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 parable, in its outline, is clear as crystal, so that a child can understand it, yet it is unfathomable in its depths of spiritual truth; and while adapted to a variety of circumstances, it has a specific meaning of its own.
A good deal is said about the verbal inspiration of the Scriptures. Who are they who object to it? Always those who have never realized its spiritual power, nor seen its Divine glories, and have never searched its wondrous mysteries. No one who has opened its treasuries, explored its depths and heights, can fail to discover its boundless riches, or be so blind as to doubt the beauties of its scenery, or so deaf as not to be charmed with the melody of its music. Those who consider the Scriptures in the light of human intellect alone do not feel their spiritual power; they lack the anointed eye and the prepared heart.
The wonders of the Scriptures are not disclosed to the carnal mind, for "The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him; neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned" (1 Cor. 2:1414But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. (1 Corinthians 2:14)). If the teaching of the Spirit of God be neglected, all other helps are vain. If you draw down the blinds, and close the shutters, you cannot see the sun; so, if you shut out the Spirit of God, human reason is left to manufacture a god after its own ideas.
Verses 1-3. "And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by [in] parables, and said: ' The kingdom of heaven [the heavens] is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage [a series of marriage feasts] for his son, and sent forth his servants [bond-servants] to call them that were bidden to the wedding [marriage feasts]; and they would not come.”
In the preceding chapter the householder let out the vineyard to husbandmen, and required the fruits thereof-setting forth the DEMANDS OF THE LAW from Israel, to whom the law was given; but in this twenty-second chapter we have the PROVISIONS OF GRACE.
Who is the KING? God in His sovereignty; in the sovereignty of grace, not as on Mount Sinai, but on Mount Zion.
Who is the SON? It is the only-begotten of the Father, the co-equal, co-eternal Son.
Who is the BRIDE? She is only mentioned once in the Gospels. John the Baptist said: "He that hath the bride is the bridegroom;" He was the bridegroom's friend. But we can interpret this from other portions. The bride is the Church, the Lamb's wife.
The marriage feasts here spoken of are called, in verse 4, a "dinner." The word translated "dinner" signifies either the first meal, as when Jesus said, "Come and dine," or the noonday meal. It is necessary to distinguish between the marriage feasts (plural), public and open, made in honor of the approaching marriage of the king's son, to which many were invited and would not come, and the marriage supper, which takes place in private at the close of the day. What are the marriage feasts? The provisions of the Gospel as first presented, in the sovereignty of God, to the Jew. The Lord sent out His disciples at the first with the command: "Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel" (Matt. 10:5, 65These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: 6But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. (Matthew 10:5‑6)). It was necessary that the Gospel should first be preached unto them, as it is written: "To the Jew first.”
Verses 4-6. "Again, he sent forth other servants [bond-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 [marriage-feasts].' But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise: and the remnant took his servants [bondservants], and entreated them spitefully, and slew them.”
After the sacrifice on Calvary, and the provision of the Spirit at Pentecost, a second invitation was sent to the Jew, in all the plenitude of Divine grace, and fullness of mercy and love; but this was again rejected by the nation at large. The disciples were persecuted, and Stephen and James were slain.
Verse 7. "But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.”
In the destruction of Jerusalem by the Roman armies under Titus, we see the fulfillment of this solemn prediction. Vast multitudes of the Jews were slain, numbers carried into captivity and dispersed, the city was devastated, and the Temple burned.
When the commandments of God's law are despised and broken, retributive judgment is sure to follow; but not less so when the provisions of Divine grace and offers of mercy are refused and rejected.
Verses 8-10. "Then saith he to his servants [bondservants], The wedding indeed is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. Go ye therefore into the highways [branch-roads of the highways], and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage [marriage feasts].' So those servants [bond-servants] went out into the highways, and gathered together all, as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished [filled] with guests [recliners].”
It was necessary that the Gospel should first have been preached to the Jews; but seeing they put it from them, and judged themselves unworthy of everlasting life, the invitation has been sent to the Gentiles, and many have received it. The commission is large and wide: "Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature." Go not only to the cities, but to the villages and hamlets; not only proclaim it in the streets, but—in the lanes and alleys-wherever fallen man is found; press home the invitation, use moral force, compel them to come in. The feast is spread, the bounties are rich, and open to everyone; bad or good, Jew or Gentile, none are refused, no, not one. There is not only bread for the hungry, but water for the thirsty: whosoever will may take of the fountain of the water of life freely, for the Spirit has been poured out from on high, the Comforter has come; there is wine and milk without money and without price, the consolations of the Holy Ghost, and those foretastes of eternal joys which He is waiting to communicate.
As the Lord predicted, many have accepted the invitation, and they which have believed do enter into rest. The guests recline: there are couches provided for their accommodation; there is rest for the weary as well as provision for the needy. The Savior's invitation is: "Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matt. 11:2828Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28)).
Verses 11-14. “And when the king came in to see the guests [recliners], 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. Then said the king to his servants [ministering 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.”
All things are naked and open before the eyes of Him with whom we have to do. Man looks at the outward appearance, God looketh on the heart. "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." "If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His." The lamp of profession may burn brightly, but if there is no oil in the vessel, no love to God shed abroad in the heart, no fellowship with Christ in the communion of the Holy Ghost, the soul will ultimately be left to the outer darkness. The guest found speechless, on the friendly expostulation of the king, evidently implies there was no excuse, that the wedding garment had been provided as well as the marriage banquet. The same grace which has provided for the salvation of the LOST in the cross of Christ, and the pardon and justification of the guilty in the blood of the Lamb, has also provided for the quickening and regeneration of the soul DEAD in, trespasses and sins, and the sanctification of the SINFUL, by the Holy Ghost sent down at Pentecost.
When the Lord Jesus comes, it will not be those who have outwardly accepted the provisions of grace, and taken their place amongst professors, but those who have the Spirit of Christ, who will be accepted. Those who received not the love of the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness will be given over to the bonds of strong delusion and to outer darkness.
The ministering servants who execute the sentence are not the bond-servants through whom the invitation was sent out, but the angels of God (Matt. 13:3939The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. (Matthew 13:39)).
Salvation is a three-fold cord. There is included the sovereignty of God, the substitutionary sacrifice of Christ, and the regeneration and sanctification of the Holy Spirit; if one of these strands be missing the whole is incomplete.
“Many are called, but few are chosen." Those who are accepted and complete, under the scrutinizing eye of God, are not merely those who outwardly accept the Gospel call, but those who are "Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 1:22Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied. (1 Peter 1:2); see also 2 Thess. 2:13, 1413But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: 14Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Thessalonians 2:13‑14)).
These, and these only, rest in peace under the conscious smile of God the FATHER, satisfied with the rich provisions of grace in the SON, and realizing the communion of the HOLY GHOST, who conforms them to Christ, and gives them the foretaste, and is Himself the pledge and earnest of those joys which are at God's right hand for evermore.