SECTION 10: THE REJECTION OF THE KING
CHAPTER 50
Three Parables Of Judgment
Or
Are Our Garments Spotless
Scripture To Consider:
“But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, ‘Son, go work today in my vineyard.’ He answered and said, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he regretted it and went. Then he came to the second and said likewise. And he answered and said, ‘I go, sir,’ but he did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?”
“They said to Jesus, ‘The first.’ Jesus said to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him; but tax collectors believed him; and when you saw it, you did not afterward relent and believe him.’“ Matthew 21.28-32
Something To Consider:
In replying to the hostile rulers in our last Scripture to consider, Jesus made a claim of divine authority. He then added three parables which condemned His enemies and pronounced judgment upon them and the nation. The first parable was very brief but pointed. Two sons are described, one, who refused to obey his father, repented and served him; while the other promised to serve but continued to disobey.
To the one Jesus compared those of the publicans and harlots who, after living lives of notorious sin, repented at the preaching of John the Baptist. To the other Jesus compared the rulers, who with all their profession of righteousness and with all their boasting of ceremonies, continued to live in real outright rebellion against God.
Jesus thus rebuked the rulers of their pretense that they were willing to accept Jesus if only sure that His authority was divine. He declared that their real difficulty was their unwillingness to obey the divine will of God and His Word. He affirmed that they, and all who like them are unrepentant and insincere, who would never enter the kingdom of God. In contrast, Jesus promised that even the worst sinners, willing to obey, may repent and be saved.
More Scripture To Consider:
“Hear another parable: There was a certain landowner who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it and built a tower. And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country. Now when vintage time drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers, that they might receive its fruit. And the vinedressers took his servants, beat one, and stoned another.”
“Again, he sent other servants, more than the first, and they did likewise to them. Then last of all he sent his son to them saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ But when the vinedressers saw the son, they said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.’ And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and killed him.”
“Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vinedressers? They said to Jesus, ‘He will destroy those wicked men miserably, and lease the vineyard to other vinedressers who will render to him the fruits in their seasons.’ Jesus said to them, ‘Did you never read in the Scriptures: “The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. This was the LORD’S doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes”?’ Therefore, I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing fruits of it. And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder.”
Now when the chief priests and Pharisees heard Jesus’ parables, they perceived that He was speaking of them. But when they sought to lay hands on Him, they feared the multitudes, because they took Jesus for a prophet.” Matthew 21.33-46
Something Else To Consider:
To the malicious challenge of His enemies Jesus had already replied, claiming for Himself divine authority and condemning them for their guilty unbelief. He then added a second parable more clearly stating His claims and more solemnly rebuking those hostile rulers and pronounced judgment upon the nation they represented. Jesus told the story of a householder who established and equipped a vineyard and then he left it to tenants.
The owner lived at a distance and expected as rent a certain portion of the vintage. However, when he sent for the fruit, his messengers were abused and killed; and his own son was slain. Therefore, the owner determined to come and to exact justice and to deliver his vineyard to other tenants who were more worthy. The parable was so plain that even the enemies of Jesus understood its meaning.
The householder in the parable is Jehovah. The vineyard is Israel. The husbandmen are the rulers to whom the nation had been entrusted. The servants were the prophets sent to summon the people to repentance and to render to God the fruits of both repentance and the fruits of righteousness. The son in the parable is Jesus Himself, who thus claimed a unique relationship to God, distinct from the prophets and all other human messengers, and who definitely foresees His own rejection and cruel undeserved death. The return of the householder revealed the coming yet future at that time visitation of divine judgment, the rejection of Israel, and the call of the Gentile nations.
It is aside from the present purpose of Jesus to refer to the individual Jewish people who will accept Him and to the future conversion of the nation of Israel of which the apostle Paul wrote. Jesus wished to emphasize His own rejection, and the guilt and punishment of the nation. Jesus declared however, that His death would issue in His exaltation and triumph. He is the stone that the builders, the so-called religious rulers of Israel rejected, and the same has been made the chief cornerstone. For according to Jesus, “And whoever falls on [in repentance] on this stone [the stone of Jesus] will be broken [will be sorry for their sin]; but on whomever it [the stone of Christ Jesus] it will grind him [or her] to powder.”
