What does Matthew 22:2 mean?

This is the beginning of a third parable (Matthew 21:28, 33) meant to show how Israel, mostly through its leadership, had rejected God's call to live in righteousness and receive His Son, the Messiah.

Jesus begins as He often has in Matthew: making a comparison to the kingdom of heaven. Parables should not be read too closely, as if every detail of the story is meant to line up perfectly with some real-life counterpart. Instead, parables are meant to illustrate a single main point through analogy.

This time Jesus describes the kingdom of heaven by depicting a king who threw a great wedding feast for his son. The marriage of king's son would call for great celebration in any era. It often raises the question of who will be invited to the feast and who will be left out. Those in the lower classes would never expect an invitation, while the most prominent would anticipate being included. However, this parable approaches the question of what happens when those invited do not wish to come.