There are a few key differences between the parables of the wedding feast found in both Matthew and Luke. The most obvious difference between the two is the style in which the parables were written, which is explained in “And God Said What?” The Gospel of Matthew is written in a much more formal, authoritative way. This is apparent in the parable entitled “The Parable of the Wedding Feast” found in Matthew. The same parable found in Luke, “The Parable of the Great Feast,” is written in a more casual way. This is largely due to the fact that the Gospel of Luke was written with reference to mostly oral or written sources. The parable in Luke contains more quotes than the one in Matthew. It also seems to be more drawn out while containing less information. In fact, a good chunk of the parable in Luke is devoted to quotes from the guests invited to the party explaining their reasons why they wouldn’t be able to attend the feast.
In my opinion both parables have many characteristics that point to them being allegories. Both have different things that are symbols for other divine things. For example, in the parable found in Luke the reasons that the guests give for not being able to attend the feast may be symbolic of the distractions that many people succumb to that cause us to ignore God’s word. Both parables contain a few examples similar to this, which is why I would categorize each as being allegories.
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I can see how both stories contain symbolism that classify them as allegories; the people who did not come to the feast seemed to represent those that are too caught up in their own lives to hear God’s word. I think the main difference that sets these two stories apart is who Jesus is addressing; in Matthew’s, Jesus addresses the whole crowd, while in Luke’s He addresses just the one man. I think that addressing one man makes the comparison in the parable more directly related to the audience and could classify it as a parable.
Picking up on the different writing styles of Matthew and Luke is a very astute observation. I responded to this prompt as well, and I mainly considered concrete differences between the stories. However, after reading your post, I can definitely observe that Luke’s parable is written in a more casual tone than Matthew’s. This may be a result of the different audiences which Matthew and Luke are writing to. I also agree with your contention about the parables acting in conjunction with one another to form an allegory. While it is apparent that the two stories are intended to critique different groups of people, perhaps they both have an underlying message of the dangers of rejecting God and His invitation to the kingdom of heaven for all who follow His commands.
Interesting observations about the possible relationships between these two versions of the parables and how the writing style of each is related to the distinctive approach of each author. In Luke version especially, you see his characteristic concern for the poor and marginalized coming out, as the first group drawn in after the invited guests make excuses includes the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame, and part of the central message of Luke’s parable is not to invite only those who are in a position to reciprocate the favor to come and eat with you. God’s banquet table has room for everybody! Matthew’s parable is more obviously an allegory than Luke’s (since there is little information about the social context in Matthew and it’s quite easy to make comparisons at multiple levels), but, in terms of a theological reading, you could understand aspects of both of them as allegories, with elements of the story having deeper spiritual significance beyond their surface meaning.