St Matthew Chapter XXII : Verses 1-14
Contents
- Matt. xxii. 1-14. Douay-Rheims text & Latin text (Vulgate).
- Notes on the text.
Matt. xxii. 1-14
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| The king saw there a man who had not on a wedding garment. Goya. 1796-7. Fundación Goya, Aragón. |
Et respondens Jesus, dixit iterum in parabolis eis, dicens :
2 The kingdom of heaven is likened to a king, who made a marriage for his son.
Simile factum est regnum cælorum homini regi, qui fecit nuptias filio suo.
3 And he sent his servants, to call them that were invited to the marriage; and they would not come.
Et misit servos suos vocare invitatos ad nuptias, et nolebant venire.
4 Again he sent other servants, saying: Tell them that were invited, Behold, I have prepared my dinner; my calves and fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come ye to the marriage.
Iterum misit alios servos, dicens : Dicite invitatis : Ecce prandium meum paravi, tauri mei et altilia occisa sunt, et omnia parata : venite ad nuptias.
5 But they neglected, and went their own ways, one to his farm, and another to his merchandise.
Illi autem neglexerunt : et abierunt, alius in villam suam, alius vero ad negotiationem suam :
6 And the rest laid hands on his servants, and having treated them contumeliously, put them to death.
reliqui vero tenuerunt servos ejus, et contumeliis affectos occiderunt.
7 But when the king had heard of it, he was angry, and sending his armies, he destroyed those murderers, and burnt their city.
Rex autem cum audisset, iratus est : et missis exercitibus suis, perdidit homicidas illos, et civitatem illorum succendit.
8 Then he saith to his servants: The marriage indeed is ready; but they that were invited were not worthy.
Tunc ait servis suis : Nuptiæ quidem paratæ sunt, sed qui invitati erant, non fuerunt digni :
9 Go ye therefore into the highways; and as many as you shall find, call to the marriage.
ite ergo ad exitus viarum, et quoscumque inveneritis, vocate ad nuptias.
10 And his servants going forth into the ways, gathered together all that they found, both bad and good: and the marriage was filled with guests.
Et egressi servi ejus in vias, congregaverunt omnes quos invenerunt, malos et bonos : et impletæ sunt nuptiæ discumbentium.
11 And the king went in to see the guests: and he saw there a man who had not on a wedding garment.
Intravit autem rex ut viderent discumbentes, et vidit ibi hominem non vestitum veste nuptiali.
12 And he saith to him: Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? But he was silent.
Et ait illi : Amice, quomodo huc intrasti non habens vestem nuptialem? At ille obmutavit.
13 Then the king said to the waiters: Bind his hands and feet, and cast him into the exterior darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Tunc dicit rex ministris : Ligatis manibus et pedibus ejus, mittite eum in tenebras exteriores : ibi erit fletus et stridor dentium.
14 For many are called, but few are chosen.
Multi enim sunt vocati, pauci vero electi.
Notes
Note. — This is the third parable which preceded our Lord’s final contest with the Scribes and Pharisees, related in xxii. 15-46. Each parable, in turn, unfolded more clearly the ultimate rejection of the Scribes and the Pharisees, whom our Lord solemnly denounced in His great “woe’’ speech (see ch. xxiii. 1-39). Thus, in the parable of the Two Sons, Christ taught that the penitence of the publicans and harlots was more acceptable to God than the self-righteousness and disobedience of the Pharisees. The parable of the Wicked Husbandmen was a warning that the kingdom of God should be taken from them. In this third parable. He taught that the Jews, as a nation, should be blotted out, and that though the Gentiles would be called to take their place, yet all the latter would not attain to eternal life. This third parable must not be identified with the parable of the Great Supper, which it resembles in some points, while in others it presents marked contrasts. It is one of the five parables having reference to the obstinacy of the Jews in rejecting the Gospel of Christ. It is likewise one of the three parables which teach a lesson of detachment from riches, and warn men against being engrossed by temporal affairs.
These three are:
- The Rich Fool.
- The Wedding Supper.
