by Ron Wahlquist
"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," (Matt. 22:1,2)
Keep this in mind. This story will teach us about the way the Kingdom of heaven is set up.
"And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come." (Matt. 22:3)
So, some people had already received invitations. Who were the people that were called, and why didn't they come? Could this happen today? Would that be offensive that some would not come? In this parable, who were those who were bidden? It seems to me that it is an allegorical picture, and the guests were the nation of Israel. [1]
"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." (Matt. 22:4)
Now, the king sends out a second crew of servants. Perhaps he thought they would be more persuasive. He is still focused on trying to get those who had received invitations to attend.
"But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise:" (Matt. 22:5)
Some will not come, because they have been enticed and distracted by the world.
"Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;" (2 Timothy 3:4)
"Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world." (1 John 2:15,16)
"And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them." (Matt. 22:6)
So, those who did not ignore the request took up arms and killed those who came to invite them. This sounds like the persecution of the prophets, who came to invite people, and who the Israelites persecuted and slew. Matthew Henry says this:
"The provision made for perishing souls in the gospel, is represented by a royal feast made by a king, with eastern liberality, on the marriage of his son. Our merciful God has not only provided food, but a royal feast, for the perishing souls of his rebellious creatures. The guests first invited were the Jews. When the prophets of the Old Testament prevailed not, nor John the Baptist, nor Christ himself, who told them the kingdom of God was at hand, the apostles and ministers of the gospel were sent, after Christ's resurrection, to tell them it was come, and to persuade them to accept the offer."
The prophets were the sent ones:
"And the LORD hath sent unto you all his servants the prophets, rising early and sending them; but ye have not hearkened, nor inclined your ear to hear." (Jer. 25:4)
In like manner, our Lord calls people to the wedding feast, but those bidden are sometimes not interested:
"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!" (Matt. 23:37)
"I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it. But my people would not hearken to my voice; and Israel would none of me. So I gave them up unto their own hearts' lust: and they walked in their own counsels." (Ps. 81:10-12)
What is the response of this king, when he hears what has been done to his servants?
"But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city." (Matt. 22:7)
Ill-treatment of those God sends will bring judgment:
"And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city." (Matt. 10:14,15)
"Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy." (Matt. 22:8)
In the passage in Luke14, when the man finds out that his guests will not come, he says, "None of those bidden shall taste of my supper." In Proverbs 1:24-29, [2] it talks about the consequences of rejecting God. The invitees rejected the invitation, so others would be invited:
"Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles." (Acts 13:46)
"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." (Matt. 22:9,10)
The king was not selective in who he wanted his servants to bring in. He told them to bring in "both bad and good." Three examples of "sifting" or "dividing" are found where the fishermen gather all together in their net, and then cast the bad away, (Matthew 13:47,48); the wheat and the tares (Matthew 13:27-30); and the separating of the sheep and the goats (Matthew 25:32).
The "bad" will not make it into heaven. But we must remember that we are only in the "good" camp by the working of God in our hearts and His great mercy and forgiveness, because we are all guilty. [3]
"And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment:" (Matt. 22:11)
So, even after all of these troubles, there is yet another problem to deal with. This man, too, receives judgment. This king was supplying the wedding garments for his guests-a glorious a picture showing how God Himself will clothe us:
"I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels." (Isa. 61:10)
We, like this guest, are supposed to put on our garment, which is Christ. [4]
"And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless." (Matt. 22:12)
The garments had been available upon entry, but he has refused it. Since he was speechless, he obviously knew that he was in the wrong (guilty).
"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." (Matt. 22:13,14)
Look up these words "called" and "chosen". Where else were the root words used in scripture? [5]
Burkitt has this to say about this passage:
"By the man without the wedding garment, understand such as are destitute of true grace and real holiness, both in heart and life. Teaching us, that if unholy persons will press in to the Lord's supper, the sin is theirs; but if we come not, because they will come, the sin is ours. The presence of an unholy person at the Lord's table, ought not to discourage us from our duty, or cause us to turn our back upon that ordinance.
"The command to bind the unqualified person hand and foot, and to cast him into outer darkness, plainly intimates, that the condition of such persons as live under the light, and enjoy the liberty of the gospel, but walk not answerably to their profession, is deplorably sad and doleful: they do not only incur damnation, but no damnation like it. Bind him hand and foot, and cast him into outer darkness. Note: Those who are careless in the day of grace, shall undoubtedly be speechless in the day of judgment.
"… 6. That it is not sufficient that we come, but clothed we must be before we come, if ever we expect a gracious welcome to Christ's supper; clothed with sincerity, clothed with humility; clothed with love and charity; if we be not thus clothed, we shall appear naked to our shame, and hear that dreadful charge, Bind him hand and foot, and cast him into outer darkness, where is weeping and gnashing of teeth."
Matthew Henry adds these insights:
"The offer of Christ and salvation to the Gentiles was not expected; it was such a surprise as it would be to wayfaring men, to be invited to a royal wedding-feast. The design of the gospel is to gather souls to Christ; all the children of God scattered abroad, #Joh 10:16 11:52. The case of hypocrites is represented by the guest that had not on a wedding-garment. It concerns all to prepare for the scrutiny; and those, and those only, who put on the Lord Jesus, who have a Christian temper of mind, who live by faith in Christ, and to whom he is all in all, have the wedding-garment. The imputed righteousness of Christ, and the sanctification of the Spirit, are both alike necessary. No man has the wedding-garment by nature, or can form it for himself.
"The day is coming, when hypocrites will be called to account for all their presumptuous intruding into gospel ordinances, and usurpation of gospel privileges. Take him away. Those that walk unworthy of Christianity, forfeit all the happiness they presumptuously claimed."
Here is a glorious picture of the Marriage Supper of the Lamb:
"And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God." (Rev. 19:6-9)
You have received an invitation to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. Will you respond? Or are you too busy or encumbered with the things of this life? What kinds of things can distract us from being ready to go when the wedding call goes out?
Footnotes:
[1] "But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." (Matt. 10:6)
[2] "Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you. Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me: For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD:" (Pr. 1:24-29)
[3] "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God." (1 Cor. 6:9-11)
[4] "But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof." (Ro. 13:14) "For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ." (Ga. 3:27)
[5] "Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." (Matt. 7:13, 14) "So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen." (Matt. 20:16)"Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And he said unto them, Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able." (Luke 13:23,24)
