Matthew 22:1-14 #1

Matthew 22:1-14 #1
After the confrontation with the chief priests and elders, Jesus taught one parable after another that indicted the Jewish leaders and the nation as a whole for their disobedience and rebellion. Each parable presented the Lord’s goodness but the nation’s disregard of His grace and mercy.
There are a number of critical points in the parable. The first and most important point that helps us see the true meaning is the fact that this is a picture of a king who gave a wedding for his son. Can you imagine the honor of being invited to the wedding of the king’s son? Such an invitation would be an honor unparalleled in any person’s life. And yet, when the servants go out to call in the guests, there is a wholesale disregard for the invitation. Most are simply interested in the things of their own lives. Others are actually violent, killing the servants.
Therefore, the first major lesson we should learn is that we do not want to find ourselves in the category of those who were so disrespectful that they rejected the King of kings who has invited us to join Him in a great eternal marriage feast. Do we have no regard for the honor the Lord is offering us?
Now notice in the text the phrase, “those who were invited.” This is a direct reference to the Jews. The parable follows typical Jewish protocol in which invitations to a marriage are given in advance, but the exact day of the beginning of the wedding feast is unknown. The bridegroom would typically give his bride a general time period of a few days in which he might arrive. It would be a traditional game he played in which he would surprise her. The wedding party and the guests were to be ready at a moment’s notice. Therefore, in this parable, when the time came, the servants were sent to bring in those who were invited, but they rejected, just as did the Jewish nation.
The anger of the king over their rejection and violence is indicated in verse seven. The consequences are that they would be destroyed and their city burned. This is a direct reference to the coming destruction of Jerusalem (70 A.D.). Therefore, the first half of this parable gives us an insight into the rejection and punishment of the Jews over the rejection of the prophets and ultimately of Jesus. The last half of the parable (verses 8-14) tells us of how the gospel was then offered to the Gentiles.
Berry Kercheville