SSL 6 - Matthew 22:1-14
Prayers & Announcements
Introduction: Jesus had gone to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. Shortly after His arrival, the religious leaders (Pharisees and scribes) confronted Him with questions that challenged His authority. These religious leaders had long been opposed to Jesus, but their outrage toward Him intensified following His cleansing of the Temple (Mt. 21:12-17). In response to their challenge, Jesus shared three parables. Last week we studied the second, The Parable of the Wicked Tenant Farmers (Mt. 21:33-45), which, in v. 43, Jesus proclaimed, "The kingdom of God will be taken away from you (i.e., Israel and it religious leaders) and given to a people producing its fruits (i.e., the New Testament Church composed of Jews and Gentiles)." Application: This puts us on notice that we too, as members of the Body of Christ, can be replaced if we do not bear fruit in winning others to salvation in Jesus Christ. Jesus commands us to share the Gospel with our generation, and if we are disobedient, the Lord will use someone else and we will miss the blessing. Today's lesson focuses on the third and final parable, The Parable of the Wedding Feast, which foretold what would happen to those religious leaders and to all others who rejected Christ.
Read Matthew 22:1-7 - The Invited - (ask for a reader)
1 And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying, 2 "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son, 3 and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come. 4 Again he sent other servants, saying, 'Tell those who are invited, "See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast."' 5 But they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business, 6 while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them. 7 The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.
- "in parables" (v.1) - Just to refresh our memories, a parable is a simple story which illustrates an important spiritual truth. Jesus always began them with common things known to the audience and would build the analogy into one central spiritual point.
- "the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king" (v.2a) - The king, the host of the feast, symbolized God the Father.
- "a wedding feast for his son"(v.2b) - The marriage was between the groom, who symbolized God's only Son, Jesus, and the bride represented the faithful believers who would make up His Son's church.
- "those who were invited...would not come" (v.3) - To most people, an invitation to dine with the royal family would have been the event of a lifetime. However, when the king's servants (who represented the OT prophets) invited them (i.e., foretold the coming of the Messiah), they would not come and, apparently, didn't even bother to R.S.V.P.
- "sent other servants...I have prepared...(v.4) " - The very patient king sends his servants yet again, telling those invited that he was preparing his very best for them (e.g., oxen and fat calves). The sumptuous feast was ready and the table set! What could be more important than a summons from the king?
- "the rest seized his servants...killed them" (v.6) - Others went far beyond simply ignoring the king and responded with hostility and violence. The fate of these messengers-brutality and murder-alluded to the fate of the OT prophets, up to and including John the Baptist.
- "king was angry...destroyed...burned"(v.7) - Up to this point the king had shown patience and mercy towards his invited guests, but now the time for judgment had come. Thus, the king ordered the murderers to be killed and their city burned to the ground. No one had been able to predict the severity or the timing of the king's justice. Even now, anyone who rejects the king's invitation will face a day of accountability, and it will likely be sooner and far worse than they expected. Many scholars say this verse is an allusion to the destruction of Jerusalem by the Roman emperor Titus in 70 A.D.
Read Matthew 22:8-10 - The Gathered - (ask for a reader)
8 Then he said to his servants, 'The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy. 9 Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.' 10 And those servants went out into the roads and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests.
- "Feast is ready...those invited not worthy" (v.8) - The king had a great feast all prepared and ready to go, but no guests. Those on the first guest list had demonstrated that they no longer deserved to come to the party - and they would not receive another invitation.
- "Go...to main roads...invite...as many as you find" ( v.9) - Basically he sent his servants out to invite everyone, regardless of their nationality, culture, or social status. There would be no distinctions between them. A true "comes as you are" party. To those invited, going to the king's banquet was an event beyond their wildest imaginations. In this sense, we can say this is a parable about grace: those who were invited and came were completely undeserving of the invitation, much less the wedding feast itself (i.e., salvation and eternal life).
- "gathered all...both good and bad...hall filled with guests" (v.10) - People both "good and bad" meant that the invitation was not based upon the invitee's character but only on his or her willingness to accept the king's invitation. Now that the party was open to all, they filled the tables! In terms of the early church, the invitation of v. 9 and the response of v.10 clearly indicate the forthcoming spread of the Gospel to the Gentiles (i.e., "My witnesses...to the end of the earth." Acts 1:8).
Read Matthew 22:11-14 - The Unprepared - (ask for a reader)
11 But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment. 12 And he said to him, 'Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?' And he was speechless. 13 Then the king said to the attendants, 'Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' 14 For many are called, but few are chosen.
- "man who had no wedding garment" (v.11) - As the king viewed his guests, he noticed a man who was not properly dressed. Since the king kept festive robes for anyone who lacked proper attire, he expected even last-minute guests to be properly dressed. Bible commentators refer to this garment as a "robe that reflects the imputed righteousness of Christ" and represents an absolute requirement for entrance to the Kingdom.
- "Friend, how did you get in here...?" (v.12a) - The king calls the man "friend" and asks him to explain the absence of the required robe. Was the robe offered? Did he turn it down?
- "And he was speechless" (v.12b) - His silence was an admission of guilt. To refuse the robe was to refuse both Christ and His sacrificial death, utterly disqualifying him from entrance to the Kingdom. The man represents those who want the benefits of salvation without undergoing any transformation-people who claim to be believers but never genuinely repent of their sins and never accept Christ as their Lord and Savior.
- "Bind him...cast him into the outer darkness...weeping and gnashing of teeth" (v.13) - all of these terms are common references to the torments of eternal judgment and expresse the eternal regret of those who receive God's righteous condemnation.
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"many are called...few are chosen" (v.14) - The larger message in both parts of the parable is clear: many are invited, but some refuse to come; and others who do come (i.e., join the church) but refuse to accept the requirements of the Kingdom will be rejected. This final verse touches upon the great working together of the choices of man and the choosing of God - consider these questions and answers: (1) Why did they not come to the wedding feast? Because they refused the invitation. (2) Why did they not come to the wedding feast? Because they were called but not chosen.
APPLICATION:
- In today's parable, Jesus affirmed that God invites everyone to a personal relationship with Him, but only those who respond with obedient faith in Jesus Christ will be "chosen."
- Like the first group of guests, many people today demonstrate the same misplaced priorities. The invitation goes out to them, but they are too preoccupied with their worldly lives. Living only for themselves, they disregard the messengers and the One (Jesus) who sent them. Others, like the improperly dressed man, want to go to heaven but are unwilling to come to God on His terms (i.e., repent and accept Christ as Lord and Savior). They seek some other way, but there is no other way! All are invited, but not all are chosen.
- No one can consider himself or herself worthy to live in fellowship with the King and His Son. All of mankind, those doing "good" as well as those trapped in evil lifestyles, are both equally under the curse of sin. Yet, God, in His mercy and grace, has devised a plan of salvation available to all, and when we accept God's grace by faith in Jesus Christ, He "chooses" us as citizens worthy to join His Kingdom.
- In some ways, the King's servants in the parable are like evangelical Christians of this day and time. Believers-that includes me and you-who undertake the Great Commission should be making every effort to bring the King's invitation-the Gospel message-to as many people as possible. And we should note that just as the King sent the invitation to everyone, today's messengers are not entitled to pick and choose those with whom they will share the Gospel, because everyone--good, bad, and in-between--needs to be invited
