Translation & Sermon by Nate Wilson for Christ The Redeemer Church, Manhattan, KS, 09 Jun 2013
22:1 And in answer, Jesus again spoke to them in parables saying,
22:2 “The kingdom of the heavens is like a man – a king – who put on wedding festivities for his son,
22:3 and he sent his servants to call in those who had been invited to the wedding festivities,
yet they were not willing to come.
22:4 Again He sent other servants saying, “Tell those who have been invited, ‘Look, my first course is prepared: my steers and the grain-finished [calves] have been smoked, and all the things are prepared. Come on to the wedding festivities!’”
22:5 But the unsympathetic men went away – this one to his own field, and that one into his shop,
22:6 and the rest grabbed hold of his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them.
22:7 Now, after hearing about it, that king was enraged,
and sent his armies who destroyed those murderers and set fire to their city.
22:8 Then he says to his servants, “On the one hand, a wedding is prepared, but on the other hand, the men who have been invited have not been worthy, 22:9 therefore, proceed to the ends of the roads and call in as many as ever y’all happen to find to the wedding festivities!”
22:10 So, after going out into the roads, those servants gathered together all of them, as many as they could find – evil men as well as good men, and the wedding-venue was filled with seated [guests].
22:11 Now when the king came in to view those who were seated, he saw there a man who had not clothed himself with wedding clothes,
22:12 and he says to him, “Hey, how did you get in here without having wedding clothes?”
And he was silenced.
22:13 Then the King said to the waiters, “After you have tied him hand and foot, remove him and throw him out into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth,
22:14 for many are called, yet few are chosen.”
In the year 2002, an acquaintance of mine published the testimony of a Chinese pastor named Brother Yun[1]. In this book, entitled The Heavenly Man, this Chinese pastor describes what happened after he arranged a three-day seminar with Christians some distance from his hometown: “On the first day, I shared the history of the cross throughout church history and missions. On the second day… [s]uddenly I heard a loud noise! Several PSB officers kicked down the door… They… took a rope and tightly bound my arms behind my back, as well as binding the rope around my chest, back, and waist. One of the officers noticed a red wooden cross that was attached to the wall… They tore the cross from the wall and tied it to my back with the ropes. Then they started to kick me furiously. Blows rained down on my legs, arms, chest and ribs… For the first time I had the honour of literally bearing the cross of Christ on my body! They triumphantly marched me off, bloodied and bruised, to Shangman township. I was reminded of the verse, ‘For it seems to me that God has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession, like men condemned to die in the arena,’ 1 Cor. 4:9... As I was paraded through the streets, a police car drove slowly in front. Through a loudspeaker they proclaimed, ‘This man came from Henan to preach Jesus. He has seriously disturbed the peace. He had confused the people. Today the Public Security Bureau has captured him. We will punish him severely.”
22:1 And in answer, Jesus again spoke to them in parables saying,
Και αποκριθεις ‘ο Ιησους παλιν ειπεν αυτοις εν παραβολαις λεγων,
22:2 “The kingdom of the heavens is like a man – a king – who put on wedding festivities for his son,
‘Ωμοιωθη ‘η βασιλεια των ουρανων ανθρωπω βασιλει ‘οστις εποιησεν γαμους τω υιω αυτου
22:3 and he sent his servants to call in those who had been invited to the wedding festivities, yet they were not willing to come.
και απεστειλεν τους δουλους αυτου καλεσαι τους κεκλημενους εις τους γαμους και ουκ ηθελον ελθειν.
22:4 Again He sent other servants saying, “Tell those who have been invited, ‘Look, my first-course is prepared: my steers and the grain-finished [calves] have been smoked, and all the things are prepared. Come on to the wedding festivities!’”
Παλιν απεστειλεν αλλους δουλους λεγων Ειπατε τοις κεκλημενοις Ιδου το αριστον μου ‘ητοιμασα[8] ‘οι ταυροι μου και τα σιτιστα τεθυμενα και παντα ‘ετοιμα δευτε εις τους γαμους
22:5 But the unsympathetic men went away, this one to his own field, and that one into his shop,
‘οι δε αμελησαντες απηλθον ‘ο[13] μεν εις τον ιδιον αγρον ‘ο δε εις[14] την εμποριαν[15] αυτου
22:6 and the rest grabbed hold of his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them.
