Matthew 22:1-14; Luke 14:15-24
Matthew 22:1. And Jesus answering. Though Matthew relates this
parable among other discourses which were delivered by Christ about the
time of the last Passover, yet as he does not specify any particular time,
and as Luke expressly affirms that Christ delivered this discourse while
he sat at table in the house of a Pharisee, I have thought it better to
follow this order. The design which Matthew had in view was, to point out
the reasons why the scribes were excited to the highest pitch of fury;
and therefore he properly placed it in the midst of those discourses which
were hateful to them, and interwove it with those discourses, without attending
to the order of time. But we must attend to Luke’s narrative, who says
that, when one of those who sat at table with him said, Blessed is he that
eateth bread in the kingdom of God, Christ took occasion from it to upbraid
the Jews with ingratitude. It is by no means probable, that the guest and
friend of a Pharisee broke out into this exclamation from any sincere feeling
of piety. Still, I do not look upon it as having been spoken in derision;
but, as persons who have a moderate knowledge of the faith, and are not
openly wicked, are in the habit of indulging, amidst their cups, in idle
talk about eternal life, I think that this man threw out a remark about
future blessedness, in order to draw out some observation in return from
Christ. And his words make it manifest, that he had nothing in view beyond
what was gross and earthly; for he did not employ the phrase, eat bread,
as a metaphor for enjoy eternal life, but appears to have dreamed of I
know not what state, filled with prosperity and abundance of all things.
The meaning is, Blessed shall they be who shall eat the bread of God, after
that he has collected his children into his kingdom.
2. The kingdom of heaven is like a human king. As it was long
ago said by a Spartan, that the Athenians knew what was right, but did
not choose to practice it; so Christ now brings it as a reproach against
the Jews, that they gave utterance to beautiful expressions about the kingdom
of God, but, when God kindly and gently invited them, they rejected his
grace with disdain. There is no room to doubt that the discourse is expressly
levelled against the Jews, as will more plainly appear a little afterwards.
Matthew and Luke differ in this respect, that Matthew details many circumstances,
while Luke states the matter summarily, and in a general manner. Thus,
Matthew says that a king made a marriage for his son: Luke only mentions
a great supper. The former speaks of many servants, while the latter refers
to no more than one servant; the former describes many messages, the latter
mentions one only; the former says that some of the servants were abused
or slain, the latter speaks only of their being treated with contempt.
Lastly, the former relates that a man was cast out, who had gone in to
the marriage without a wedding garment, of which Luke makes no mention.
But we have formerly pointed out a similar distinction, that Matthew, in
explaining the same thing, is more copious, and enters into fuller details.
There is a remarkable agreement between them on the main points of the
parable.
God bestowed on the Jews distinguished honor, by providing for them,
as it were, a hospitable table; but they despised the honor which had been
conferred upon them. The marriage of the king’s son is explained by many
commentators to mean, that Christ is the end of the Law, (Romans 10:4.)
and that God had no other design in his covenant, than to make him the
Governor of his people, and to unite the Church to him by the sacred bond
of a spiritual marriage. I have no objection to that view. But when he
says, that the servants were sent to call those who were invited, these
words are intended to point out a double favor which the Jews had received
from God; first, in being preferred to other nations; and, secondly, in
having their adoption made known to them by the prophets. The allusion
is to a practice customary among men, that those who intended to make a
marriage drew up a list of the persons whom they intended to have as guests,
and afterwards sent invitations to them by their servants. In like manner,
God elected the Jews in preference to others, as if they had been his familiar
friends, and afterwards called them by the prophets to partake of the promised
redemption, which was, as it were, to feast at a marriage. It is true that
those who were first invited did not live till the coming of Christ; but
we know that all received an offer of the same salvation, of which they
were deprived by their ingratitude and malice; for from the commencement,
God’s invitation was impiously despised by that people.
4. Again he sent other servants. He speaks as if it had been
the same persons who were invited, for it was one body of the people. The
meaning is, that when the happy and joyful day of redemption drew near,
they were warned to be ready; for they had been long ago informed as to
the time. But now Christ told them that, at the very hour, fresh messengers
were sent to entreat them to come with haste; for the first invitation
which he mentions includes all the former prophecies, down to the publication
of the Gospel. For a long period, they exercised cruelty on the prophets;
but their fury grew as the time advanced, and at length spent all its force
on Christ and the apostles. For this reason, he charges the ancient people
with nothing more than contempt and pride, but says, that the servants
who had been last sent, and who arrived at the hour of supper, were abused
or slain. That people arrived at the highest pitch of their crimes, when
their haughty rejection of his grace was followed by the madness of cruelty.
