1 And
Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said, 2 The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which
made a marriage for his son, 3 And
sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they
would not come. 4 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. 5 But
they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his
merchandise: 6 And the remnant
took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them. 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.
8 Then saith he to his servants, The
wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. 9 Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye
shall find, bid to the marriage. 10 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.
11 And when the king came in to see the
guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: 12 And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither
not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. 13 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. 14 For
many are called, but few are chosen. (Matt
22:1-14 (KJV)
The Collect
First
Sunday after Trinity
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O
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GOD, the
strength of all those who put their trust in thee; Mercifully accept our
prayers; and because through the weakness of our mortal nature, we can do no
good thing without thee, grant us the help of thy grace, that in keeping thy
commandments we may please thee, both in will and indeed; through Jesus Christ
our Lord. Amen.
This parable of the Marriage Supper
of the King's Son is quite similar in some points with that given in Luke
14:15-24; however, they are distinctly different parables directed to different
ends. This present parable from Matthew is called the Great Marriage Feast. It
is given by Christ in the Temple during the last week of His life. The parable
in Luke is given long before at a private home and it is referred to as the
Great Supper. The Great Marriage Feast is directed to the Jewish nation as a
final warning, and to the admittance of the Gentiles into the Kingdom of
Heaven. The Great Supper relates the account of a "certain man" who
gave a great supper. It is a matter of a personal entertainment and presents
the opening of the flood gates of God's mercy upon all mankind. But the Great
Marriage Feast differs from Luke's parable. It bears the marks of a Kingdom
function since it is ordered by the King for His Son. Jesus directs the parable
to the Jewish leaders gathered in the Temple and points to their severe
discourtesy in offending their Sovereign as well as to the great privileges
they have rejected so foolishly.
1 And
Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said, 2 The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which
made a marriage for his son Every Kingdom does, indeed, have a
King – so the Kingdom of Heaven! You will readily recognize now, if you did not
before, that this King is God the Father; and His Son is the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Marriage Feast cited is that from which the five foolish virgins were
locked out. It is the final end to all things on earth when God's people shall
be gathered in celebration of the great salvation fully realized in Heaven at
the climax of time and trial. When a King gives a feast, the elegance and
abundance of the provisions are symbols of His power and magnanimity. This
feast is described in Isaiah 25:6 - And in this mountain shall the
LORD of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on
the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined.
There has never been finer provision than that which the Lord shall provide –
not to His guests – but to His Elect. There is a contrast drawn in Isaiah 65
between those who attend the Great Wedding Feast and those who do not: Therefore
thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, my servants shall eat, but ye shall be hungry:
behold, my servants shall drink, but ye shall be thirsty: behold, my servants
shall rejoice, but ye shall be ashamed: Behold, my servants shall sing for
joy of heart, but ye shall cry for sorrow of heart, and shall howl for vexation
of spirit. And ye shall leave your name for a curse unto my chosen: for
the Lord GOD shall slay thee, and call his servants by another name (Isaiah
65:13-15)
This Feast prefigures that of the
Bridegroom and His Bride revealed in Revelations 21 & 22. It is a most
delightful picture of the "Lamb's Wife" as a "bride adorned for
her husband." This description is inconceivable in its beauty – the Church
(True Israel) arrayed in white linen, washed of every blemish of sin, with a
loving and pure heart given in simple virtue to her glorious and loving Husband
– Lord, Lover, and King!
3 And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden
to the wedding: and they would not come. The servants sent forth
are his ministers of the Gospel. Those bidden are the Jews who, were they
faithful to the Old Testament Church of Abraham, would have eagerly have
responded. But they are legalists and hypocrites who have rejected the King's
Son (as pointed out in the previous parable of the Vineyard.) The Jews refuse
the invitation. They were invited first, and were the first to reject the
invitation.
4 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 God
first sent the prophets as His servants to call those bidden to the feast. The
prophets they rejected as the workers in the Vineyard had done. He then sent
John the Baptist whose message they rejected. Finally, the King sends (as did
the Householder of the Vineyard), His Son. Him they rejected as well. The
completed Passover of Christ is pointed out here – the sacrifice has been made,
the purchase completed, the Tomb's Door opened, and the effusion of the Holy
Ghost made. Only with the completed Passover could it be said, "All things
are ready!" Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new
lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: Therefore
let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice
and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
(1 Cor 5:7-8) and "I am the living bread which came down from
heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread
which I will give is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world."