‘οι δε λοιποι κρατησαντες τους δουλους αυτου ‘υβρισαν και απεκτειναν
22:7 Now, after hearing about it, that king was enraged, and sent his armies [troops] who destroyed those murderers and set fire to their city.
ακουσας[19] δε[20] ‘ο βασιλευς [εκεινος[21]] ωργισθη και πεμψας τα στρατευματα αυτου απωλεσεν τους φονεις εκεινους και την πολιν αυτων ενεπρησεν
22:8 Then he says to his servants, “On the one hand, a wedding is prepared, but on the other hand, the men who have been invited have not been worthy,
τοτε λεγει τοις δουλοις αυτου ‘ο μεν γαμος ‘ετοιμος εστιν ‘οι δε κεκλημενοι ουκ ησαν αξιοι
22:9 therefore, proceed to the ends of the roads and call in [invite] as many as ever y’all happen to find to the wedding festivities!”
πορευεσθε ουν επι τας διεξοδους των ‘οδων και ‘οσους εαν[23] ‘ευρητε καλεσατε εις τους γαμους
22:10 So after going out into the roads, those servants gathered together all of them, as many as they could find – evil men as well as good men, and the wedding-venue was filled with seated [guests].
και εξελθοντες ‘οι δουλοι εκεινοι εις τας ‘οδους συνηγαγον παντας [‘ος]ους[26] ‘ευρον πονηρους τε και αγαθους και επλησθη ‘ο γαμος[27] ανακειμενων
22:11 Now when the king came in to view those who were seated, he saw there a man who had not clothed himself with wedding clothes,
εισελθων δε ‘ο βασιλευς θεασασθαι τους ανακειμενους ειδεν εκει ανθρωπον ουκ ενδεδυμενον ενδυμα γαμου
22:12 and he says to him, “Hey, how did you get in here without having wedding clothes?” And he was silenced.
και λεγει αυτω ‘Εταιρε πῶς εισηλθες ‘ωδε μη εχων ενδυμα γαμου ‘ο δε εφιμωθη
22:13 Then the King said to the waiters [attendants][34], “After you have tied him hand and foot, remove him and throw him out into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth,
τοτε ειπεν ‘ο βασιλευς τοις διακονοις Δησαντες αυτου ποδας και χειρας [αρατε και[35]] εκβαλετε αυτον εις το σκοτος το εξωτερον εκει εσται ‘ο κλαυθμος και ‘ο βρυγμος των οδοντων
22:14 for many are called [invited], yet few are chosen.”
πολλοι γαρ εισιν κλητοι ολιγοι δε εκλεκτοι
I) Humble yourself before God the King:
· Romans 9:11[42] and 2 Timothy 1:9[43] tell us that, just like Jacob and Esau, God does not choose us based on what we will do but based on who God is.
· And 1 Corinthians 1:26-29[44] tells us that God does not choose to save people because of who they are, but rather He saves weak and helpless people “so that nobody can boast” that they earned their salvation.
· Rather, we are chosen “so that we will know the riches of His glory” (Ephesians 1:18[45]) and “that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” (1 Peter 2:9, ESV)
· So, if we believe in this sovereign God and in the goodness of His invitation to eternal life, that is the first step.
II) Respond to the invitation by calling upon the name of Jesus and living in holiness:
· Honor Jesus – the Son of God and heir of the kingdom – as your Lord, your spiritual husband who weds you as part of the church to God. The bride price, in Jesus’ case, was His blood, shed on the cross to redeem us from our sins which had estranged us from God.[46]
· 1 Corinthians 1:1-2[47] teaches us that those who have been “invited” or “called” by God respond by “calling upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord” and are “made holy by Christ Jesus.” Calling and election are connected as we say, “Jesus, I swear loyalty to You as my new King; I ask You to keep me safe from all that is evil in this world, and I want the world to know that I am special to You.”
· That’s one way we can apply Hebrews 3:1, which says, “Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest of our confession” (NASB).
· But it doesn’t stop at thinking these thoughts. Calling and choice are connected as we “live in a manner consistent with the calling with which you have been called…” (Eph. 4:1, NAW). In the words of 2 Thess. 1:11 this means using the “power of God” to “fulfill every desire for goodness and [every] work of faith” (NASB).[48]
III) Persevere faithfully until the end of the process:
· The Greek word for “church” (ekklesia) literally means the “called-out ones.” Being part of the church – the bride of Christ – means, not only supporting “the wedding,” but also living the rest of your life as part of God’s family, seeing out to the end those processes which God is bringing about in us.
