Matthew 22:1–14

Bible Studies for Life
Assistant Professor of Religion, Department of Religion, Samford University

COME ONE, COME ALL
Matthew 22:1–14
In Matthew, after His triumphal entry, Jesus cleanses the temple (21:1–17) presenting the religious establishment as being under God’s judgment. As the leaders in that establishment, the priests and scribes question Jesus’ right to engage in such action. The chief priests ask, “By what authority are You doing these things?” (Matt. 21:23).
Discerning impure motives, Jesus does not answer them directly. Instead He responds by teaching in parables about unexpected participants in the Kingdom taking the place of those who expect to be there (Matt. 21:28–44).
As Matthew notes, “When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard His parables, they knew He was speaking about them” (21:45). Jesus will make this point again by comparing God’s Kingdom to a king giving a banquet.

Insiders Become Outsiders (1–7)
Jesus often associates God’s Kingdom with feasting. This association is drawn from the Old Testament, where God’s ultimate salvation is described as “a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine” (Isa. 25:6). Earlier in Matthew, after seeing the faith of a Roman centurion, Jesus declares, “I assure you: I have not found anyone in Israel with so great a faith! I tell you that many will come from east and west, and recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven” (8:10–11). Similarly, at the Last Supper, Jesus refers to the place of food and drink in the Kingdom when He says, “But I tell you, from this moment I will not drink of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it in a new way in my Father’s Kingdom with you” (Matt. 26:29). In presenting the Kingdom in terms of feasting, Jesus emphasizes joy and celebration.

This presentation of the Kingdom as a festive occasion continues with Jesus’ parable. Jesus says a king sent out his slaves to call the invited. Eager to fellowship with those invited, the king sent this invitation more than once.
Unfortunately those invited did not respond positively. In turn, the king sent his troops to subdue the rebellious invitees, burning their city in the process.

This parable clearly points to the unresponsiveness of the Jewish people to Jesus. Why more Jews did not respond to Jesus more favorably is certainly a mystery. The apostle Paul struggled with this question in Romans 9–11. Indeed it may be most important for Christians to remember Paul’s warning to his Gentile audience: “[D]o not brag that you are better than those branches. … For if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you either” (Rom. 11:18, 21). Whether Jew then or Christian now, religious insiders must always be vigilant against presumption, for, while our union with Christ is secure, the Holy Spirit’s empowerment may be stifled by our self-righteousness.

New Insiders Invited and Imposters Expelled (8–14)
Since those originally invited did not respond appropriately, the king sent for new guests. Jesus refers to these new guests as outsiders — they lived beyond the boundaries. This group consisted of those from various social situations. Further, since the new guests are referred to as “both evil and good,” their inclusion was based on the king’s gracious invitation. Their acceptance of the invitation is what matters. Their place in the banquet is another indication that in the Kingdom, the first will be last and the last will be first. This aspect of the parable challenges comfortable Christianity. It is easy to maintain associations with those like oneself. Reaching out beyond one’s boundaries is often high in risk and low in reward. Yet this is what Jesus requires of Kingdom participants. The Kingdom’s celebration of God’s love in Jesus Christ must be extended without condition.

This parable ends by showing even among the new insiders there may be imposters — those who do not honor the king but are there for self-presentation. Nevertheless, these imposters will be found out, as were the first insiders. Of course, we must leave this task to God alone; only God can judge the heart.