Matthew 22: 1-14

I believe the metaphor of the wedding feast (not the wedding) is teaching the importance of being clothed with the garment of salvation which is given to the guests instead of coming in dressed in your own righteousness. Many are given the general call and many respond to the general call according to the flesh. However, not many are effectually called in contrast as "many" will stand in judgement that day when Christ says "I NEVER knew you" and yet they all claimed to know him as "Lord" and were dedicated to serving him "in thy name."

 

I've always looked at it as about the Jewish rejection of Jesus both before and after His death, burial, and resurrection followed by the bringing in of the Gentiles.

There's a flowing narrative here. Jesus enters into Jerusalem and cleans out the temple. Then He starts preaching. He preaches the parable of the wicked husbandmen, which is without doubt about the Jews persecuting the OT prophets and condemning Jesus to die followed by God taking the church (vineyard) away from them and giving it to a nation bringing forth the fruits (Gentile and Jewish believers). Then He preaches the parable of the marriage supper, which you described. Then He is questioned by the some and answers them. In the 23rd chapter He preaches a harsh sermon against the Jewish leaders that ends with Him telling them, "behold your house is left unto you desolate." Then He and His disciples walk out of the temple and He tells them, "there shall not be left here one stone upon another that shall not be thrown down," referring to the temple. Before Jesus entered Jerusalem in Matthew 21 He weeps over the city and prophesies of the Roman seige saying it is "because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation." It seems to be that Jesus on that last passover trip to Jerusalem is judging the Jews and they would fill up the measure of their fathers.

 

The man cast out was not clothed. The phrase many are called but few chosen explains this. Many are called outwardly by the gospel that are not called inwardly by the grace of God. The ones called by God are the few chosen. This man was not chosen, thus he was called but not clothed with a wedding garment.

 

I see the same thing in the Scripture.

 

The wedding garment is the righteousness of Christ. See Revelation 19.

Many are outwardly called without receiving an internal effectual call. Thus there are many that are preached to that will end up in eternal hell.