(John 6:51)
5 But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to
his farm, another to his merchandise:
They make light of the Gospel today as well. Men prefer to go their own way
instead of the way of Light and Truth in Christ. The weak and sinful heart of
man desires more the cheap products of his own hands to the Gifts offered by
God in Christ. This group described is guilty of indifference to the Father and
the Son.
6 And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them
spitefully, and slew them. This group is absolutely
HOSTILE to the Father and the Son. Just as they treated the prophets, and the
Vineyard servants, they mistreated the King's servants (ministers) and killed
them. Have you noticed the extreme hostility of those who claim to be
atheist against even the mention of Christ Name or the reading of His Word?
These know instinctively their demise, and hope to comfort themselves by
obliterating the name of Christ on earth. If they have partially succeeded, the
success, believe me, is temporary!
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 If you are one of those foolish moderns who
believe that God only can act in love and kindness, think again! The day will
come when mercy is no longer available to those who have bitterly reject His
Son. Do not forget that we murdered the Son of God at Calvary. Forgiveness is
available if we act on the offer. If we do not, we will not be immune to the
purge that follows. To reject unmerited grace is to invite the anger and
judgment of God. 8 Then
saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were
not worthy. In fact, no one
is worthy. But God offers the benefits of the imputed righteousness of Christ
to all who have received Him.
9 Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye
shall find, bid to the marriage. There are no longer national or geographic limits
on the mercy of God. The doors are flung open to all who will come. This is not
a new approach that God has taken – it is in complete conformity to His
pre-existent Will for mankind. However and where ever they are found, invite
them to come. (By the way, an invitation to dinner by one's Commanding General
is as good as an order. An invitation from a King is a serious matter that
bears the weight of law).
10 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. In whatever condition the people were
found, they were invited to come as they were. If you sneer at the alcoholic,
the prostitute, or the beggar, be careful for they may be invited where you
refused to go.
11 And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there
a man which had not on a wedding garment The first part of our
parable had national implications for the Jews. But here begins an individual
application to believers singly. The King shall enter into the gathered guests
to examine and inspect their lot. He does so with inscrutable wisdom and
vision. Every professed disciple of Christ shall undergo this examination apart
from the madding crowd. Just as our appearance was an important expression of
our virtue in this life, so shall it be at the hour of our death. Hold
thy peace at the presence of the Lord GOD: for the day of the LORD is at hand:
for the LORD hath prepared a sacrifice, he hath bid his guests. And it shall
come to pass in the day of the LORD'S sacrifice, that I will punish the
princes, and the king's children, and all such as are clothed with strange
apparel. (Zeph 1:7-8) Many have not taught their young ones the
importance of proper and modest dress. The King will not be happy!
12 And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither
not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. Remember the silence of the Woman taken in
adultery – she was speechless for her guilt was indefensible. Jesus,
compassionately, told her, "Neither do I
condemn thee. Go and sin no more." This was well before the
Marriage Feast. The lady shall be properly attired at her coming to that event.
If we have not received that White Robe of Righteousness that Christ provides
(as did the Prodigal receive from his father), we shall appear naked before
God. We will have no words for our defense just as a child with his hand in the
cookie jar!
13 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. These King's servants are His Angelic ministers. Outer
darkness is everyplace that is away from the presence of God. If God does not
abide in our hearts, our hearts are filled with darkness – an outer darkness
far away from God. Such a place will be made a double misery when we are fully
aware of all that we have missed by our foolish rejection of the invitation by
the Sovereign. And shall cast them into a
furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
(Matt 13:42) God is not politically correct. He discriminates between good and
bad. There will be a day when mercy will no longer be available.
14 For many are called, but few are chosen.
If you have been called (invited) have you also been finally chosen? It would
be a tragedy of untold proportions to be invited and then cast out of the
presence of God. Have you made your election in Christ sure? Wherefore
the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure:
for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall (2
Peter 1:10) Do you study Scripture every day and not just on
Sunday? Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that
needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. (2 Tim
2:15)
Can you call and choose yourself? No, I'm afraid not. The invitation
must be received and accepted. And then the life that follows must give
evidence of that calling. Ye have not chosen
me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth
fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the
Father in my name, he may give it you (John 15:16) No need to
worry and wonder. If Christ has called you, and you have accepted, you will
know of it. If you are possessed with a burning love and desire to serve Him,
you belong to Him. Are you?