· Romans 8:28-30 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified. (NASB)
· You see, there’s a process by which we live in relationship with Jesus as holy people, and it is not completed until we die and go to heaven. That’s why the Apostle Paul wrote in Philippians 3:14 “I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (NASB).
· The Apostle Peter also wrote of this process of walking in holiness (a.k.a. sanctification) in 2 Peter 1:3-11 “…His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence ... Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love... Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble; for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you” (NASB).
If you 1) humble yourself before the King of the Universe and 2) enter into relationship with His Son Jesus and 3) stick with the processes of holiness that He leads you through, you can be “certain you are both called and chosen.” I look forward to seeing you at the wedding feast of the Lamb (Rev. 19:7-8) in heaven!
[1] The Heavenly Man: the remarkable true story of Chinese Christian Brother Yun, pp. 61-63.
[2] If you’re reading from the King James Version, you see that Jesus told this parable of the wedding feast as an “answer” to something. For some reason, the KJV translations are the only ones which translate this Greek word into English; the rest just skip the Greek word for “answering,” probably because the context does not record an explicit question addressed to Jesus. I suggest that it is nevertheless an answer to the attitudes and plans of the Pharisees and priests, who, we are told in the previous verse (21:46), wanted to arrest Him.
[3] The Greek word behind it, gamous, is rooted in the Greek word for “woman,” and is used in the Bible to indicate the festivities (the word is plural) of wedding a woman to a man, not merely the dinner alone. In Rev. 19:9, when the wedding dinner is specified, it adds an additional Greek word for “dinner.”
[4] A.T. Robertson: “[S]ome scholars consider this merely Matthew’s version of the Lucan parable in the wrong place because of Matthew’s habit of grouping the sayings of Jesus. But that is a gratuitous indictment of Matthew’s report which definitely locates the parable here by palin.”
[5] There is no mention of anyone declining their first invitation. Bailey suggests that acting like they accepted the initial invitation then turning the second invitation down at the last minute was terribly rude; the equivalent in our culture of accepting an invitation to dinner at someone else’s house, arriving on time and sitting in the dining room, then getting up and leaving as soon as your host calls you to sit down at the table. On the other hand, Hendricksen notes that in that culture, it would have been rude for a guest to accept the first invitation because guests were supposed to be invited multiple times first. So I don’t think much should be made of this point.
[6] Hendricksen noted the following scriptural parallels: Psalm 95:10; Isa. 1:2-15; 5:4, and Jer. 7:25-26.
[7] Jesus Himself also set forth invitations (Matt. 11:28. “Come unto me all who are laden…” and John 7:37 “Whoever thirsts let him come...”), as did the martyrs and apostles after Him, but to include them might confuse the flow of the parable itself.
[8] The Aorist tense spelling above is that of the Majority (including W, Θ, and f13), but Critical editions of the Greek New Testament (GNT) spell it in the Perfect tense (ητοιμακα), following א, B, C, D, L, and f1. All the standard English versions translate it Perfect tense anyway.
[9] These three references are the only other occurrences of the word in the Greek Bible.
[10] Cf. Luke 15:23 “the fatted calf” τον μοσχον τον σιτευτον – also in Judg. 6:25-28 and Jer. 46:21.
[11] Although grain-fattened poultry is mentioned in one other place in the Bible (1 Ki. 4:23 “choice, grain-fed birds” ὀρνίθων ἐκλεκτῶν, σιτευτά)
[12] Thayer uses the word “immolate” to define this verb. Theuw is usually translated “sacrifice,” and includes not only the slaughter of the animal, but also the preparing of the meat as food for a god by burning it up or preparing it as food for humans as a fellowship meal by cooking it. Arndt and Gingrich do record some extra-Biblical instances of the simpler meaning of “kill,” though.
[13] The Critical editions of the GNT have a relative pronoun (‘ος) here and a little later on in the verse instead of the definite article found in the majority of Greek manuscripts. Nestle-Aland’s edition doesn’t explain why. Both words can serve much the same purpose, however, and all the standard English versions render it the same way, whether they follow the Critical or the Textus Receptus (TR) Greek.