- The Great Supper.
1. Jesus answering. These words may mean that Jesus here replied to the secret thoughts of His enemies, or they are the simple introduction to a fresh discourse, as in other passages of the New Testament (see supra, xi. 25, XV. 15 ; St Luke xiv. 3 ; Acts iii. 12).
Explanation of the Parable of the Marriage of the King's Son
(a) Primary Application. The rejection of the Jews and the admission of the Gentiles into the Church of Christ.
(b) Secondary Application.
(1) God calls all, and He punishes those who neglect His invitation.
(2) Good and bad are mingled in the Church militant.(3) Salvation depends on the possession of the wedding garment of sanctifying grace
2. The kingdom of heaven is likened, etc.
“ In some passages the expression refers to the dominion of God over the Church triumphant in heaven ; in others, to that which He exercises over the Church militant on earth. When the ‘ kingdom ’ is proposed as a reward, or possession, or place of rest, into which we are to enter, it signifies the society of the angels and saints in heaven ; and when it is ‘ likened ’ to some person or thing, it means the congregation of the faithful here below. The latter is the case in the present instance ; and so Christ here says that the Church on earth is like to a king who prepared a marriage for his son. His meaning is that the same thing happens in the Church on earth as that which took place when, under circumstances afterwards to be described, a king made a marriage for his son, i.e. a feast on the occasion of his son’s marriage ” (Ryan, Gospels of the Sundays and Festivals, vol. ii. p. 311).
a marriage. Better, “ marriage festivities ” (γάμους). The use of the plural is perhaps due to these festivities being kept up for several days. We, too, use the plural word “nuptials.”
for his son. The close union that exists between Christ and His Church is often compared to a marriage (see supra, ix. 15 ; St John iii. 29 ; Apoc. xix. 7).
3. he sent his servants. The guests had already received a formal invitation. This was a renewal of it, and a reminder that they were to attend promptly.
It was an Oriental custom to invite twice, or even thrice. A man was at liberty to decline the first invitation.
“To omit the second summons would be a grievous breach of etiquette, equivalent to cancelling the previous more general notification. To refuse the second summons would be an insult, which is equivalent among the Arab tribes to a declaration of war” (Tristram, East. Cust., p. 82).
to call them. God invites all. Cf. Who will have all men to he saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Tm ii. 4). To the Jews, God sent special messengers, for the invitation included all God’s advances to His rebellious people from the commencement of the theocracy ; to the Gentiles, He gave the light of reason ; to all, sufficient grace to work out their salvation.
they would not corns. This is the first stage — neglect and disregard of the invitation.
“The servants found a general indifference to the message, and alienation from the messengers ; but nothing worse. In agreement with this we have no record of any displays of active enmity against the apostles or disciples during the lifetime of our Lord, nor at first against the Lord Himself, It was simply, ‘ they would not come ’ ” (Trench, On the Parables, p. 226).
4. I have prepared my dinner. The word (ἄριστόν) here translated “ dinner ” formerly signified the first meal of the day, i.e. breakfast, but gradually it was used of the midday meal. We speak of “the wedding breakfast,” though it is not generally the first meal of the day.
fatlings — i.e. animals that have been fattened with corn (τὰ σιτιστὰ).
5. went their ways. Not only they treated the message with contempt, but they betook themselves elsewhere to their various pursuits.
to his farm. Better, “ his own farm” (τὸν ἴδιον ἀγρόν) ; he went to enjoy what he possessed.
another to his merchandise. This one seeks to acquire more wealth. Thus in the parable of the Great Supper, those who were invited began all at once to make excuse (St Luke xiv. 18).
6. the rest laid hands, etc. As these men treated the king’s messengers, so the Jewish nation treated the apostles and ministers of Christ. The “noble army of martyrs” standing around the great white throne bears witness to the persecuting spirit of the opponents of the one true faith.
