Does this refer to purgatory?

[deb1]

I was reading Matthew 22 and I found myself wondering if it refered to purgatory. Instead of writing the whole scripture out, I will paraphrasize it for you.

Jesus is telling a parable. A king served up a bridal feast and sent his servants out to gather in his friends. Not only did his friends refuse to come but they also beat and killed some of his servants. So the king ordered the army to destroy those cities. He then sent the remainders of his servants to gather people from the street.The hall was filled with people. One of the people that had come had in regular street clothes. The king grew angry and asked how he could come without a wedding robe. He had the man bound hand and foot and thrown into outer darkenss, where there “will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” The story concludes with the statement that ‘many are called but few are chosen.’

I realize that the story is telling about more then just purgatory, but I don’t see the use in telling the story of the wrongfully attired man unless it is to explain purgatory. I know that we must be pure to enter heaven. Am I correct, or is there a different interpretation?

 

[Marie]

I can easily see how that could be one interpitation of the passage. But here is what the church has to say…

[1-14]
This parable is from Q; see Luke 14:15-24. It has been given many allegorical traits by Matthew, e.g., the burning of the city of the guests who refused the invitation (Matthew 22:7), which corresponds to the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in A.D. 70. It has similarities with the preceding parable of the tenants: the sending of two groups of servants (Matthew 22:3, 4), the murder of the servants (Matthew 22:6) the punishment of the murderers (Matthew 22:7), and the entrance of a new group into a privileged situation of which the others had proved themselves unworthy (Matthew 22:8-10). The parable ends with a section that is peculiar to Matthew (Matthew 22:11-14), which some take as a distinct parable. Matthew presents the kingdom in its double aspect, already present and something that can be entered here and now (Matthew 22:1-10), and something that will be possessed only by those present members who can stand the scrutiny of the final judgment (Matthew 22:11-14). The parable is not only a statement of God’s judgment on Israel but a warning to Matthew’s church.

More on Matthew 22 Here

 

[Todd_Easton]

The wedding garment the man was lacking was faith (baptism) and/or love (righteous deeds). (Revelation 7:14 and 19:8)

Purgatory is the cleaners next to the wedding hall where a person could go and get his wedding garment immaculately cleaned before entering the wedding hall.

 

[deb1]

Thank you both for taking the time to answer. I think that I will reread the passage with what you both said in mind. THanks, again.

 

[asteroid]

Quick question -

Are the NAB footnotes referred to in this thread and available online also available in a printed Bible?

 

[johnq]

asteroid:

Quick question -

Are the NAB footnotes referred to in this thread and available online also available in a printed Bible?

Yes :yup:

usccb.org/nab/bible/index.htm

They are at the bottom of each chapter.

 

[Fidelis]

I can easily see how that could be one interpitation of the passage. But here is what the church has to say…

Although the NAB is an approved translation, to say it’s footnotes and commnetary “is what the church has to say” is not accurate. It is only the analysis of that particular scholar or scholars. Unless it specifically references the official teaching of the Church, you are free to utilize it (or not) as you find useful.

For additional helpful commentary, here’s the entry from the Navarre Bible Commentary:

Commentary:

1-14. In this parable Jesus reveals how intensely God the Father
desires the salvation of all men–the banquet is the Kingdom of heaven–and the mysterious malice that lies in willingly rejecting the invitation to attend, a malice so vicious that it merits eternal
punishment. No human arguments make any sense that go against God’s call to conversion and acceptance of faith and its consequences.

The Fathers see in the first invitees the Jewish people: in salvation
history God addresses himself first to the Israelites and then to all
the Gentiles (Acts 13:46).

Indifference and hostility cause the Israelites to reject God’s loving
call and therefore to suffer condemnation. But the Gentiles also need to respond faithfully to the call they have received; otherwise they will suffer the fate of being cast “into outer darkness”.

“The marriage”, says St Gregory the Great (“In Evangelia Homiliae”, 36) “is the wedding of Christ and his Church, and the garment is the virtue of charity: a person who goes into the feast without a wedding garment is someone who believes in the Church but does not have charity.”

The wedding garment signifies the dispositions a person needs for
entering the Kingdom of heaven. Even though he belongs to the Church, if he does not have these dispositions he will be condemned on the day when God judges all mankind. These dispositions essentially mean responding to grace.

1. The Second Vatican Council reminds us of the doctrine of the “last things”, one aspect of which is covered in this verse. Referring to the eschatological dimension of the Church, the Council recalls our Lord’s warning about being on the watch against the wiles of the devil, in order to resist in the evil day (cf. Eph 6:13). "Since we know neither the day nor the hour, we should follow the advice of the Lord and watch constantly so that, when the single course of our earthly life is completed (cf. Heb 9:27), we may merit to enter with him into the marriage feast and be numbered among the blessed (cf. Mt 25:31-46) and not, like the wicked and slothful servants (cf. Mt 25:26), be ordered to depart into the eternal fire (cf. Mt 25:41), into the outer darkness
   where “men will weep and gnash their teeth’” (“Lumen Gentium”, 48).

1. These words in no way conflict with God’s will that all should be saved (cf. 1 Tim 2:4). In his love for men, Christ patiently seeks the conversion of every single soul, going as far as to die on the cross (cf. Mt 23:37; Lk 15:4-7). St Paul teaches this when he says that Christ loved us and “gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God” (Eph 5:2). Each of us can assert with the Apostle that Christ “loved me and gave himself for me” (Gal 2:20). However, God in his infinite wisdom respects man’s freedom: man is free to reject grace (cf. Mt 7:13-14).

 

[enanneman]

deb1:

I was reading Matthew 22 and I found myself wondering if it refered to purgatory. Instead of writing the whole scripture out, I will paraphrasize it for you.

Jesus is telling a parable. A king served up a bridal feast and sent his servants out to gather in his friends. Not only did his friends refuse to come but they also beat and killed some of his servants. So the king ordered the army to destroy those cities. He then sent the remainders of his servants to gather people from the street.The hall was filled with people. One of the people that had come had in regular street clothes. The king grew angry and asked how he could come without a wedding robe. He had the man bound hand and foot and thrown into outer darkenss, where there “will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” The story concludes with the statement that ‘many are called but few are chosen.’

I realize that the story is telling about more then just purgatory, but I don’t see the use in telling the story of the wrongfully attired man unless it is to explain purgatory. I know that we must be pure to enter heaven. Am I correct, or is there a different interpretation?

For evidence supporting Purgatory in the book of Matthew, I’d look a few chapters earlier to Matthew 12.

Matthew 12:31-32
Therefore, I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven; but whoever speaks against the holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.

Eric