“Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said, The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, and sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding” (Matt. 22:1-31And 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. (Matthew 22:1‑3)). Observe the character of this parable. It is not God’s dealing with natural conscience, nor His looking for fruit as the owner of the vineyard, as in the preceding parables; it is the king purposing to honor his son out of the riches of his own house. The king is not making claims; he is giving — he is inviting. He who gives a feast provides everything. Moreover, the king presents the wedding garments by which the guests are distinguished. There must be nothing which the king does not give — his bounty will richly supply everything.
Honor His Son
Still, while the king’s chief thought is to honor his son, he would have the guests enter heartily into his joy. He desires that there may be full blessing at his table — happy faces around it — hearts without anxiety. Such must be the accompaniments of the marriage supper of the king’s son. How simple and evident is the application of all this in the light of what has gone before! Man has altogether failed, but God has in His purpose, through man, to glorify His Son, and His resources will effect this, notwithstanding man’s ruin.
We have to consider the treatment of the invitation by those to whom it was first sent, and then God’s further counsels. One design of the parable is to bring out fully the implacable enmity of the carnal mind against God, in the face of the utmost advances of His love.
The First Invitation
God’s invitation is first given to those who had “the promises” — to the Jews. “And they would not come.” Under such circumstances, we would not be inclined to repeat the offer, but God does repeat it. Fresh messengers are sent again to call them, and the preparations are detailed: “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” (vss. 4-5). They went “one to his farm, another to his merchandise.” Yet even worse: “The remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them.”
The counterpart of all this is to be found in the book of Acts. The message of the apostles after the crucifixion was, “All things are ready”; abounding grace offered pardon even to those who had killed the Prince of Life. The Jews’ estimate of such glad tidings is to be found in the language of Paul (then Saul of Tarsus), before he was saved: “Many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them. And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities” (Acts 26:10-1110Which thing I also did in Jerusalem: and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them. 11And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities. (Acts 26:10‑11)). The conduct of individuals may have varied, but in principle it was the same. The carelessness that would make a sinner slight the King’s invitation to the feast is precisely the same in kind that would lead him to kill His messengers, or even His Son.
God’s righteous judgments must surely follow, so in this instance, “When the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city” (vs. 7).
The Second Invitation
But now we come to a most blessed truth. God has not given up His love or His purpose regarding His Son. His house must be filled to honor His Son’s marriage. Fresh guests must be found. “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” (vss. 8-10). Here we see the sending out of the invitation to the Gentiles. His love goes out in simple grace to find “good or bad” to partake of the goodness of His house. Such is the principle on which God is acting in the gospel today.
When we understand that God is glorifying His Son Jesus, it makes us put aside every other thought. We may be the most vile sinners in ourselves, but all anxiety will be taken from our hearts because of the invitation. It is God’s invitation, and He provides everything that is needed.
Any hesitation to accept God’s invitation is to cast dishonor on His power or on His love. The invitation is our sole title, and, coming from One who knows it well, it merits our entire confidence. It is for all in “the highways,” whether it meets us as beggars or princes. The servants “gathered together all as many as they found.” No exception was made; none were to be passed by uninvited. The king’s command is clear: “As many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage.” The only real question for those who hear the gospel invitation is, Has the conscience submitted to the righteousness of God? Is the invitation accepted as one of the purest grace? If so, it is theirs to cast aside all the anxieties that sin occasions and to enter into the joy of the King in the happy assurance that their place is to sit at His table. Blessing is secure through His sufficiency and His grace.
The Wedding Garment
There is a sad incident which must not be overlooked. “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 camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless” (vss. 11-12). Grace has been mocked at by this man, for he had not obtained the indispensable wedding robe, doubtless thinking that his own was good enough. The instruction from this is evident. God has, at infinite cost, provided a robe for us, such as is alone suited to His holy presence, and great indeed is the presumption that despises this gracious provision. “He was speechless.” Judgment proportionate to guilt shall follow, and heavy surely it will be in the cases of which this is an example. “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” (vs. 13).
On the other hand, if we acknowledge our guilt and accept that which God gives, our fears will vanish, and our lips will be opened to render to Him the glory and to rejoice in honoring His Son. Are our hearts thus in the spirit of the wedding? Are our thoughts in unison with those of God regarding Christ? If not, however near to Him we may think ourselves, we have nothing to do with the wedding. The principle of the whole matter in question is: “How camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment?”
God’s heart is set upon the glory of Christ, and that glory is connected with the joy and blessing of those who have submitted to His righteousness and welcomed the riches of His grace. If our hearts are occupied with the glory of Christ, we shall not be thinking, in one sense, of what we are or of what we were; our thoughts will dwell upon the Blesser and upon the blessedness into which we have been brought.
Christian Truth, Vol. 9 (adapted)