And yet he does not charge all of them equally with crime; for even at
the latest call, which was given by the Gospel, the grace of God was in
part ridiculed by careless despisers, and in part was furiously rejected
by hypocrites. And thus it usually happens, that ungodly men break out
into fiercer rage against God, in proportion to the earnestness with which
he invites them to salvation.
We must now consider that part of doctrine which is conveyed both by
Matthew and by Luke. One went to his field, and another to his merchandise;
or, as Luke expresses it, one pleaded that he had married a wife; another
that he had purchased a field; and another that he had bought five yoke
of oxen. By these words Christ pronounces the Jews to have been so entirely
devoted to the world and to earthly things, that no man found leisure to
approach to God; for the cares of this world, when we become entangled
by them, are so many impediments in our way to keep us back from the kingdom
of God. It is truly base and shameful, that men who were created for a
heavenly life, should be under the influence of such brutish stupidity,
as to be entirely carried away after transitory things. But this disease
is universally prevalent; so that hardly one person in a hundred can be
found, who prefers the kingdom of God to fading riches, or to any other
kind of advantages. Though all are not infected with the same disease,
every man is led away by his desires; in consequence of which, all are
wandering in various directions.
Besides, it deserves our attention, that ungodly men hold out fair pretences
for rejecting the grace of God; as if their indolence might be excused,
because they are entirely occupied with the affairs of the present life,
and care little about a heavenly inheritance. But we see how Christ takes
from us all such excuses, that no man may imagine it to be of any advantage
for him to plead that he is detained by engagements of an earthly nature.
On the contrary, men commit a double fault, when they allow themselves
to be retarded by those things which are in themselves lawful, and which
ought rather to have aided their progress. For why does God allow us the
conveniences of the present life, but in order to draw us to himself? And
yet so far is it from being true, that all have earnest desires towards
heaven, in proportion as they are assisted by acts of the Divine kindness,
that even holy marriage, and fields, and other riches, are so many snares
to bind every man more closely to the earth.
7. But when the king heard it. This punishment is mentioned by
Matthew alone; for Luke makes no mention of any outrage committed on the
servants. Both concur in stating, that those who did not come at the appointed
time were shut out, and deprived of the honor of being present at the banquet.
But this doctrine applies equally to us; for the same destruction which
Christ denounces against the Jews awaits all the ungodly, who violently
oppose the ministers of the Gospel. Those who are so entirely occupied
with earthly cares, as to set no value on the divine invitation, will at
length perish miserably in famine and want; and therefore, whenever God
calls us, let us be prepared and ready to follow.
9. Go therefore to the highways. Having shown that they are unworthy
of the grace of God who disdainfully reject it when offered to them, he
now says that their place is supplied by others, by the mean and despised
common people. And here is described the calling of the Gentiles, which
is to excite the Jews to jealousy, as we have it in the Song of Moses;
They have provoked me by those who are not gods, and I will provoke
them by that which is not a people, and by a foolish nation will I enrage
them, (Deuteronomy 32:21.)
Having been first elected, they imagined that the grace of God was bound
to them, as if God could not want them; and how haughtily they despised
all others is well known. Thus by way of admission, he compares the Gentiles
to the poor, the blind, and the lame. He says that they are called from
the cross-roads, and from the streets, as strangers and unknown persons;
but yet declares that they will occupy that place which friends and domestics
had treated with indifference. What the prophets had obscurely foretold
about creating a new church is now plainly expressed. This dishonor was
the completion of the divine vengeance on the Jews, when God
cut them off, and ingrafted wild branches into
the stock of the olive-tree, (Romans 11:17;)
when he threw them off, and received the polluted and filthy Gentiles
into his house. But if at that time he spared not the natural branches,
(Romans 11:21,) the same punishment will this day be inflicted on us, if
we do not answer to his call. The supper which had been prepared for us
will not be lost, but God will invite other guests.
