It is a serious question. It may be treated with indifference by many now, but the time will come when the question must be fully met. How awful will it be then to discover, in the presence of the Lord, that your only covering is the filthy rags of your own self-righteousness! Let us look at our Lord’s instruction on the subject, with all the reverence and godly fear which it demands.
The Lord is speaking by parables. He uses the striking illustration of a marriage-feast. He says, “The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king which made a marriage for his son.” It is God making a marriage-feast for His Son. Observe, it is all of God here, not acting in the way of law, but in richest grace bringing unworthy men into happy association with His own Son, according to the good pleasure of His will, on the principle of gift, and not of works. We are therefore told that He “sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding; and they would not come.” Thus divine love was refused. We may look at this having had its accomplishment in the days of our Lord and of the twelve, who went into villages and cities preaching the glad tidings of the kingdom. The call was refused; “they would not come” The Jews kept their own traditions, and preferred a murderer to Jesus. They rendered no fruits under law, but hated and rejected God’s messengers, and, last of all, His Son, and now refuse grace.
“Again, 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.” (Ver. 4.) This is a different message from the first, because it is not only an invitation, but one based on the fact that the marriage-feast had been prepared at great cost—everything had been done, the table spread and furnished, seats prepared, and a welcome ready, waiting only for the guests. And what can this be, but the fuller testimony of rich and abounding grace to the same people, sent out consequent upon the accomplished work of Jesus, when the Holy Ghost came down to announce a glorified Savior who had died on the cross for sinners, but who was alive again, and who had entered into heaven itself by His own blood? Peace had been made, redemption accomplished, and the veil rent. Nothing more was needed. All things were ready. All that was wanting to complete the festive scene was the arrival of the guests, in response to the gracious call, “Come to the marriage.” The results of this marvelous way of dealing with the sinful nation are deeply affecting. For the most part the message was treated with indifference. They did not openly reject, or oppose, but they considered (like many now) that the necessary employments of this life had greater claims on their attention and interests than the eternal blessings which the message of grace now invites the heart to receive. We are told, “They made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise.” Man will go his own way. He claims the right to do his own will; and his way and will are never according to God’s way—“They went their ways.” Now these were not what men call immoral things to which they turned, but their wickedness consisted in esteeming the necessary occupations in earthly things of more importance than the glorious invitation to the marriage of the king’s son. The royal banquet was nothing to them. “They made light of it.” But while the many despised grace, there were others whose enmity was bitterly stirred up, so that they shamefully handled and put to death the king’s servants who brought the invitation. We know how literally this was fulfilled, according to our Lord’s words, “the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them.” (Vers. 5, 6.) As late as Acts 3, Peter, in addressing the Jews, charged them with the guilt of having killed the Prince of life, yet he assured them that, even then, if they repented, God would send Jesus, and bring in “the times of restitution of all things, which God had spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.” But, instead of the nation repenting, this gracious appeal was soon followed by Peter being imprisoned, and Stephen being stoned to death. Thus we see the twofold effect of the ministry of grace to the Jewish nation. The consequence was, that, after long patience, God manifested His governmental displeasure toward them for their evil ways. “When the king heard thereof, he was wroth; and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.” (Ver. 7.) History tells us how literally this had its accomplishment in the destruction of Jerusalem by Titus, the Roman general. Few scenes of distress and misery have ever been known on earth equal to it, wherein more than a million of people died. Surely “it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”
The history of the Jews, as set before us in these striking parables of the vineyard in the previous chapter, and the marriage feast, show what man naturally is, whether under law, or under the ministry of grace: by the one he is convicted as a law-breaker, and therefore under the curse; and by the other a despiser of divine goodness. By both he is brought under the judgment of God, and proved to be utterly unfit for His presence, showing that, “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3.) How true it is that “many are called, but few are chosen.”
The consequence of Israel’s repeated refusal to walk in God’s ways, was the outflow of the grace of God to sinners of the Gentiles. Paul usually acted on this principle, and tendered the gospel to the Jew first. On one occasion we hear him saying to the Jews, “It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you; but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, 10, we turn to the Gentiles.” (Acts 13:46.) We Gentiles, then, pick up, as it were, the crumb which has fallen from the Jewish table. Hence the parable goes on, “Then saith he to the servants, the wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find bid to the marriage.” (Vers. 8, 9.) Thus, from the days of the apostles until now, the gospel of the grace of God has been carried into all parts of the world. Instead of God’s ministrations being confined to one nation, as in a former dispensation, the true servants of our Lord Jesus have the fullest commission to preach the glad tidings of an accomplished redemption to every creature—to go into the highways, and wherever souls are found, to assure them of present remission of sins, and an inheritance among them that are sanctified, through faith in our Lord Jesus. Thank God, the door is still wide open, and the Master’s word is, “As many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage.”