[14] Critical editions have a slightly different preposition (επι = “upon”), but no explanation as to why, so I kept the text of the Majority of Greek manuscripts. All the standard English versions render it “to,” whether they follow the Critical or the TR.
[15] This is the only NT use of this word. It is found 10 other places in the O.T.: Isa. 23:18; 45:14; Ezek. 27:13-24; 28:5-18; Nahum 3:16.
[16] Jer. 4:17 …they have surrounded her; because thou, saith the Lord, has neglected me. | Jer. 38:32b …they abode not in my covenant, and I disregarded them, saith the Lord. (Brenton, quoted in Heb. 8:9) | 1Tim. 4:14a Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you… | Heb 2:3a how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? (NASB)
[17] Later on in v.6, a participle preceded by a definite article is translated as the subject by most English versions, and the grammar structure is identical here.
[18] Chrysostom felt they were valid excuses, and he was much closer to the language and time of Jesus, so I shouldn’t be too dogmatic here. Nevertheless Chrysostom admits that they were “excuses, putting forward these things as cloak for their negligence.”
[19] This word is omitted by three ancient Greek manuscripts (א, B, L – and f1), so it is omitted in Critical editions. (In v.10, however, the Critical editors reject the agreement of א, B, & L.) It has plenty of ancient support (C, D, W, Θ, f13, and the Byzantine and Textus Receptus editions of the GNT, plus the majority of Latin translations), so I think it should be kept. Only the English translations that follow the TR include it.
[20] The majority of Greek manuscripts have the conjunction kai instead of de, but for some reason, not even the TR or Byzantine editions follow the majority here, so I’m choosing to go with the editors here. Besides, these two conjunctions can be translated much the same way. All the English versions render it “but” – except for the ESV and NIV which overlook the conjunction altogether.
[21] Although in the majority of Greek manuscripts, this word is not in the Textus Receptus (TR), and also not in some Patristic editions (not in my 1904 edition published by e-sword, but is in my 1990 edition from Athens). Its only ancient manuscript support is C, D, and W. It’s not found in any standard English versions, but it doesn’t change the meaning of anything to include it.
[22] Setting fire to a city after conquering it was common practice in the O.T.: Numbers 31:10; Joshua 6:24; 8:19; 11:13; Judges 1:8; 18:27; Jeremiah 52:13
[23] The TR follows the majority of manuscripts in spelling this word without the epsilon at the beginning, which doesn’t essentially change its meaning, although it can make the word a little less emphatic. It makes no difference in the English translations. I’m following the agreement of the Patristic and Critical editions here.
[24] In the remaining cases, the word is used for the terminus of a body of water, where you chase a river all the way back to its source (2 Kings 2:21, Psalm 1:3, 107:33-35 119:136), or for the terminus of life – i.e. death (Ps. 68:20, 144:14?). About three-quarters of the 25 occurrences of this word in the Old Testament show up in the books of Numbers and Joshua, where the tribes of Israel are settling into the Promised Land and setting all their boundaries.
[25] This is my rendering of the Subjunctive mood of heurete – the uncertainty indicated by this mood is over how many the total will be.
[26] On the basis of 3 ancient manuscripts (א, B, D), Critical editions use the simple relative pronoun without the correlative prefix hos-. But it’s clearly in the Majority with ancient support from C, L, W, and Θ. Among the English versions, only the KJV retains the correlative “as many as;” the NKJ and ESV use the simple relative “whom;” the NAS uncharacteristically skips it altogether, and the NIV periphrastically translates it “the people.”
[27] Three ancient Greek manuscripts (א, B, L) substitute the synonym nymphwn here. In addition, a couple of ancient manuscripts (D, Θ, f13) add a definite article (twn), but in neither case is the meaning changed.
[28] Bailey noted that this was a direct assault on the Jews’ conception, as recorded in the Isaiah Targum, the Book of Enoch, and the Dead Sea Scrolls, of who would be at the end-time messianic feast. They believed only perfect Jewish people would be there, but Jesus is telling them that imperfect people and even Gentiles will be there.
[29] This “man” without the wedding garment is the antitype of the other “man” introduced to us in v.2 as the king. Unfortunately, most of our English translations skip the Greek word for “man” in the introduction of v.2, but it is there.
