Commentary - Matthew 22:1-14

Bird's-eye view

In this parable, Jesus lays out the whole sweep of redemptive history in miniature. It is a story about a king, a son, a wedding, an invitation, a rejection, a judgment, and a final sorting. This is not some gentle story with a soft moral at the end. This is a story with teeth, and it bites down hard on the self-righteous and the presumptuous. The king is God the Father, the son is Jesus Christ, and the wedding feast is the great celebration of redemption, the marriage supper of the Lamb. The initial invitation goes out to the covenant people of Israel, who tragically and foolishly refuse the summons. This refusal is not a simple "no, thank you," but a violent and contemptuous rebellion. Consequently, the king's wrath is kindled, resulting in a devastating judgment that clearly points to the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. With the original guests having proven themselves unworthy, the invitation is then extended universally, to the highways and byways, gathering all sorts, both good and bad. This represents the gospel going out to the Gentiles. But the story doesn't end with the hall being filled. There is a final inspection. One guest is found without the proper attire, a wedding garment, and is cast out. This sobering conclusion teaches us that a mere external association with the people of God is not enough. There must be a true, Spirit-wrought righteousness, symbolized by the garment, which is the righteousness of Christ Himself, received by faith.

Outline

The Gospel in the Parable

This parable is saturated with the gospel. It begins with the astounding grace of a king who prepares a lavish feast and invites others to celebrate his son. This is the free offer of the gospel. The invitation is not earned; it is a summons to joy and fellowship. The rejection of this invitation is a picture of sin, mankind preferring his own farm, his own business, his own paltry affairs to the glorious feast of God. The judgment that follows shows that God's grace is not to be trifled with. His holiness and justice are as real as His mercy. The subsequent, broader invitation to all comers demonstrates the expansive nature of the gospel call after Israel's national rejection. It goes out to all, good and bad, which is a picture of the visible church, a mixed multitude. Finally, the man without the wedding garment is a stark reminder that salvation is not merely showing up. It requires being clothed in a righteousness that is not our own. This garment is a gift, provided by the king, but it must be worn. It represents the imputed righteousness of Christ, which is received by faith alone. Thus, the parable teaches both the freeness of the gospel call and the necessity of a true, saving faith that transforms the sinner.

Verse by Verse Commentary

1 And Jesus answered and spoke to them again in parables, saying,

Jesus "answered" here, which tells us this parable is not delivered in a vacuum. He is responding to the unbelief and hostility of the chief priests and Pharisees (Matt 21:45-46). He is not backing down; He is doubling down. He continues to use parables, which are earthly stories with a heavenly meaning. Parables have a dual function: they reveal truth to those with ears to hear, and they conceal it from those whose hearts are hardened. They are not simple illustrations to make things easy for everyone. They are instruments of sifting.

2 “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son.

The "kingdom of heaven" is a central theme in Matthew. It is the reign and rule of God breaking into human history through Christ. And what is this kingdom like? It's like a party, a feast, a wedding. This is crucial. The kingdom is not first a matter of grim duty, but of glorious celebration. God is a king, and He is a Father who delights in honoring His Son. The entire Trinity is involved here: the Father hosts the feast for the Son, and as we will see, the Spirit is the one who enables us to be properly clothed for it. The central event of all history is this wedding feast for the Son.

3 And he sent out his slaves to call those who had been called to the wedding feast, and they were unwilling to come.

Notice the double calling. They had been "called" (invited beforehand) and now the slaves are sent to "call" them again (to announce that the feast is ready). This first group of messengers represents the Old Testament prophets, calling Israel to prepare for the coming of the Messiah. The response is stark: "they were unwilling to come." This is not inability, but unwillingness. It is a volitional rejection. The problem is not with the invitation but with the hearts of the invited.

4 Again he sent out other slaves saying, ‘Tell those who have been called, “Behold, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and my fattened livestock are all butchered and everything is ready; come to the wedding feast.” ’

The king's grace is persistent. He sends another wave of servants. This likely refers to the apostles and early evangelists, including John the Baptist and Jesus Himself. The message is even more detailed and gracious. The king describes the lavish preparations, the fatted calves are slain. This points to the accomplished work of Christ on the cross. Everything is ready. Salvation is a finished work. The call is not to come and help cook, but to come and eat. It is a call to receive a gift.

