The first major phase of the story in Matt 22 proceeds along the lines of a classic plot structure (vv. 2-9). First, we hear of a wedding banquet, which is a happy occasion. There is little tension involved in this situation (v. 2). However, in the next verse, those people that we would expect to participate in the event refuse to attend. This suggests a breakdown in relationship between these characters and introduces the conflict in the story. There is a slow increase in tension between the protagonist, the king, and the antagonists, the invited guests, in vv. 4-5 as the king tries again to bring these people in, but they continue to make excuses. However, in v. 6, the guests murder the king’s servants, which jumps the tension in the …show more content…
8-9 when the king tries to invite new guests, which reduces the story’s tension in turn. If he was at odds with his original guests, he will try to bring new people into the community as a way of celebrating his son. However, due to our past experience, we are left to wonder how these invitees will respond and how they might treat the king’s servants. In v. 10, though, we learn that these guests are willing to come to the king’s banquet, and, apparently, they treat the servants well. This reduces the tension again and suggests that the story could come to an acceptable resolution. Instead, the tension begins to go back up in v. 11 when the king arrives and notices a man that is not dressed appropriately for the occasion. In v. 12, the king addresses the man as “friend”, which leaves open the possibility of a positive resolution, but the man is unable to provide a reason for not being prepared. Thus, the king orders the man thrown out of the banquet and into the darkness of outer judgment. In one sense, this resolves the problem of the man at the ceremony, and, as readers we know that the wedding will continue, but on the other hand, this ending leaves us with a sense of tension. The last word that we hear is a word of judgment and there is no actual description of the wedding to bring our attention back to a positive