Matthew 22
SIBMatthew 22:1-14
The marriage feast denotes the gospel dispensation, in which Jesus Christ, as the Bridegroom of souls, and all the rich fulness of God in him, are offered by God to sinful men. The servants are John Baptist, Christ and his apostles and ministers, who invite and encourage men to receive the same. All things were ready when Christ had suffered, risen again, and ascended to glory, and the Holy Ghost was poured out in a plentiful and miraculous manner. The refusers and contemners of the feast, and murderers of the messengers, are the Jews, who not only rejected the offers of the gospel, but persecuted and murdered the preachers of it; and on that account their cities and temple were soon afterwards burnt, themselves murdered in multitudes, their land desolated, and their constitution, in both church and state, miserably broken to pieces. Those called from the highways are the sinful Gentiles of every rank and condition, or greater and lesser sinners, who, by the preaching of the gospel, are invited and converted to Christ and his church. The man without the wedding garment denotes hypocritical professors, who take their place as members of the church without receiving Christ and his righteousness, or being renewed in holiness after his image; and whose end will be redoubled and everlasting destruction. 20, 21. Since, by your using the Roman emperor’s money, ye have acknowledged yourselves his subjects, therefore ye ought, in civil concerns, to return him the tribute of that which, by the authority and protection of his government, ye receive from him; as well as, in religious concerns, to render unto God the homage and acknowledgments which are due to him as Lord of all. 31, 32. God’s calling himself the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, after they had been long dead, plainly imported that they continued still the sons of God, waiting for the redemption of their bodies; and that their bodies, which still remained in covenant with him, as well as their souls, could not be suffered always to abide in a state of death
Matthew 22:40
These two commandments include the substance of the whole moral law, which is fundamental to all true religion. They include the whole natural law, which was originally written in the heart of man; the obligation of which can never be dissolved, and which all the revelations of God are founded on and designed to enforce
Matthew 22:46
The scribes and Pharisees were either ignorant or unwilling to acknowledge that the Messiah who in his human nature was a descendant of David, in his divine nature was God over all
REFLECTIONS UPON CHAP. XXII.—Infinite is the mercy of God in making a new covenant and New Testament dispensation of his grace for sinners of mankind; and that his invitations to partake of it are so unlimited, earnest, and so often repeated! Fearful then is their guilt, and dreadful their punishment, who decline his offers, persecute his ministers, or presume to be Christians without Jesus’ righteousness imputed to, and his grace implanted in, their soul. Why should we dissemble before the all-seeing Redeemer? Rather let us tremble to reflect that so many are outwardly, and so few effectually, called according to his purpose:—that many, instead of believing the gospel, should occupy themselves in disputes against the truth, or endeavour to entangle its preachers. And all, but especially ministers, have great need to answer captious questions with caution; and duly to connect our duty to magistrates with that which we owe to God. And it is no wonder that men are embarrassed who are ignorant of God’s power and word.—Happy is that new covenant relation to God, which secures blessedness here and to eternity, when all the fashions and connections of this world shall be no more! But how extensive is our duty to God and to men—and how delightful to a renewed heart! Love to my God and my neighbour is the fulfilling of the law. Great is the mystery of godliness—God made manifest in the flesh! What think I of this Christ? Is he my Saviour, and my ALL IN ALL? Let me then, in holy diligence, in cautious prudence, and in readiness to render a reason of the hope that is in me, follow him while I live: and endeavour to turn every perplexing question into important and useful hints and inquiries, for my real instruction