The parable does not close without alluding to the results of this world-wide ministry of grace. But there is no mention of its having been sent forth as a means for improving man in the flesh, nor of the world getting better under its influence; much less is there any idea that it would prove to be the instrument for bringing in the long-predicted time, when “the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.” (Isa. 11:9.) On the contrary, like many of the other parables of “the kingdom of heaven” we find that the result is very awful—a mixture of good and bad, of mere professors, as well as real people of God. In the parable of the virgins there were “wise and foolish.” In the parable of the seed sown in the field, the result was “wheat and tares.” And in the parable before us we read, “So 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.” (Ver. 10.) How solemn the thought that the gospel is used by Satan to deceive and gather bad, as well as blessed by God to the saving of sinners!
These words certainly teach us that the ministry of the gospel will gather together all sorts of people under the profession of Christianity, many of whom would be mere professors, which we know has been very manifestly the case; some persons using Christianity as a present advantage on earth, without considering how they will appear in the Lord’s presence, when every one will give account of himself. Those who know what sin is, and have had the consciousness of deserved wrath because of their sins, have learned that all their righteousnesses are as filthy rags, and that they need, not only an invitation to the marriage-feast, but a wedding garment to suit the occasion, which He only who provides the feast can give—a garment suited to Himself. When the soul knows that he thus consciously stands in that which suits the presence of God, that he is become the righteousness of God in Christ, he has no fear as to the future, but goes on his way rejoicing, in hope of the glory of God. He knows that all things are of God, and gives Him all the glory. It is God who provides the feast, gets everything ready at a wondrous cost, sends out the gospel invitation, and supplies the wedding garment for the guests. Such is His grace, and such its perfect suitability to us. For any persons, therefore, to imagine that their own filthy rags, however ingeniously put together by ordinances and religious duties, are suitable for the Lord’s presence, will find themselves awfully deceived. No human fitness, no creature righteousness, no righteousness of the law, can suit His glorious presence. Oh, no. Nothing less than the righteousness of God, which is by faith of Jesus Christ, can suffice for His glorious presence. The soul who has a divinely-wrought faith knows this, and can unhesitatingly say, “Had I an angel’s holiness, I’d lay aside that beauteous dress, And wrap me up in Christ!”
It is this point which is of such vital importance in the parable. To err concerning it is fatal; it is not to take our true place before God, nor to accept what His grace so freely gives, for “Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.” (Rom. 10:4.)
Everything must be real for God’s presence. He is not mocked. Nothing can escape His all-searching eye. By-and-by every one must be manifested. Every welcome guest must have as wedding garment.” Nothing short of “the righteousness of God in Christ” can suit the presence of His glory. He who invites to the marriage feast provides the needed garment. The attempt to take a place there without a wedding garment is fatal unbelief and betrays ignorance of God. We read, therefore, “When the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment, and he said unto him, Friend, how earnest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. Then 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.” (Vers. 11-13.)
We learn from scripture that man is proved to be insubject to God both by law and grace. Under the righteous threatenings of law, he manifested hatred and rebellion against God, and departure from God. As regards grace, he makes light of its ministry and refuses it, or he professes to receive the word, and, at the same time, considers his own fancied righteousness good enough for the presence of God. Having gone about to establish his own righteousness, because he is ignorant of God’s righteousness, he has not submitted himself unto the righteousness of God. How can he, therefore, escape divine judgment?
How richly the grace of God is ministered to us in the person, the work, and words of the Son. How true it is that, “All things are ready; come unto the marriage.” Everything has been done in the one sacrifice for Christ to secure the eternal happiness of every corning sinner. Not one thing is left for the coming one to do. He has simply to believe the testimony, and enter in, and sit down at the feast. “All things are ready.” Sins have been so judged in the cross of Christ, that God now proclaims forgiveness of sins and justification from all things, to every one that believeth. Thus, sinner as he knows he has been, he can sit down at the feast with a divine certainty, founded on the atoning death of Christ and the word of God, that he has remission of sins. Then, again, that we might be capable of being in eternal glory, the same blessed gospel proclaims the gift of eternal life now to every one that believeth. “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life” (John 3:36.) That we might have this love of God shed abroad in our hearts, know that we are His children, and that we are in Christ and Christ in us, the Holy Ghost is given to abide with us forever. And that we might be able to stand consciously in God’s most holy presence in happiness forever, the same blessed gospel declares that God has made Christ to be unto us righteousness; that the righteousness of God by faith of Jesus Christ is unto all and upon all them that believe. (Rom. 3:22.) Let the reader not fail to notice this is not righteousness by law-keeping, or by religious doings of any kind, but the righteousness of God by faith. Is it any wonder then that an apostle should exclaim when considering Christ in glory, That I may be found in Him, not having mine own righteousness which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ the righteousness which is of God by faith? (Phil. 3:9.) Is it surprising that a child of God should lay her head on her dying pillow in perfect peace, and say—
Without one thought that’s good to plead,
Ο what could shield me from despair;
But this—though I am vile indeed,
The Lord my righteousness is there?
Can the reader say this? we lovingly ask. Can you look up and thank God that now by the precious blood of Christ you have remission of sins, that, through His grace, you have received eternal life, and the gift of the Holy Ghost, and that Christ in glory is your ever subsisting righteousness—that you are made the righteousness of God in Him? Surely this is to have on the wedding garment.