Once the newly chosen guests have begun to dine, the host enters after the banquet has begun, as was customary (Jeremias 1972:187). Some hold that hosts may have provided wedding garments to guests at the door (A. Bruce 1979:272; Gundry 1982:439). But wedding clothes may simply refer to clean garments as opposed to soiled ones (Jeremias 1972:187-88); to come to a wedding in a soiled garment insulted the host, and this host was in no further mood to be insulted. Patrons invited their social dependents to banquets, expecting due honor in return; this man, like the first guests the king invited, has responded to grace with an insult.

Just as most of the Jewish leaders were unprepared at Jesus' first coming (compare 23:13-33), some professing disciples of Jesus will be unprepared at his second (24:45-51). (Judas proves merely a case in point-compare friend in 22:12; 26:50; see also 20:13.) Professing Christians who insult God's grace by presuming on it, failing to honor his Son, will be banished to outer darkness (compare 8:12; 25:30) and weeping with gnashing of teeth (13:42; 24:51; 25:30; compare Meier 1980:248-49). Many are "called" or invited with the message of repentance (22:14; 21:32), but only those who respond worthily will share the inheritance of the chosen covenant people (also Jeremias 1971:131); compare 7:13-23.