be included at the feast. Invited or not, something else is required for them to be fully welcomed by the king.
