THE PARABLE OF THE WEDDING FEAST – Charles Spurgeon
THE PARABLE OF THE WEDDING FEAST
“The Kingdom of Heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son, and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come. Again, he sent out other servants, saying, Tell them who are invited, see, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and my fatted cattle are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding.” – Matthew 22:2, 3, 4.
Introduction: God’s Gracious Condescension
If God grants me strength, I hope to go through this parable, but for the present, we shall focus on the opening scene of the royal festival. Before we proceed further, it is most fitting that we express our deep gratitude that it has pleased the Infinite Mind to stoop to our narrow capacities and instruct us through parable. How tenderly condescending is God to devise similitudes that His children may learn the mysteries of the Kingdom!
If it is sometimes marveled at among men that great minds are always ready to stoop, what a far greater marvel that God Himself should bow the heavens and come down to meet our ignorance and slowness of comprehension! When the learned professor has been instructing his class in not easily understood matters of deep philosophy, and then goes home and takes his child upon his knee, trying to bring down great truths to the grasp of his child’s mind, then you see the great love of the man’s heart. And when the Eternal God, before whom seraphim are but insects of an hour, condescends to instruct our childishness and make us wise unto salvation, we may well say, “Herein is Love.”
Just as we give our children pictures to win their attention and to fix truths of God upon their memories, so the Lord, with loving inventiveness, has become the author of many charming metaphors, types, and allegories by which He may gain our interest and, through His Holy Spirit, enlighten our minds! If He who thunders till the mountains tremble yet deigns to speak with us in a still small voice, let us gladly sit in Mary’s place at His gracious feet, and willingly learn of Him.
O that God would give to each one a teachable spirit, for this is the greatest step toward understanding the mind of God. He who is willing to learn in a childlike spirit is already in a considerable measure taught of God. May we all so study this instructive parable as to be quickened by it to all that is well-pleasing in the sight of God. After all, true learning in godliness may be judged by its result upon our lives. If we are holier, we are wiser. Practical obedience to the will of the Lord Jesus is the surest evidence of an understanding heart.
I. A GRAND OBJECTIVE IN THE KING’S DESIGN
In order to understand the parable before us, we must first direct our attention to the design of the “certain king” here spoken of. He had a grand objective in view: he desired to do honor to his son upon the occasion of his marriage. We will then notice the very generous method by which he proposed to accomplish his purpose—he made a dinner and bade many. There were other modes of honoring his son, but the great king elected the mode which would best display his bounty.
We shall then observe, with sad interest, the serious hindrance which arose to the carrying out of his generous design; those who were bid would not come. There was nothing to hinder the magnificence of the festival in the riches of the prince; he lavished out his stores for the feast, but here was a strange and difficult hindrance to remove—they would not come!
Then our thoughts will linger admiringly over the gracious rejoinder the king made to the opposers of his design. He sent other servants to repeat the invitation, “Come to the marriage.” If we shall drink deep into the meaning of these three verses, we shall have more than enough for one meditation.
II. THE KING’S OBJECTIVE: TO HONOR THE SON
The kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to honor his son. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is already glorious in His divine person; He is ineffably blessed, infinitely beyond needing honor. All the angels of God worship Him, and His glory fills all heaven. He has appeared on the stage of action as the Creator, and as such His glory is perfect. For by Him were all things created that are in heaven, and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether they are thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him, and for Him.
He said, “Let there be light,” and it flamed forth! He bade the mountains lift their heads, and their summits pierced the clouds! He created the water-floods, bade them seek their channels, and appointed their boundaries! Nothing is lacking to the glory of the Word of God, who was in the beginning with God, who spoke, and it was done; who commanded, and it stood forth.
He is highly exalted as the Preserver, for He is before all things, and by Him all things consist; He is that nail fastened in a sure place upon which all things hang. The keys of heaven, death, and hell are fastened to His belt, and the government shall be upon His shoulders. His name shall be called Wonderful. He has a name which is above every name, before which all things shall bow in heaven, and earth, and under the earth. He is God over all, blessed forever.
However, there is another relationship in which the Son of God has graciously been pleased to stand toward us—He has undertaken to be a Savior in order that He might be a Bridegroom! He had enough glory before, but in the greatness of His heart, He would magnify His compassion even above His power. Therefore, He condescended to take on the nature of man, to redeem those He chose and to enter into the closest conceivable union with them.
