Matthew 22

Mt 22:1-14.

PARABLE OF THE

MARRIAGE OF THE

KING'S

SON.

This is a different parable from that of the Great Supper, in

Lu 14:15,

&c., and is recorded by Matthew alone.

2. The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a

marriage for his son--"In this parable," as

TRENCH admirably remarks, "we see how the Lord is

revealing Himself in ever clearer light as the central Person of the

kingdom, giving here a far plainer hint than in the last parable of the

nobility of His descent. There He was indeed the Son, the only and

beloved one

(Mr 12:6),

of the Householder; but here His race is royal, and He appears as

Himself at once the King and the King's Son

(Ps 72:1).

The last was a parable of the Old Testament history; and Christ is

rather the last and greatest of the line of its prophets and teachers

than the founder of a new kingdom. In that, God appears

demanding something from men; in this, a parable of

grace, God appears more as giving something to them.

Thus, as often, the two complete each other: this taking up the matter

where the other left it." The "marriage" of Jehovah to His people

Israel was familiar to Jewish ears; and in

Ps 45:1-17

this marriage is seen consummated in the Person of Messiah

"THE KING," Himself addressed

as "GOD" and yet as anointed by

"HIS GOD" with the oil of

gladness above His fellows. These apparent contradictions (see on

Lu 20:41-44)

are resolved in this parable; and Jesus, in claiming to be this King's

Son, serves Himself Heir to all that the prophets and sweet singers

of Israel held forth as to Jehovah's ineffably near and endearing union

to His people. But observe carefully, that THE

BRIDE does not come into view in this parable; its

design being to teach certain truths under the figure of guests

at a wedding feast, and the want of a wedding garment,

which would not have harmonized with the introduction of the Bride.

3. and sent forth his servants--representing all preachers of the

Gospel.

to call them that were bidden--here meaning the Jews, who were

"bidden," from the first choice of them onwards through every summons

addressed to them by the prophets to hold themselves in readiness for

the appearing of their King.

to the wedding--or the marriage festivities, when the preparations

were all concluded.

and they would not come--as the issue of the whole ministry of the

Baptist, our Lord Himself, and His apostles thereafter, too sadly

showed.

4. my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready; come

unto the marriage--This points to those Gospel calls after

Christ's death, resurrection, ascension, and effusion of the Spirit, to

which the parable could not directly allude, but when only it could be

said, with strict propriety, "that all things were ready." Compare

1Co 5:7, 8,

"Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us; therefore, let us keep the

feast"; also

Joh 6:51,

"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."

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--insulted them.

and slew them--These are two different classes of unbelievers: the one

simply indifferent; the other absolutely hostile--the one,

contemptuous scorners; the other, bitter persecutors.

7. But when the king--the Great God, who is the Father of our Lord

Jesus Christ.

heard thereof, he was wroth--at the affront put both on His Son, and

on Himself who had deigned to invite them.

and he sent forth his armies--The Romans are here styled God's

armies, just as the Assyrian is styled "the rod of His anger"

(Isa 10:5),

as being the executors of His judicial vengeance.

and destroyed those murderers--and in what vast numbers did they do

it!

and burned up their city--Ah! Jerusalem, once "the city of the Great

King"

(Ps 48:2),

and even up almost to this time

(Mt 5:35);

but now it is "their city"--just as our Lord, a day or two after

this, said of the temple, where God had so long dwelt, "Behold

your house is left unto you desolate"

(Mt 23:38)!

Compare

Lu 19:43, 44.

8. The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not

worthy--for how should those be deemed worthy to sit down at

His table who had

affronted Him by their treatment of His gracious invitation?

9. Go ye therefore into the highways--the great outlets and

thoroughfares, whether of town or country, where human beings are to be

found.

and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage--that is, just as

they are.

10. So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together

all as many as they found, both bad and good--that is, without making

any distinction between open sinners and the morally correct. The Gospel

call fetched in Jews, Samaritans, and outlying heathen alike. Thus far

the parable answers to that of "the Great Supper"

(Lu 14:16,

&c.). But the distinguishing feature of our parable is what

follows:

11. And when the king came in to see the guests--Solemn

expression this, of that omniscient inspection of every professed

disciple of the Lord Jesus from age to age, in virtue of which his

true character will hereafter be judicially proclaimed!

he saw there a man--This shows that it is the judgment of

individuals which is intended in this latter part of the parable:

the first part represents rather national judgment.

which had not on a wedding garment--The language here is drawn from

the following remarkable passage in

Zep 1:7, 8:

--"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." The custom in the East

of presenting festival garments (see

Ge 45:22;

2Ki 5:22),

even though nor clearly proved, Is certainly presupposed here. It

undoubtedly means something which they bring not of their own--for how

could they have any such dress who were gathered in from the highways

indiscriminately?--but which they receive as their appropriate

dress. And what can that be but what is meant by "putting on the Lord

Jesus," as

"THE

LORD

OUR

RIGHTEOUSNESS?"

(See

Ps 45:13, 14).

Nor could such language be strange to those in whose ears had so long

resounded those words of prophetic joy: "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).

12. Friend, how camest thou in hither, not having a wedding garment?

And he was speechless--being self-condemned.

13. Then said the king to the servants--the angelic ministers of

divine vengeance (as in

Mt 13:41).

Bind him hand and foot--putting it out of his power to resist.

and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness--So

Mt 8:12; 25:30.

The expression is emphatic--"the darkness which is outside." To be

"outside" at all--or, in the language of

Re 22:15,

to be "without" the heavenly city, excluded from its joyous

nuptials and gladsome festivities--is sad enough of itself, without

anything else. But to find themselves not only excluded from the

brightness and glory and joy and felicity of the kingdom above, but

thrust into a region of "darkness," with all its horrors, this is the

dismal retribution here announced, that awaits the unworthy at the

great day.

there--in that region and condition.

shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. See on

Mt 13:42.

14. For many are called, but few are chosen--So

Mt 19:30.

See on

Mt 20:16.

Mt 22:15-40.

ENTANGLING

QUESTIONS ABOUT

TRIBUTE, THE

RESURRECTION, AND THE

GREAT

COMMANDMENT, WITH THE

REPLIES.

Mr 12:13-34;

Lu 20:20-40).

For the exposition, see on

Mr 12:13-34.

Mt 22:41-46.

CHRIST

BAFFLES THE

PHARISEES BY A

QUESTION ABOUT

DAVID AND

MESSIAH.

Mr 12:35-37;

Lu 20:41-44).

For the exposition, see on

Mr 12:35-37.