Matt. 22:1-14
For the past four weeks we have been looking at just one day of Jesus’ last week on earth… what is known as Passion Week…as Jesus begins His last week in His earthly body…He gives six parables…He previously talked about:
1) the expectations on how we are to live our lives while on earth…nothing is said about how to receive eternal life…the emphasis is on how to live a Christ centered life…and
2) the blessing associated when we do…blessing always accompanies obedience.
In the parable today found in Matthew chapter 22 Jesus adds an additional rung to the ladder…He focuses on who is admitted into the kingdom of Heaven.
In the previous two parables…the Parable of the Two Sons and the Parable of the Vineyard Owner…Jesus openly verbally attacks the religious leaders for their continued abuse of God’s laws…and their efforts to derail the Jewish people of God’s blessing by imposing manmade requirements on them that were not part of God’s commandments.
A warning to us…and especially to pastors…a condition that Charles Spurgeon identifies as the saddest of all ways we grieve the Holy Spirt in our lives… ‘speaking unadvisedly with our lips’ by projecting ideas rather than truths from the Bible.
When we do, we actually can and do influence how people live their lives…that’s why we have a responsibility to insure we don’t project a works-based religion that is opposed to a faith-based belief in Jesus as Savior.
Jesus now tells the Parable of the Marriage Feast…in this parable Jesus goes from how we are to live our lives while on earth to who is admitted into the kingdom of Heaven…because the two are interrelated.
It’s not about how to get into the kingdom of Heaven…it’s who is admitted into the kingdom of Heaven.
On the surface it many sound as if both of these statements are one and the same… but this was an issue during the time of Jesus and has been an on-going issue among theologians and the Church for centuries…it’s still debated in the church today.
The Pharisees believed that as God’s chosen people they were the privileged recipients to inherit the kingdom…they were the chosen people…Jesus tells this parable that relates to this issue using the analogy of a wedding.
Jesus tells those gathered in the Temple Mount the most important parable regarding who is admitted into the kingdom of God.
Rather than read the entire text I’m going to walk us through the events that makes up this parable…here’s why this parable is important.
ONE…this parable has to do with the many cults that want you to believe they have the keys to the kingdom of heaven.
This is always the first indication that a group is a cult…they have the only real way to heaven…your failure to adhere to their beliefs will result in you being left out of the kingdom.
Just so you know…the second indication is they will only use King James version Bibles or they have their own translation.
SECOND significant reason for this parable is addressed to those within Christianity that tell you if you’re not part of their particular denomination you’ll be left out.
THIRD reason for this parable is it is addressed to those that tell you if you’re not one of God’s predestined chosen ones you’ll be left out…again an idea fostered by some Christian denominations.
Doing a cursory reading of this parable doesn’t do it justice because in this one parable Jesus dispels all three of those myths.
This is why Jesus was so emphatic in His condemnation of the Pharisees…they were hindering people from entering the kingdom…there are those today who are attempting to do the same thing.
How do we counteract that…something I stress on a continuous basis…listening to what God is saying by: 1) reading His Word…2) by coming to Church and Sunday school…3) by attending Bible studies. Doing an in-depth study of God’s Word.
In order to better understand the context of this story it’s important to know some basic facts about weddings in Jesus’ day.
In Jewish society, the parents of the betrothed generally drew up the marriage contract…the bride and groom would meet…maybe even for the first time, when the contract was signed the couple was considered married at that point.
But they would live separately until the actual time of the ceremony…the bride would remain with her parents while the groom would prepare their home.
Depending how elaborate the house was or how much time the groom spent on preparing the house…it could be a while before the actual wedding day…BUT when the home was ready, the groom would return for his bride without notice… ‘honey, I’m home’ the marriage ceremony would then take place, and the wedding banquet would begin.
The wedding banquet was one of the most joyous occasions in Jewish life and could literally last for up to a week…something His listeners would have all been familiar with…maybe why Jesus uses this parable…here’s the Key to this whole parable:
Jesus is comparing heaven to a wedding banquet to illustrate who is admitted into the kingdom.