7. he was angry. Having set forth the crime of the Jews, our Lord goes on to foretell the punishment that would overwhelm them and their city.
sending his armies. The legions of Vespasian and Titus were unconsciously executing vengeance on the enemies of God. Thus, of old, God spoke of the Assyrian nation ; He is the rod and the staff of my anger (Is. X. 5). Some writers take the plural “armies” to represent the three scourges which brought about the destruction of Jerusalem, i.e. war, pestilence, and famine.
destroyed those murderers, and burnt their city. These words were literally fulfilled.
8. Then he saith, etc.
“ The admission of the Gentiles into the Church took place long before the fall of the Holy City ; but this disregard of chronological order is easily justified. The “ then ” must not be pressed ; for the parable is not an historical enumeration of the several facts according to the order in which they occurred, but an imaginary narration, in which the several stages of the action are bound together according to their essential connection” (Kiel).
The marriage indeed is ready. “ God’s great design is not to be frustrated by the neglect of those first invited, only the guests are changed.”
were not worthy. Strictly speaking, none are worthy to be guests at that banquet, but the Jews, by their rejection, had proved themselves utterly unworthy of God’s favours, while the Gentiles, by their humility and repentance, were more fitted to receive them.
9. Go ye therefore. This is in keeping with Oriental customs, where a rich man frequently threw open his house to all passers-by. It was one of the signs of the Messianic kingdom that the Gospel was preached to the poor.
the highways. Lit. “ the outlets of the ways ” (τὰς διεξόδους τῶν ὁδῶν). The words may mean any central piazza or open place of an Eastern town on which the roads converge, or they may mean the parting of the ways in the country beyond the city walls.
The most destitute and homeless were to take the place of those who had refused the invitation. Not only the publicans and harlots were to go into the kingdom of God before them, but the Gentiles were to take the places left vacant by the children of the kingdom. Cf. Then Paul and Barnabas said boldly : To you it behoved us first to speak the word of God : but because you reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life : behold we turn to the Gentiles (Acts xiii. 46).
as many as you shall find, etc. The graces necessary for salvation are offered to all. As long as there is a single soul that desires salvation, so long there will be room in the One Fold. The King wills His house to be filled.
call to the marriage. The servants were not to use force. They were simply to persuade and to entreat them. The ministers of Christ have the same charge. They are to preach assiduously, and do all in their power to convert sinners and pagans.
10. the marriage was filled. The best Greek Codices read “ the marriage chamber,” or “ banqueting hall,” where the feast was held (καὶ ἐπλήσθη ὁ νυμφῷν).
with guests. Lit. “with those who reclined,” i.e. at table (ἀνακειμένων).
11. to see the guests. He came to inspect the guests (θεάσασθαι), not merely to glance casually at them, but to examine if all were suitably apparelled.
who had not on a wedding garment. It was an Oriental custom to provide the guests invited to the king’s table with costly garments. These garments formed part of the royal treasures, and are referred to in vi. 19 and in St James v. 2. They were only brought out on great occasions. Thus Jehu clothed the worshippers of Baal (see 4 Kings X. 22). It was therefore an insult to refuse to put on the festal garment provided by the giver of the royal banquet. This “garment of the wedding” (ἔνδυμα γάμου) typified the garment of sanctifying grace with which the soul is clothed in baptism.
he was silent. Lit. “ he was muzzled ” (ἐφιμώθη), i.e. speechless, as one who is gagged. The same word occurs in verse 34 and in St Luke iv. 35. The man had absolutely no excuse to offer.
13. to the waiters. Better, “to the ministers” (τοῖς διακόνοις), who are not to be identified with those who had been invited to the feast. “ They are not preachers but guards of the throne, meaning probably the ministering angels who execute the King’s commands.”
Bind his hands, etc. To prevent any chance of escape.
the exterior darkness. A contrast between the brilliantly illuminated hall in which the feast was held, and the outer darkness which typifies the darkness and gloom of hell.
there shall be weeping, etc. Everlasting punishment follows immediately after the particular judgment. These words express the despairing remorse and intense suffering of the lost.
Totus tuus ego sum
Et omnia mea tua sunt;
Tecum semper tutus sum:
Ad Jesum per Mariam.
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