From Matthew 22:1-14 / “Have it your way”

We now come to the end of this particular exchange with the Jewish leadership at the Temple. In it, Jesus advances a third parable. Their response, will in fact be a living out of the parable’s point – they will seek to disregard His words, and plot His downfall.

Now as is true with all the parables, we must be careful not to force them to walk on all fours. I.e. we must not try to over-strain each detail. The general concepts are what is being majored on, not the minutia.

In the end, there are three main thoughts:

a. God has been sending out invitations to celebrate His Son’s wedding since the proto-evangel in Genesis 3:15. The majority of those who had the most personal of invitations – have responded either with indifference, or outright hostility. Now that the Son has actually come, He has sent to all once again saying: “You knew the day was coming, now it’s here – come and dine. Celebrate My Son with Me.” The overwhelming response was – “no.” And so the King widened the circle of those invited, to include those outside the original circle who had been so favored from the beginning.

Many are the excuses for failure to hear the great invitation of the Gospel.

a. Simple Unwillingness (v3). We just don’t want what you have to offer. We have other things we want more. We want what pleases us more.

b. Indifference (v5). We just don’t care about what you care about. It doesn’t interest us at all. We have no taste for your “food”.

c. Opposition (v6). We utterly oppose you and what you offer. We disdain you and what you have.

d. Self-Determination (v11). We want what you offer, but on our own terms. We are sufficient in ourselves.

Any and all 4 attitudes toward the Gospel bring the same judgment.

Note that the very point of this parable is that there is a prepared sufficiency for a guest list who decline to take advantage of it. The invitation is issued on the basis of what has been made ready. The preaching of the Gospel must always rest on the fact that God has already made every preparation, and that the invitation is personal.

Jonathan Edwards preached: “Come to Christ and accept salvation. You are invited to come to Christ, heartily to close with Him, and to trust in Him for salvation. If you do so, you shall have the benefit of His glorious contrivance. You shall have the benefit of all, as much as if the whole had been contrived for you alone. God has already contrived everything that is needful for your salvation; and there is nothing wanting but your consent. Since God has taken this matter of the redemption of sinners into His own hand, He has made a thorough work of it. He has not left it for you to finish. Satisfaction is already made; righteousness is already wrought out; death and hell are already conquered. The Redeemer has already taken possession of glory, and keeps it in His hands to bestow on them who come to Him. There were many difficulties in the way, but they are all removed. The Savior has already triumphed over all, and is at the right hand of God to give eternal life to His people. Salvation is already brought to your door; and the Savior stands, knocks, and calls that you would open to Him so that He might bring it to you. There remains nothing but your consent. All the difficulty now remaining is with your own heart. If you perish now, it must be wholly at your door. It must be because you would not come to Christ that you might have life, and because you virtually choose death rather than life.” – (Sermon on Matt. 23:37. Quoted from Soli Deo Gloria’s Devotions from the Pen of Jonathan Edwards.)

b. Many of those outside of the original circles will respond favorably, and mindful of the context of a royal wedding will arrive having dressed appropriately. They will seek to honor the King and His Son.

Here is glory of the Gospel unfolded. What others who have been privileged to be the first invitees may discard for whatever their reasons; there are so very many yet whose eyes are opened to the wonder of such grace, and will flock to respond. Prostitutes. Tax collectors. Murderers. Adulterers. Sexually immoral. Thieves. Abusers. The weak and the heavy laden with their sins. Men and women like you and me – from every tribe, tongue, strata of society and unclean in every way – hear a call, recognize it for what it is, and come. Even as the Spirit and the Bride still say come. Come recognize the glory and authority of the King. Come celebrate how His Son has made a Bride who is adorned without spot or wrinkle, washed in the blood of The Lamb. Rejoice in His saving grace and glorious provision for all their lack.

c. Some, having heard the more general invitation, will seek to respond and desire the joy and privileges of a such a celebration, but will try to do so on their own terms. Their thought is not to honor the King or His Son, but to simply get in on the benefits. Such will be cast out.

The object here is that one came in, or tried to, who nonetheless did not want to abide by the terms of being there. As a wedding guest, a wedding garment was appropriate. He did not wish to comply. He wanted to partake of the feast, but on his own terms. And that is unacceptable.

Throughout the Old Testament, God gives very specific instructions regarding how He is to be approached and worshipped. Men were not just free to make up their own minds about what that looked like. So it is we have more than 60 references to unacceptable worship in the “high places.” Places where the Jews built their own shrines. First, ostensibly to worship God nearer to home, to avoid the ardor of Temple worship, and second, those became places of idol worship. As early as Exodus 20 God gives instructions on what kinds of altars they could make and what kind He would not approve. And how each sacrifice had to follow prescribed features or they would not be acceptable.

Acceptable worship is not a matter of personal choice, preference or creativity. We must inquire into who He wants to be worshipped and what that looks like. We must see it first and foremost as honoring The King, and His Son.

We must be clothed in the righteousness of Christ if we are to be partakers of the glories He has for us. We cannot come on our own terms – we must come on His. We must believe His Gospel. We must trust Him as the only sacrifice acceptable to the Father on behalf of our sins. We must follow Him as He calls us. We must love His people, seek His glory, seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, advance His causes and obey Him as Lord.

Certainly, we will fail in doing them all perfectly. Certainly we will need to grow in grace. We will falter at times. Fall at times. Grow weary at times. Doubt at times. But for those who are His, we will seek to live on His terms. To do what is right and fitting as His own, purchased with His blood. We will not balk at the terms and conditions He has set.