So…lets unpack this story and find out who all the players in this parable are and why this parable is so significant in defining who is admitted into the kingdom.
The king is God the Father…the son who is being honored at the banquet is Jesus …the people invited to the marriage feast are the Jews.
The king sends out invitations for his son’s wedding…when the time of the wedding was to take place the father sends out his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding feast to come [3].
Something I want to reiterate on…the meaning of ‘slave’ in the Greek is not like what we consider a slave in American history to be…the word δοῦλος …means one who gives himself up completely to another’s will…there’s no forced against our will implied here…Paul applied this term to himself to indicate that he was bound for life to serve God.
There are three scenes in this parable.
THE REJECTION
When the time for the banquet came the father calls those who had been invited to the wedding…BUT…immediately there’s a problem…those invited ‘were unwilling to come’ [v 3] …in fact, the king’s servants who brought the invitation were mistreated and even killed [v 6].
It’s not because the invited guests could not come to the wedding…it’s that they chose not to come.
That attitude is indicative of the human nature…how tragic to be offered the blessings of God and to refuse them because of the mundane things of life… everyone has an excuse.
So…the father sends out additional slaves telling the people to prepare themselves for the wedding feast [4]
But they paid no attention and went their way [5].
THE PUNISHMENT
The second scene in the parable depicts the king’s response of those who had been invited…but refused…because not only did they refuse to come but they killed his servants [6] …the king sends his armies to destroy those who did those things [7].
THE REPLACEMENTS
The third scene depicts the guests who were invited to replace those who had refused the king’s invitation…this is where the parable now becomes relevant to us today…the king told His servants
Go therefore to the main highways…and as many as you find…invite to the wedding feast. [9]
This is the single most important verse in the entire Bible regarding who is eligible to be admitted into the kingdom of heaven.
Here’s why this verse is important…this verse dispels those three myths I previously mentioned.
…those cults who want you to believe only they have the keys to the kingdom.
…those within Christianity that tell you theirs is the only true denomination.
…those that tell you only those chosen by God go to heaven.
The king’s reaction to those who rejected his invitation was to send out invitations to ANYONE his servants could find…as many as you find…the wedding invitation was extended to anyone and everyone…even total strangers [8-10].
The Greek word we translate ‘as many as’ [ὅσος, (hos’-os)] means in English ‘as many as’ …there’s no mention of one group having exclusive rights to who enters the kingdom of Heaven.
There’s no mention of exclusivity…this verse eliminates the heretical idea that we or anyone else can decide who is admitted into the kingdom.
You need to know this because there are those out there who would have you believe that Jesus’ death on the Cross was only for a select few…that if you’re not one of God’s predestined chosen ones you’ll be left out.
People use [14] this parable to justify that…For many are called but few are chosen…on the surface that sounds pretty defining…you are chosen or you’re not.
Who are those few that are chosen and how’s that done…when the Bible talks about being God’s ‘elect’ or ‘chosen’ it’s not speaking about who gets saved and who doesn’t…it’s not referring to the idea that God has selected some for salvation and others are forever permanently lost…that’s bad theology.
NO WHERE do I find in the Bible that God foresaw certain ones who would believe in Christ, and BECAUSE He knew they would believe–predestinated them or pre-selected them for salvation and everybody else is condemned.
This is why Jesus includes the story of the man who is not dressed in wedding clothes [11] and why it’s so important…allofthe dinner guestsexcept that one man weredressed in wedding clothes.
A little more history…the custom in those days was for the one hosting the wedding feast—in this case, the king—to provide new garments for the wedding guests.
When the king entered the wedding hall, he noticed that one guest clearly stood out from all the others because he was not wearing a wedding garment.
The man’s thinking was he could come to the king’s feast on his own terms…in any clothes he wanted…he was proud…self-willed…arrogant…his lack of proper dress was an insult to the king by refusing to wear the garment provided to the guests.