Luke 14:23. Compel them to come in. This expression means, that
the master of the house would give orders to make use, as it were, of violence
for compelling the attendance of the poor, and to leave out none of the
lowest dregs of the people. By these words Christ declares that he would
rake together all the offscourings of the world, rather than he would ever
admit such ungrateful persons to his table. The allusion appears to be
to the manner in which the Gospel invites us; for the grace of God is not
merely offered to us, but doctrine is accompanied by exhortations fitted
to arouse our minds. This is a display of the astonishing goodness of God,
who, after freely inviting us, and perceiving that we give ourselves up
to sleep, addresses our slothfulness by earnest entreaties, and not only
arouses us by exhortations, but even compels us by threatenings to draw
near to him. At the same time, I do not disapprove of the use which Augustine
frequently made of this passage against the Donatists, to prove that godly
princes may lawfully issue edicts, for compelling obstinate and rebellious
persons to worship the true God, and to maintain the unity of the faith;
for, though faith is voluntary, yet we see that such methods are useful
for subduing the obstinacy of those who will not yield until they are compelled.
Matthew 22:11. And the king, having come in to see the guests. Here
Christ does not reproach the Jews with having wickedly despised the grace
and calling of God; but gives early warning to those who would be placed
in their room, not to pollute with their filth the holy marriage, when
God shall bestow upon them admission to his table. Hitherto he has taught
that the Jews, on account of their ungodly and disdainful conduct, would
be deprived of the peculiar honor and privilege which they had enjoyed;
and that from among the irreligious and abhorred Gentiles would men be
called to occupy their place. But now he threatens that, out of this very
number, those who bring reproach upon the Church will be expelled; for
God invites all indiscriminately by the Gospel, and thus many unholy and
abominable persons creep in, who, though for a time they are admitted along
with others, yet, when God reviews the guests, will be thrown out and dragged
to punishment. The general truth conveyed is, that not all who have once
entered the Church will become partakers of everlasting life, but only
those who are found to wear the dress which befits the heavenly palace.
As to the wedding garment, is it faith, or is it a holy life? This is
a useless controversy; for faith cannot be separated from good works, nor
do good works proceed from any other source than from faith. But Christ
intended only to state, that the Lord calls us on the express condition
of our being renewed by the Spirit after his image; and that, in order
to our remaining permanently in his house, we must put off the old man
with his pollutions, (Colossians 3:9; Ephesians 4:22,) and lead a new life,
that the garment may correspond to so honorable a calling. But a question
arises, how comes it that a beggar is punished so severely for not bringing
a wedding garment; as if it were unusual to see the wretched people, who
beg their bread on the public roads, wearing tattered and ugly clothes?
I reply, the question is not as to the manner in which the garment is to
be procured; for whomsoever the Lord invites he at the same time supplies
with clothing, and in all of us is fulfilled what Ezekiel says, (16:6-14,)
that God finds nothing in us but wretchedness, and nakedness, and abominable
filth, but adorns us with magnificent attire. We know also, that there
is no other way in which we are formed anew after the image of God, but
by putting on Christ, (Romans 13:14; Galatians 3:27.) It is not, therefore,
the declaration of Christ, that the sentence of casting them into outer
darkness will be executed on wretched men who did not bring a costly garment
taken from their own wardrobe, but on those who shall be found in their
pollution, when God shall come to make a scrutiny of his guests.
14. For many are called, but few are chosen. The object of the
parable is pointed out by the conclusion, that few are chosen, though many
are called; from which we infer, that we ought not to attempt an ingenious
explanation of every minute clause. But lately, Christ did not threaten
that the greater part would be thrown out, but mentioned one man only;
and now we learn from him, that out of a large number few will be retained.
And certainly, though in the present day a more numerous body of men is
collected into the Church by the Gospel than was formerly collected by
the Law, it is but a small portion of them whose faith is evinced by newness
of life. Let us not flatter ourselves with the empty title of faith, but
let every man seriously examine himself, that at the final review he may
be pronounced to be one of the lawful guests; for, as Paul reminds us,
that the vessels in the Lord’s house are not all of the same kind, so
let every one that calleth on the name of the Lord
depart from iniquity, (2 Timothy 2:19,20.)
I enter no farther, at present, into the question about the eternal
election of God; for the words of Christ mean nothing more than this, that
the external profession of faith is not a sufficient proof that God will
acknowledge as his people all who appear to have accepted of his invitation.
