Daily Reading for Thursday, August 21st, 2025

Gospel, Matthew 22:1-14

¹ Jesus began to speak to them in parables once again,

² 'The kingdom of Heaven may be compared to a king who gave a feast for his son's wedding.

³ He sent his servants to call those who had been invited, but they would not come.

⁴ Next he sent some more servants with the words, "Tell those who have been invited: Look, my banquet is all prepared, my oxen and fattened cattle have been slaughtered, everything is ready. Come to the wedding."

⁵ But they were not interested: one went off to his farm, another to his business,

⁶ and the rest seized his servants, maltreated them and killed them.

⁷ The king was furious. He despatched his troops, destroyed those murderers and burnt their town.

⁸ Then he said to his servants, "The wedding is ready; but as those who were invited proved to be unworthy,

⁹ go to the main crossroads and invite everyone you can find to come to the wedding."

¹⁰ So these servants went out onto the roads and collected together everyone they could find, bad and good alike; and the wedding hall was filled with guests.

¹¹ When the king came in to look at the guests he noticed one man who was not wearing a wedding garment,

¹² and said to him, "How did you get in here, my friend, without a wedding garment?" And the man was silent.

¹³ Then the king said to the attendants, "Bind him hand and foot and throw him into the darkness outside, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth."

¹⁴ For many are invited but not all are chosen.'

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