People have the idea they can approach God in the same manner…any way I want.
Having the man brought forward, the king asked: “Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?” (Matthew 22:12) …his lack of a wedding garment was an example of extreme disrespect for both the king and his son.
The man was speechless [12]
Here’s the reason Jesus inserts this part of the story into the parable…Jesus is defining who gets invited to the wedding feast…and this short verse explains it.
for many are called, but few are chosen. [14]
Πολλοὶ γάρ εἰσιν κλητοὶ, ὀλίγοι δὲ ἐκλεκτοί.
On the surface this would seem to fit into the idea that there are only some who are chosen…it hints of selectivity…Jesus even uses the word ‘chosen’ but it’s not…in the Greek Jesus uses two words that explains the whole process of who is called.
‘called’ (κλητοὶ) is an invitation…being summoned to salvation
‘chosen’ (ἐκλεκτοί) are the ones who accept the invitation.
In this one verse Jesus dispels all three myths regarding entry into the kingdom… The Parable of the Wedding Banquet defines unlimited atonement… [vs. 9]
Jesus is saying the doors to heaven are wide open…everyone is called…BUT… there will be those who will not accept the invitation…those who were initially invited to the wedding chose not to come as opposed to those who did choose to come.
QUESTION…If the invitation goes out to every person who has ever been born… why was this man thrown out…the answer is how the man was dressed… the man ‘was not dressed in wedding clothes’.
Each guest was given wedding clothes…that symbolized righteousness…without it you will not be admitted into the kingdom of Heaven.
When you make the decision to become a Christian by believing in Jesus as your Savior…not just acknowledging that some guy name Jesus lived some 2000 years ago – that is not making a decision to become a Christian…but really wanting Him to be part of your life…when you do, the righteousness of Jesus is imparted to us… here’s how that works.
God counts us righteous on the basis of faith…it’s not because we’re righteous… because as long as I’m in this body I will never be righteous…BUT…when God looks at me…He doesn’t see the sinful person I am…He sees the righteousness of His Son based on my faith in His Son. [Ephesians 2:13].
That’s what known as imputed righteousness…that God no longer sees my imperfections…when God sees me…He sees the righteousness of His own Son.
God sees me as inherently righteous…because I have been clothed by the righteousness of Christ.
When we accept Jesus as our Savior…at that instant we are clothed in the righteousness of God…that’s why this man was not dressed in wedding clothes…he wasn’t clothed in the righteousness of God…when asked why…he had no response. He ‘was speechless’ [12] … that is not how God wants anyone to stand before Him.
Christ makes possible the garment of righteousness for everyone…but KEY—just like with the wedding garments…each person must choose to put it on in order to enter the King’s banquet—God will not force… coerce…or strong arm anyone to do so.
That is emphasized in the words ‘few are chosen’ [14] not that they’re handpicked ahead of time…the chosen ones are the ones who accept the invitation…it’s every person’s decision to believe or not. John Calvin is wrong.
The man “was speechless,” indicating he was without excuse…it was not just that he lacked a wedding garment, but that he did not wear one on purpose. He had defiantly refused to put one on…the man was plainly not dressed correctly for the occasion.
In the book of Revelation, we see those in heaven wearing ‘white robes’ [Rev 7:9] see the connection…the whiteness of the robes is due to their being washed in the blood of the Lamb [14].
Just as the king provided wedding garments for his guests, God provides salvation for as many as receive Him…when we do, our wedding garment is the righteousness of Christ…unless we have it, we will miss the wedding feast.
Christ concludes the parable with the sad fact that “many are invited, but few are chosen.” In other words, many people hear the call of God, but only a few heed it.
This verse speaks to those who are Christians in name only. To those who are depending on their own works, their own self-righteousness, to make them acceptable before God [Ephesians 2:8-10].
Just as the king provided the wedding garment for the guests, God provides salvation. To refuse the garment is insulting to the giver. In the parable, the one who insulted the king was thrown into the darkness.