5 But they paid no attention and went their way, one to his own farm, another to his business,

The response is now contemptuous indifference. They "paid no attention." The things of this world, their farms, their businesses, seemed more important, more real, than the king's invitation. This is the essence of worldliness. It is not necessarily a plunge into gross immorality, but a simple preoccupation with lesser things. The good becomes the enemy of the best. Their own small kingdoms eclipsed the kingdom of heaven.

6 and the rest seized his slaves and mistreated them and killed them.

Indifference curdles into violent hostility. This is what happened to the prophets, to John the Baptist, and ultimately to the Son Himself. The message of grace, when rejected, provokes rage in the hearts of the proud. They don't just ignore the king's messengers; they abuse and murder them. This reveals the depth of their rebellion against the king.

7 But the king was enraged, and he sent his armies and destroyed those murderers and set their city on fire.

The king's patience has its limits. His response is not disappointment, but rage. This is the righteous wrath of God against sin and rebellion. This verse is a clear and startling prophecy of the destruction of Jerusalem by the Roman armies in A.D. 70. Jesus is telling the Jewish leaders to their faces that their rejection of Him will result in the catastrophic judgment of their nation and their city.

8 Then he said to his slaves, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were called were not worthy.

The feast will go on. God's purposes will not be thwarted by human rebellion. The unworthiness of the first guests is declared. They were not worthy because they refused the invitation. Worthiness here is not about inherent merit, but about receiving the king's grace. By rejecting the call, they judged themselves unworthy.

9 Go therefore to the main highways, and as many as you find there, call to the wedding feast.’

The commission is now broadened. The slaves are sent to the "main highways," the crossroads of the world. This represents the Great Commission, the gospel going out from Israel to the Gentile nations. The invitation is now indiscriminate. It is a general call to "as many as you find."

10 And those slaves went out into the streets and gathered together all they found, both evil and good; and the wedding hall was filled with dinner guests.

The result is a full house. The slaves obey and gather everyone, "both evil and good." This is a crucial detail. The visible church is a mixed body. The gospel dragnet brings in all sorts of fish (Matt 13:47). Membership in the visible covenant community does not guarantee true regeneration. There are good fish and bad fish, wheat and tares, those with a wedding garment and those without.

11 “But when the king came in to look over the dinner guests, he saw a man there who was not dressed in wedding clothes,

The open invitation is followed by a royal inspection. The king Himself comes to view the guests. This points to the final judgment, when God will examine every individual who has claimed a place in His kingdom. The issue is not getting in the door, but being rightly prepared to stand before the king. The king spots one man who stands out because of his attire. He lacks the "wedding clothes."

12 and he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without wedding clothes?’ And the man was speechless.

The king's question is direct and piercing. He addresses him as "Friend," which is a courtesy that highlights the man's inexcusable presumption. The question is, how did you dare to come into my presence, to my Son's wedding, on your own terms? The man's silence is telling. He has no excuse. "He was speechless." At the final judgment, all self-justification will be silenced. The wedding garment was freely available, it was the king's provision for his guests. To refuse it was to insult the king and despise his grace. This garment is the righteousness of Christ, imputed to the believer by faith. This man thought his own clothes were good enough. He was a pretender, an externalist, relying on his own righteousness, which in God's sight is as filthy rags.

13 Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

The judgment is swift and severe. The man who thought he could stand on his own is bound, rendered completely helpless. He is cast into "the outer darkness," a place of separation from the light, joy, and fellowship of the feast. This is a terrifying description of hell. The "weeping and gnashing of teeth" speaks of profound sorrow and agonizing rage. This is the fate of all who try to enter the kingdom on their own terms, without the righteousness that God provides in Christ.

14 For many are called, but few are chosen.”

Jesus concludes with a summary principle that governs all of God's dealings with men. There is a broad, general call (the "many") that goes out to all who hear the gospel. This is the external call. But there is also a specific, effective call (the "few") that belongs to the elect, the chosen. The chosen are those whom God has sovereignly set His affection upon from before the foundation of the world. They are the ones who not only hear the call but, by the grace of God, respond in faith, receive the wedding garment, and are brought savingly into the feast. This is not a contradiction of free will, but the foundation of it. No one comes unless the Father draws him, and all whom the Father draws will indeed come. The call goes out to many, but only the chosen will be saved.