“The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain lung, which 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, 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. But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise: and the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them. But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth; and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. Then saith he to his 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. 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. And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment; and he saith 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. For many are called, but few are chosen.”
Here God is the King, and Christ is the Son for whom He makes a marriage feast. The guests first invited were the Jews; the proclamation of the gospel was to begin at Jerusalem; but in perfect indifference those invited made light of the invitation. One went to his farm, another to his merchandise; others arose in rebellion and ill-treated the messengers, precisely as we find in the parable of the Wicked Husbandmen. Only there it was God seeking fruit because of their privileges; here it was an invitation to the gospel. But in both they were equally wicked. Our Lord came to His own, and His own received Him not.
And yet what a message it was—sent again and again, “I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready; come unto the marriage.” But there was indifference, refusal, rebellion!
The King was angry at the treatment received by his messengers, and he sent forth his armies and destroyed those murderers and burnt up their city. This we know literally took place in the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70.
But God will not have His Son to be without a wedding feast, His servants are sent into the highways and they gathered as many as they found—moral and immoral, and the feast was furnished with guests. In a word, it is God going out in grace to the Gentiles.
But alas! there was one who had accepted the invitation, but who had not on a wedding garment. A little difficulty arises as to this part of the parable, inasmuch as it has not been ascertained that it was at all customary for a host to supply garments to his guests. But it was customary for persons to appear before royalty in a suitable dress, and here it was the king who had made the feast.
In the interpretation all is plain. Persons brought in from the highways were certainly not expected to have on a wedding garment. There were bad as well as good. They might be well dressed or be in rags—one would be as unsuited as the other, because neither would be a garment suited to such a wedding. One is at once reminded of Joshua in Zech. 3. He was clothed in filthy garments—and all man’s righteousness in God’s sight is as filthy rags—but these were taken away and he was clothed in a garment of God’s own providing. So it must be at God’s marriage of His Son. He provides all, for surely nothing that man could provide would be suitable for such a glorious feast. But how solemn to think that one had neglected or refused the suited garment! He had accepted the invitation nominally, but that was all. In a word, it points out a religions man without Christ. Oh, is it not enough to make one’s heart ache to contemplate how many there are in this highly favored land in a like condition. They have accepted the gospel invitation in name; they are enrolled with God’s people—meet with them, pray with them—but alas, will one day be found to be naked—without salvation, without Christ. Ο that God would open their eyes; for religion without Christ will only lead to outer darkness, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.