III. THE GENEROUS METHOD OF HONORING THE SON
The king in the parable chose a generous method to accomplish his objective. He prepared a feast, not demanding anything from the guests but offering abundant provision for them. Unlike the tyrants of the world who may demand costly dowries, the King of Heaven offers His feast without expectation of payment. The Gospel banquet is one of gifts, not demands.
Jesus, in His love and generosity, asks for no dowry or payment from His people. Instead, He lavishly prepares the feast. The only thing the guests must do is to come and partake of the blessings, not to labor or serve, but to feast and rejoice. This is a feast of love, laughter, fullness, and fellowship. It is for love, to reconcile sinners to God; it is for joy, for those who come to Christ find their hearts filled with peace and joy.
It is for fullness, as the hungry, famished soul of man is satisfied with God’s provision. The Gospel fills every faculty of our being, satisfying us in ways we never thought possible. Finally, it is a fellowship with the Father and the Son, a communion that brings us into close relationship with God.
IV. THE SERIOUS HINDRANCE TO THE FEAST
We now advance to our third point and regretfully remember the serious hindrance which interfered with the joyful event. Despite the lavish preparation, the invited guests refused to come. There was no lack of provision, no reason for their refusal other than their own disinterest and willfulness.
The king’s disappointment must have been palpable, as he had prepared the feast with such generosity. And yet, when the invitation was extended, many ignored it. Instead of rejoicing at the opportunity, they rejected the king’s invitation, preferring their own affairs.
This is a reflection of the human heart’s tendency to resist the offer of grace. Despite God’s abundant mercy, many still turn away, absorbed in their own interests and unconcerned with the banquet prepared for them.
Conclusion: The Invitation to the Wedding Feast
In light of the king’s generous invitation, we must consider our own response to the gospel invitation. The king, in his kindness, extended the invitation to all, even those who had initially rejected. Similarly, God invites each one of us to partake in the feast of grace through Jesus Christ. The question is: Will we respond, or will we turn away in favor of our own pursuits?
May we, unlike the guests in the parable, not refuse the invitation. Let us accept the grace and mercy freely offered to us, and come to the wedding feast of the Son. Let us honor Him, not with words alone, but with lives fully submitted to His will.
The King’s Invitation: A Call to the Wedding Feast
The king had thought in his mind, “I will make a great feast; I will invite a large number; they shall enjoy all my kingdom can afford, and I shall thus show how much I love my son. Moreover, all the guests will have sweet memories in connection with his marriage.” When his messengers went out to tell those who had previously received an invitation that the time had come, it is written, “They would not come.” Not they could not, but they “would not come.” Some for one reason, some for another, but without exception, they would not come!
Here was a very serious hindrance to the grand business. Can the king drag his guests to the table? Yes, but then it would not accomplish his purpose. He does not want slaves to grace his throne. Persons compelled to sit at a marriage feast would not adorn it. What credit could it be to a king to force his subjects to feast at his table? No, for once, as I have said before, the subject must be merged in the guest. It was essential to the dignity of the festival that the guests should come with cheerfulness to the celebration, but they would not come.
The Reason for the Rejection
Why would they not come? The answer will help us answer another question: “Why do you not come and believe in Jesus?” For many of them, it was simply an indifference to the whole affair. They did not see what concern they had in the king or his son. Royal marriages were high things and concerned high people. They were plain-speaking men—farmers, tradesmen, people who lived in the daily grind. What did they care for the court, the palace, the king, the prince, his bride, or his dinner?
They did not say it quite like that, but such was their feeling. It might be a fine thing, but it was altogether out of their line. How many run in the same groove today? We have heard it said, “What has a working man to do with religion?” Others, in different social grades, claim that those in business cannot afford time for religion and must focus on the “main chance.”
The Lord have mercy upon such folly! Here is one great obstacle to the Gospel—the indifference of the human mind concerning the grandest of all conceptions: God glorifying His dear Son by having mercy upon sinners. At the bottom, the real reason for the refusal of those in the parable was disloyalty. They would not come to the supper because they saw an opportunity for the loyal to rejoice, and not being loyal, they did not wish to hear the songs and acclamations of others who were. By staying away, they insulted the king and declared they cared not whether he was a king or not, whether his son was a prince or not.
The Rejection as an Act of Rebellion
They determined to disavow their allegiance by refusing the invitation. They said, in effect, “Anyway, if he is a king and his son a prince, we will do him no honor. We will not be numbered with those who surround his board and show forth his splendor. No doubt the feast is worth having, and such a feast as there will be provided would be good for us to participate in, but for once, we will deny our appetites to indulge our pride. We proclaim a revolt. We declare we will not go.”
