Matthew 22: 1-14

[Thinkingstuff]

I'm curious as to people's here understanding of this passage of scripture in the context of Jesus having just run out the money changers at the temple and his authority questioned. Also he had just had a triumphal entry into jerusalem. How do you interpret this passage with regard to the Kingdom of Heaven (God)? And though the first part is of interest spend a little time with verses 11-14.

1Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying: 2"The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. 3He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come.
4"Then he sent some more servants and said, 'Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.'

5"But they paid no attention and went off—one to his field, another to his business. 6The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them. 7The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.

8"Then he said to his servants, 'The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. 9Go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.' 10So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, both good and bad, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.

11"But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. 12'Friend,' he asked, 'how did you get in here without wedding clothes?' The man was speechless.

13"Then the king told the attendants, 'Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'

14"For many are invited, but few are chosen."

 

[Dr. Walter]

I'm curious as to people's here understanding of this passage of scripture in the context of Jesus having just run out the money changers at the temple and his authority questioned. Also he had just had a triumphal entry into jerusalem. How do you interpret this passage with regard to the Kingdom of Heaven (God)? And though the first part is of interest spend a little time with verses 11-14.

I believe the metaphor of the wedding feast (not the wedding) is teaching the importance of being clothed with the garment of salvation which is given to the guests instead of coming in dressed in your own righteousness. Many are given the general call and many respond to the general call according to the flesh. However, not many are effectually called in contrast as "many" will stand in judgement that day when Christ says "I NEVER knew you" and yet they all claimed to know him as "Lord" and were dedicated to serving him "in thy name."

 

[RAdam]

I've always looked at it as about the Jewish rejection of Jesus both before and after His death, burial, and resurrection followed by the bringing in of the Gentiles.

There's a flowing narrative here. Jesus enters into Jerusalem and cleans out the temple. Then He starts preaching. He preaches the parable of the wicked husbandmen, which is without doubt about the Jews persecuting the OT prophets and condemning Jesus to die followed by God taking the church (vineyard) away from them and giving it to a nation bringing forth the fruits (Gentile and Jewish believers). Then He preaches the parable of the marriage supper, which you described. Then He is questioned by the some and answers them. In the 23rd chapter He preaches a harsh sermon against the Jewish leaders that ends with Him telling them, "behold your house is left unto you desolate." Then He and His disciples walk out of the temple and He tells them, "there shall not be left here one stone upon another that shall not be thrown down," referring to the temple. Before Jesus entered Jerusalem in Matthew 21 He weeps over the city and prophesies of the Roman seige saying it is "because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation." It seems to be that Jesus on that last passover trip to Jerusalem is judging the Jews and they would fill up the measure of their fathers.

 

[Thinkingstuff]

I've always looked at it as about the Jewish rejection of Jesus both before and after His death, burial, and resurrection followed by the bringing in of the Gentiles.

There's a flowing narrative here. Jesus enters into Jerusalem and cleans out the temple. Then He starts preaching. He preaches the parable of the wicked husbandmen, which is without doubt about the Jews persecuting the OT prophets and condemning Jesus to die followed by God taking the church (vineyard) away from them and giving it to a nation bringing forth the fruits (Gentile and Jewish believers). Then He preaches the parable of the marriage supper, which you described. Then He is questioned by the some and answers them. In the 23rd chapter He preaches a harsh sermon against the Jewish leaders that ends with Him telling them, "behold your house is left unto you desolate." Then He and His disciples walk out of the temple and He tells them, "there shall not be left here one stone upon another that shall not be thrown down," referring to the temple. Before Jesus entered Jerusalem in Matthew 21 He weeps over the city and prophesies of the Roman seige saying it is "because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation." It seems to be that Jesus on that last passover trip to Jerusalem is judging the Jews and they would fill up the measure of their fathers.

I see what you are saying here. The begining is a contrast of the Jews rejecting jesus but then the invitations went out to everyone and (this is interesting) both Good and Bad came. Yet the one clothed was cast out. So how does this relate to the Kindgom of Heaven (church?) and those cast out eventhough they showed? Dr. Walter believes it to be clothed in salvation provided for by Christ. What do you say?

 

[RAdam]

The man cast out was not clothed. The phrase many are called but few chosen explains this. Many are called outwardly by the gospel that are not called inwardly by the grace of God. The ones called by God are the few chosen. This man was not chosen, thus he was called but not clothed with a wedding garment.

 

[ReformedBaptist]

I believe the metaphor of the wedding feast (not the wedding) is teaching the importance of being clothed with the garment of salvation which is given to the guests instead of coming in dressed in your own righteousness. Many are given the general call and many respond to the general call according to the flesh. However, not many are effectually called in contrast as "many" will stand in judgement that day when Christ says "I NEVER knew you" and yet they all claimed to know him as "Lord" and were dedicated to serving him "in thy name."

I see the same thing in the Scripture.

 

[Thinkingstuff]

The man cast out was not clothed. The phrase many are called but few chosen explains this. Many are called outwardly by the gospel that are not called inwardly by the grace of God. The ones called by God are the few chosen. This man was not chosen, thus he was called but not clothed with a wedding garment.

Whats the wedding garment composed of? Salvation, Justification, sanctification? This is an important meaning. Also it suggest that in the body of Christ all are called (in our churches both saved and unsaved) but there is a discrimination between those kept and those not.

 

[RAdam]

The wedding garment is the righteousness of Christ. See Revelation 19.

Many are outwardly called without receiving an internal effectual call. Thus there are many that are preached to that will end up in eternal hell.

 

[Thinkingstuff]

The wedding garment is the righteousness of Christ. See Revelation 19.

Many are outwardly called without receiving an internal effectual call. Thus there are many that are preached to that will end up in eternal hell.

I think its more than just "preached too". Remember they are at the feast it is while in that august body that they are rejected.