[30] In Greek, the word for “clothes” and the word for “had on/dressed/wearing” share the same root, so I tried to carry that over into English with “clothed… clothes.” Furthermore, the verb is Perfect tense and Middle voice, indicating an action that had happened in the past, and was something he did to himself, therefore I rendered it, “had not clothed himself…”
[31] Cf. Samson’s wager in Judges 14 where the winner would have to provide clothes for the 30 people in the wedding party; also Ezekiel’s parable of the bride of Christ in chapter 16 where God cleans and dresses the girl up before marrying her; and the end-time wedding feast of the Lamb in Rev. 19:7-8, where wedding clothes are given to the bride.
[32] “This distinction between the two negative particles rests on the law of the Greek language, according to which οὐ and its compounds stand where something is to be denied as a matter of fact, and μὴ and its compounds when something is to be denied as a matter of thought.” ~Vincent
[33] All the other instances of this verb in the Bible bear this meaning out: Deuteronomy 25:4; Mark 1:25; 4:39; Luke 4:35; 1 Corinthians 9:9; 1 Timothy 5:18; 1 Peter 2:15.
[34] Here, the king’s men are called deacons instead of the douloi (who delivered the messages earlier in the parable).
[35] Although in the Majority of Greek manuscripts, including several ancient ones (C, D, W), this additional clause “take him away and,” is not to be found in several ancient Greek manuscripts (א, B, L, Θ, f1, f13), the Critical editions, the Vulgate, and the English versions which follow the Critical editions (ESV, NAS, NIV, etc.). Since “throwing him out” would involve “taking him away” from the banquet hall as well, it doesn’t change the story, but merely adds emphasis to the removal of the offender.
[36] These are trademark phrases from Matthew, found nowhere else in the Bible; Cf. Mat 8:12; 13:42; 13:50; 22:13; 24:51, 25:30.
[37] For instance: Paul Hamelryck wrote, “What must we bring to the wedding celebration? … Would it be burnt offerings and sacrifices? Maybe huge tithes checks? ... No, none of that. Bring your heart. Bring it broken and crushed with repentance. That is your garment that you put on at this feast. The gift is the heart and the garment is your brokenness.” (cf. Psalm 51:15-17)
[38] Exodus 12:16; Leviticus 23:2-37; Numbers 28:25; 2 Samuel 15:11; 1 Kings 1:41,49; Zephaniah 1:7
[39] Matthew 22:14; Romans 1:1,6,7; 8:28; 1 Corinthians 1:1,2,24; Jude 1:1; Revelation 17:14
[40] Matthew 22:14; 24:22-31; Mark 13:20-27; Luke 18:7; 23:35; Romans 8:33; 16:13; Colossians 3:12; 1 Timothy 5:21; 2 Timothy 2:10; Titus 1:1; 1 Peter 1:1; 2:4-9; 2 John 1:1,13; Revelation 17:14. In the Greek Old Testament, the word for “chosen” has a range of use about as wide as our English word “chosen.”
[41] The application of the parable might be stretched additionally to say that some who would try to associate themselves with the benefits of the Messiah’s kingdom without submitting themselves to God’s will (e.g. 1 John 2:19, Jude 4, etc.), and the same consequence will befall them.
[42] Rom. 9:11 “[F]or though the twins were not yet born and had not done anything good or bad, so that God's purpose according to His choice would stand, not because of works but because of Him who calls.” (NASB)
[43] 2 Timothy 1:9 who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity, (NASB)
[44] 1 Cor. 1:26-29 “For y’all see your calling, brothers, that not many were wise according to the flesh, not many were powerful, not many were upper-class. But it was the stupid ones of the world God chose for Himself in order that He might put down the strength of the wise men, and it was the weak ones of the world God chose for Himself in order that He might put down the strength of the strong, and the ones without class of the world and the ones that have been despised God chose for Himself and the ones who do not exist in order that He might put out of commission the ones that do exist, so that all flesh might not boast before the face of God.” (NAW)
[45] Ephesians 1:18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, (NASB)
[46] The ancient preacher Chrysostom made much of the fact that the wedding feast parable came after the parable of the death of the landowner’s son, for it was after Jesus’ death and resurrection that He was raised to His husbandly status for the church.
[47] 1 Cor. 1:1-2 Paul, a called apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes, the brother. To: the church of God which exists in Corinth, having been made holy by Christ Jesus, the called saints together with all those who call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord in every place – theirs and ours. (NAW)
[48] cf. Rev. 17:14 “…those with him are called and chosen and faithful." (ESV)