Ah, you who believe not in Jesus, at the root of your unbelief is enmity toward your Maker, sedition against the Great Ruler of the Universe who deserves your homage. “The ox knows his owner, and the ass his master’s crib,” but you know not, neither do you consider; you are rebels against the Majesty of Heaven! Moreover, the refusal was a slight not only to the king but to his son as well. In some cases, the Gospel is refused mainly because the unbeliever rejects the Deity of Christ or despises His atonement.
O Sirs, beware of this! I know of no rock more fatal than to dishonor Christ by denying His Sonship and His Deity! Sit not upon it, I beseech you—“Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and you perish from the way when His wrath is kindled but a little.”
Indifference and Rejection of the Feast
Indifference covered the refusal in the text. “They made light of it,” but if you take off the film, you will see that at the bottom of it was treason against the majesty of the king and a distaste for the dignity of his son. No doubt, some of them despised the feast itself. They must have known that with such a king, it could not be a starveling meal, but they pretended to despise the feast.
How many there are who despise the Gospel, not because they understand it, but because they do not understand it! I repeat—because they do not understand it! Almost invariably, when you hear a man depreciate the Gospel, you will find that he has scarcely even read the New Testament and is an utter stranger to the doctrines of grace. Listen to a man who is talkative in condemnation of the Gospel, and you may rest assured that he is loud because he is empty! If he understood the subject better, he would find, if he were indeed a man of candor, that he would at least be silent in admiration if he did not become loyal in acceptance.
The Feast: Pardon, Renewal, and Glory
Beloved friends, the feast is such as you greatly need! Let me tell you what it is. It is pardon for the past, renewal of nature for the present, and glory for the future. Here is God to be our Helper, His Son to be our Shepherd, and the Spirit to be our Instructor. Here is the Love of the Father to be our delight, the blood of the Son to be our cleansing, and the energy of the Holy Spirit to be life from the dead to us.
You cannot want anything that you ought to want, but what is provided in the Gospel. Jesus Christ will be glorified if you accept it by faith. But here is the hindrance: men do not accept it. “They would not come.”
The Difficulty of Reaching Hearts
Some of us think that if we put the Gospel in a clear light and are earnest in stating it, our hearers will be converted. God forbid we should ever do otherwise than make it plain and be earnest! But for all that, even the best ministry will be unsuccessful unless the effectual work of the Spirit is present. Still will the cry go up, “Who has believed our report?” Even those who serve their Master best will have reason to mourn that they sow on stony ground and cast their bread on thankless waters.
Even the Prince of Preachers had to say, “You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life, but you will not come to me that you might have life.” Alas, alas, that His mercy should be rejected and Heaven spurned!
The King’s Gracious Rejoinder
Now we must close with the most practical matter of consideration—the gracious rejoinder of the king to the impertinence that interfered with his plans. What did he say? You will observe that they had been invited, and then called. After the Oriental custom, the call meant that the festival was now approaching, so that they were not taken unawares but knew what they were doing. The second invitation they rejected in cold blood, deliberately, and with intent.
What did the monarch do? Set their city on fire and immediately root out the rebels? No. First, he winked at their former insolent refusal. He said to himself, “Perhaps they mistook my servants; perhaps they did not understand that the hour was come; perhaps the message that was delivered to them was too brief, and they missed its meaning.
The King’s Patience and the Second Invitation
Or if, by chance, they have fallen into some temporary enmity against me, on reconsideration, they will wish that they had not been so rude and ungenerous to me. What have I done that they should refuse my dinner? What has my son done that they should not be willing to honor him by feasting at my table? Men love feasting; my son deserves their honor—why should they not come? I will pass over the past and begin again.”
My hearers, there are many of you who have rejected Christ after many invitations. This morning, my Lord forgets your former unkindnesses and sends me again with the same message: “Come to the wedding.” It is no small patience which overlooks the past and perseveres in kindness, honestly desiring your good.
A Change of Messengers
The king sent another invitation: “All things are ready, come to the marriage.” But you will please observe that he changed the messenger. “Again, he sent forth other servants.” Yes, and I will say it—if a change of messengers will win you, much as I love the task of speaking in my Master’s name, I would gladly die now, where I am, that some other preacher might occupy this platform if thereby you might be saved!
