The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 2 — Section 386

Ver. 9.-The free invitatwn of the gospel. There is an immedie.te reference to those whom our Lord addressed in this parable. He was speaking to men who prided them- selves on being in the specie.I favour of God-God's invited guests. Our Lord was bringing home to their hearts the consequences of the Jewish neglect of God's last invitation. 1. The Jews, as a nation, must be destroyed. 2. The Gentiles, as indi.-iduals, most be drawn into the Divine favour. Those Jews had conceived that the Divine favour was held in strict limitations. It belonged exclusively to those who were of Abraham's seed. And this idea had led them tp presume; and in their pride they even rejected God's Son. They felt as if they might do as they pleased even with the invitation to the feast. Compare the we.yin which St. Paul found it neces- sary to turn away from the Jews, and give free offer of eternal life to. the Gentiles. l. THE GOSPEL IS OFFERED TO THOSE W11O ll.AVE NO NATURAL CLAIM TO IT, These folk in the highways had no claims of birth, or education, or fitness. They were just men who wanted food; and to them the offer of food was made. The gospel goes beyond all the special claims and rights that men think they have, and just deals with men as men-with men as sinful men; with men as having lost by their sin even their natural rights to the favour of God. It is not until we can give up all confidence in our own merit that we are prepared to hear the gospel message, "Whosoever will, let him come." Il. TnE GOSPEL IS OFFERED TO THOSE W11O ll.AVE l!l'O DISPOSITION TOWARD IT. These folk in the highway, perhaps, had not even heard of the king's marriage feast. If they had, it never entered their heads that they would like to be guests at it. It was no place for such as they were. Some of them were beggars at the wayside. All of them were in their workday clothes. A comfortable meal at home they would enjoy much more than a grand feast at the palace. It was even needful to use forceful persuasions, and compel them to come in. Still, we are confronted by this difficulty-so many have to be 'fTl,(],{U to want and welcome the gospel; to be taught their need, and to be per- suaded that the fulness of Divine provision is really opened to them. The gospel is offered freely to whoBOeTJer will, but the work is committed to Christ's servants of making men un1/, to receive the gospel. "We persuade men."-R. 'l'. Ver. 12.-Wi"lfulneas rpo{l,ing our blaaings. "Not having a wedding garment." The incident is a distinctly Eastern one. So motley a crowd would be very out of place in a king's palace. It was not only kindly consideration which provided an -all- covering, handsome robe for guests whose own clothes were shabby; it was a sense of appropriatene&6 which required all the guests to be suitably arrayed. In treating this parable it should be kept in mind that he who gave the feast was a king, and so sent his invitations, and made his e.rrangementB and conaitions, with an authority which all were bound to respect. As illustration of this custom, it may be mentioned that, "every guest invited to the wedding at the royal marriage of Sultan Mahmoud, had made expressly for him, at the expense of the sultan, a wedding gn.rment. No one, hi>wever dignified his station, was permitted to enter into the presence-chamber of that tiovereign without a ch-inge of 1eiment. This was formerly the universal custom in t'he East." L TH.£ RIWION FOB BJWi"(UNG Iii' THIS PABTIOULAB HAN, It is an unexpected IIW.ition to the parable, and at fint one does not see how its point of tee.ohing bears on, on. x,111, 1-46.] THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW. 391