"And 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." 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; but it is the King purposing to honor His Son out of the riches of His own house. Clearly the king is not presenting claims; he is giving—he is inviting. His desire is to glorify his beloved son, to have everything worthy of so joyful an occasion as the marriage of his son. He who gives a feast—especially if he be the king- provides everything. The guests are not expected to bring anything, nor is any return looked for. On the contrary, to think of such a thing would be to insult the king- to despise his preparation or his intention. Moreover, the king presents the wedding garments by which the guests are distinguished. If any rich man sought to come in raiment as costly as he could provide, he would only offend the king, just as would a poor man who wished to sit down in rags. There must be nothing which the king does not give—his bounty will richly supply everything.
The king is not merely making a feast for the pleasure of those invited, but the object of their being invited is that his son may be honored. Still, while his chief thought is to show his regard for 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 a care or shade of anxiety, free from every suspicion of his love. 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. He does not own God's claim or, if he does, he cannot meet it, and must fall into despair. But God has it in purpose, through man, to glorify His Son, and His resources will avail to effect this, notwithstanding man's ruin. It is not within the scope of the parable to show how this apparently insuperable difficulty is overcome consistently with God's holiness; but the fact of His offering such an invitation proves alike His benevolence and the removal of the difficulty.
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; but this, happily, is not the main design.
God's invitation to the marriage supper of His Son is first given to those who had "the promises"-to those who had received so many proofs of His forgiving love—to those who were called, and professed to be "His own"—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. As before, fresh messengers are sent again to bid them; and to remove all doubts, the preparations are detailed: "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." They deliberately despised the invitation of God-they had other and more important things of their own to attend to. They went, "one to his farm, another to his merchandise." Yet more strange, but awfully conclusive as to man's hatred of the grace of God, when his conscience has not submitted to His righteousness—"The remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them." How far soever the goodness and patience of God extend, the same evil results are met with continually from man.
The counterpart of all this is to be found in "The Acts of the Apostles." The message of the apostles after the crucifixion was, "All things are ready"; nothing remains to be done. Abounding grace offered pardon to those even who had killed the Prince of Life. What estimate was formed of such glad tidings is to be found in
the language of one who, through the grace of God, afterward so fully and so widely proclaimed those very tidings: "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). As a nation, the Jews heard the gospel only to reject it as they had rejected Him who was the living expression of it. The conduct of individuals may have varied, but in principle it was the same. The evil heart was seen in disowning the claim of God, but more especially in despising His marvelous grace. 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. Man's "own way" may produce any of these results.
Whether opposition to God's authority is evinced by the neglect, contempt, or rebellion of a nation or of an individual,
His righteous judgments must surely follow, though for a season they may be delayed. 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."
But now we come to a most blessed truth. God has not given up any of the fullness of His love or of His purpose regarding His Son. He must have people around Him, who are happy in being there. 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." Here we evidently see the sending out of the invitation to those who were without the privileges and promises of the Jews -to those who had no hope, and who were without God in the world—to the Gentiles. The special characteristic of
God's present action is seen in the command, "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." The distinguishing principle is the full outflow of grace-the activity of God's love going out into the world and bringing souls in to partake of the blessings which He Himself has provided. His love goes out in simple grace to find "good or bad" to partake of the goodness of His house. Such is the principle God is acting on in the gospel. It is quite clear that He provides everything. He is not claiming fruit, but ministering blessing.
The effect of rightly understanding that God is glorifying His Son Jesus, is to make us put aside every thought but that. Though we be the most vile and wretched sinners in ourselves (as Paul says, "of whom I am chief"), all anxiety will be taken from our hearts, everything of uneasiness and uncertainty, because of the invitation. It is God's invitation and, for those to whom it is offered, He provides everything that is needed. A poor man, thinking of himself, might say, "Oh, that cannot be for me, a poor man!" or if this doubt were dispelled, "I cannot enter
God's presence-my garments are not fit." In other words, "Can the invitation be for a sinner such as I know myself to be—besides, how can I appear before a holy God?" Thoughts like these may arise in the mind and may continue until confidence is placed in the terms of the invitation, or rather, in Him who gives it. The moment this is simply done, all fear and hesitation will be removed. God's word will be counted on for everything.
But ought not the conscience to be thoroughly set at rest by that which God has done for us? Assuredly; He knows full well our unworthiness, our need, our guilt, and He has fully met them. He has given up His Son, He has sent Him into the place of our sin and misery to bear upon the cross that wrath which was our due; and if, taking the estimate of ourselves which all this implies, we receive, as lost, helpless sinners, God's testimony to the work of Christ for sinners, what room is there for doubt or dread? Christ has tasted death, has taken our place; but God has raised Him from the dead, and has seated Him in power and glory at His own right hand, thus showing the perfect sufficiency of His sacrifice for sin. God has been perfectly glorified in the earth by His own Son, the Man Christ Jesus, and sin has been expiated by the death of the sinless One. These have been done altogether apart from us; therefore God can say, All things are ready—come to the feast.
If we speak one word or have a thought about right to stand in the presence of God, it destroys the whole ground upon which God is acting in fullness of grace. It is quite clear that anyone who allows for a moment the idea that he has to provide his share in the feast, or to compensate for it, can have no sense of the king's honor, or of his own real inability. God does not offer salvation at a price, or for a return. There is no stipulation, no covenant, no vow; but a GIFT is offered which cannot be accented otherwise than as a gift. When it is received as such (and not before) fruit is produced—the fruit of gratitude, issuing in thanksgiving (Heb. 13:1515By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. (Hebrews 13:15)) and life-service (Rom. 12:11I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. (Romans 12:1)).
Any hesitation to accept God's invitation is to cast dishonor to that extent 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, so to speak. 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.
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." Grace has been mocked at by this man, for he had not obtained the indispensable wedding robe, doubtless thinking, by foolish comparison, his own good enough. The instruction from this is evident. God has at infinite cost provided for us whose robes are all sin-stained a spotless garment, such as is alone suited to His holy presence; and great indeed is the presumption that, with the pretense of accepting, virtually despises this gracious provision. "And he was speechless." With memory quickened, conscience fully awake, sin seen in its true colors, and the majesty of God apprehended, who shall dare utter a word! 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."
On the other hand, if, acknowledging our guilt and in capacity, we accept that which God vouchsafes to give, 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 is in question—"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.