Matthew 22:1-141And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said, 2The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, 3And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come. 4Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage. 5But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise: 6And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them. 7But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. 8Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. 9Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage. 10So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests. 11And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: 12And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. 13Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 14For many are called, but few are chosen. (Matthew 22:1‑14)
This is the story of a great wedding feast told by the Lord Jesus to people in Jerusalem: “A certain king... made a marriage for his son, and sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding, and they would not come.
“Again, he sent forth other servants, saving, ‘Tell them which are bidden, ‘Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage.’”
It is a special honor to be invited to a marriage, and surely a great honor to go to that of a king’s son. We would suppose those people would have been eager to go when the servants came for them: But, instead, they did not care to honor the king’s son, and some laughed at his servants, and some were angry and treated them roughly, and at last killed them.
The king still wanted guests at his son’s marriage, so he sent other servants into, the streets and lanes to tell whoever they saw to come to the marriage feast.
The servants went, and told people, and many came for the marriage.
At that time it was a custom for a king, or rich man, to provide suitable clothes for the wedding guests to wear: when this king came in, he saw that one man had not put on the garment provided. Perhaps the man thought his clothes were better, or good enough. When the king asked him why he had not put on the wedding garment; he was so ashamed he could not answer; he had refused the king’s garment.
Jesus said this parable was like the kingdom of heaven: there is to be a time when the Lord Jesus, God’s Son, will be fully honored. God now invites people to be ready for that time.
Many have refused His invitation, but He sends the message to others; any who will, are to come. But for that time, there is one rule: each must wear the “wedding garment,” which God, the great King, provides.
What do you think that garment is like? From God’s Word we know that none are fit for God’s holy presence, and cannot provide a suitable “robe”.
But God has provided a way to make sinners fit; by giving His Son, Jesus, to be punished for their sins, and they may be made righteous by Him. So Christ is as a “robe” for them to appear in God’s presence, and they are so fitted for that time when His Son will have joy and honor.
When we think of this parable Jesus told, as God’s invitation to honor His Son, it is a wonderful story for us, as well as the people who listened to Him. Think of the kind words, “All things are ready, Come!”
Boys, girls, men and women are invited to come. Why should any be so wrong or foolish as not to come and take the “robe” of salvation, Jesus Himself, and be fit to honor Him? He deserves the greatest honor He created all things, and is the only Saviour.
ML 09/05/1943