But the sons of the kingdom will be thrown out into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
In this passage Jesus warns that the “sons of the kingdom”—those who think they have the right to enter the kingdom of heaven only because of their ancestry or nationality (especially the Jews)—will not enter if they do not have genuine faith. Their being cast into the “outer darkness” symbolizes a state of spiritual loss and condemnation. “Weeping and gnashing of teeth” symbolizes the remorse and pain they will feel as they realize that they have not been justified and have lost salvation. With this warning Jesus makes it clear that what matters is not nationality or a title, but how a person lives out his faith. From what he says it follows that salvation is available to all who have deep faith and live according to God’s will, regardless of their origin.