I know my speech to some of you must be monotonous. I seek out fresh images and try to vary my voice and manner, but for all that, one man must grow stale to you when heard so often. Perhaps my modes are not the sort to touch your peculiarities of temperament. Well, good Master, set Your servant aside and consider him not! Send other messengers if they may succeed! But to some of you, I am another messenger, not a better one, but another, since my brothers have failed with you.
The Riches of the Gospel Invitation
Oh, then, when my voice cries, “Come unto Jesus! Trust in His Atonement! Believe in Him, look to Him and live!” let the new voice be successful, where former heralds have been disregarded. You notice, too, that the message was a little changed. At first, it was very short. Surely if men’s hearts were right, short sermons would be enough; a very brief invitation might suffice. But since hearts are wrong, God bids His servants enlarge, expand, and expound. “Come, for all things are ready; I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fatlings are killed, all things are ready, come to the marriage.”
Conclusion: The Feast of Love Awaits You
One of the best ways of bringing sinners to Christ is to explain the Gospel to them. If we dwell upon its preparations, if we speak of its richness and freeness, some may be attracted who the short message which merely tells the plan of Salvation might not attract. To some, it is enough to say, “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall be saved,” for they are asking, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” But others need to be attracted to the wedding feast by the description of the sumptuousness of the repast.
We must try to preach the Gospel more fully to you, but we shall never tell you of all the richness of the grace of God. As high as the heavens are above the earth, so high are His thoughts above your thoughts and His ways above your ways! Forsake your sins, and your thoughts, and turn to the Lord, for He will abundantly pardon you! He will receive you to His heart of love and give you the kiss of His affection at this hour if, like prodigal children, you come back and seek your Father’s face.
The Gospel is a river of love; it is a sea of love; it is a Heaven of love; it is a universe of love. It is all love! Words there are none fully to set forth the amazing love of God to sinners. No sin too big or too black, no crime too crimson or too cursed for pardon. If you do but look to His dear crucified Son, all manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven you!
There is forgiveness! Jesus gives repentance and remission; and then the happiness which will be brought to you here and hereafter is equally beyond description! You shall have Heaven on Earth and Heaven in Heaven. God shall be your God, Christ shall be your Friend, and eternal bliss shall be your portion!
The Invitation Stands: Come to the Feast
In this last message, the guests were pressed delicately, but still, in a way that, if they had possessed any generosity of heart at all, would have touched them. The messenger does not say, “Come, or else you will miss the feast; come, or else the king will be angry; come, come, or else you will be the losers.” No, but he puts it, as I read it, in a very remarkable way. The king makes himself the object of sympathy, as though he were an embarrassed host.
“My dinner is ready, but there is no one to eat it; my oxen and fatlings are all killed, but there are no guests. Come, come,” he seems to say, “For I am a host without guests.”
So sometimes in the Gospel, you will see God speaks as if He would represent Himself as getting an advantage by our being saved. Now we know that herein He condescends in love to speak after the manner of men; what can He gain by us? If we perish—is He the loser? But He makes Himself, often in the Gospel, like a father who yearns over His child, longing for him to come home.
Do you not feel, as it were, a sympathy with God when you see His Gospel rejected? Shall the Cross be lifted high, and none look to it? Shall Jesus die, and men not be saved by His death? O blessed Lord, we feel, if nothing else should draw us, we must come when we see, as it were, You represented as a Host under our embarrassment for lack of guests!
Great God, we come, we come right gladly! We come to participate in the bounties which You have provided and to glorify Jesus Christ by receiving, as needy sinners, that which Your Mercy has provided!
Exhortation
Since Christ finds many loath to honor Him, my exhortation is to you who love Him, honor Him the more since the world will not! You who have been compelled to come, remember to sing as you sit at His Table, and rejoice and bless His name! Next, go home and intercede for those who will not come, that the Lord will enlighten their understandings and change their wills, that they may yet be compelled to believe in Jesus.
And as for those of you who feel half-inclined this morning by the soft touches of His grace to come and feast, let me bid you come! It is a glorious Gospel—the feast is good! He is a glorious King—the Host is good! It is all good, and you shall be made good, too, if your souls accept the invitation of the Gospel which is given to you this day!
“He who believes and is baptized shall be saved: he who believes not shall be damned.” “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall be saved.” The Lord send His Spirit to make the call effectual, for His dear Son’s sake. Amen.
PORTION OF SCRIPTURE READ BEFORE SERMON—MATTHEW 21.