More Scripture To Consider:
“And Jesus answered [the chief priests and Pharisees] and spoke to them again by parables and said: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come. Again, he sent out other servants, saying, “Tell those who are invited, ‘See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and fatted cattle are killed, and all my things are ready. Come to the wedding.’ ” ‘ “
“But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, and another to his business. And the rest seized his servants, treated them spitefully, and killed them. But when the king heard about it, he was furious. And he sent out his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. Therefore, go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding.’ “
“So those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good. And the wedding hall was filled with guests. But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment. So he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. Then the king said to his servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ For many are called, but few are chosen.” Matthew 22-1-14
Something More To Consider:
The picture of the kingdom of the Messiah as a wedding banquet dinner at which Israel would be seated and from which Gentiles would be excluded, was familiar enough to Jesus’ Jewish listeners; but Jesus reverses the figure with details reported only by Matthew, and with the main purpose of pronouncing judgment upon the nation of Israel, who was found rejecting Him as their Messiah.
Matthew is the gospel of the King, and it is interesting to note that the parable which Jesus has now declared presents to us a feast prepared by a king, and it is indeed a marriage feast for His Son, while the companion picture in Luke describes merely a great supper given by a certain man. So, the treatment of the invitation, according to the story of Matthew, is a much more serious matter.
The invitation is despised and neglected while those who obediently deliver it are abused and killed. The consequent punishment of the offenders is extremely severe. The offenders are destroyed, and their city is burned. The whole incident is here narrated with marks of royalty which are in perfect harmony with the character of this gospel. The purpose of our Lord appears to have been, as in the similar parable found in Luke’s gospel, the picture of guilt of the nation Israel in rejecting the invitation to enter the kingdom of heaven.
Jesus plainly indicated the consequent rejection of Israel, the suffering of the nation, and the destruction of Jerusalem that did eventually take place in 70 A.D. at the hands of the Roman army. Quite as plainly it shows that from among the Gentiles many both good and at one-time the bad will be gathered into the Christian church. There is however, to be a final separation before the blessings of the kingdom will be enjoyed.
This is pictured by the fate of the man who was found among the guests but who did not have on a wedding garment, according to Jesus. Therefore, also according to Jesus, he is cast into outer darkness. Those who are to enjoy the glory of the kingdom must be arrayed in the robe of righteousness which the King of kings requires and which He is ready to provide for all who accept Jesus Christ as Lord of lords, and therefore, submit to His authority in their lives.
According to Jesus, “Many are called, but few are chosen.” Why therefore, would anyone want to be found among the many to be cast into outer darkness through unbelief? And yet, eternal life is represented as a free choice on the part of men, women, and young people, and as a divine election on the part of God. As among the Jewish people of Jesus’ day, the many rejected their Messiah, so among professed so-called Christians, there will be the many, which will lack the garment of a righteous life and character, and so, likewise will lose, at last, the approval of the King and the joys of His heavenly rewards.
Thus, in this parable of the Marriage Feast, Jesus, in advance, rightly predicted the judgment of the nation of Israel. He also rightly predicted the call of Gentiles, and His demand for righteousness in those who are at last to share the glories of His kingdom, salvation, and eternal life.
A Few Final Words:
And so, once again, this theme of the many and the few is repeated by Jesus, as He warned, “For many are called, but few are chosen.” Many will be refused entry into the Marriage Feast of all feasts because of their unbelief and or their lack of interest in the things of God while alive on the earth. Many will be spiritually weighed in the balance and will be found by God Almighty, lacking what He required, the true righteousness of Jesus Christ.
In other words, this earthly proving ground of planet earth, for many, becomes more appealing to their flesh, than the future eternal rewards appear to their spirit and soul. And yet, the few faithful, the few righteous in and through Jesus, the few enduring to the end spiritual overcomers, have and will be chosen by God to enter into all that the Word of God has promised.
How glorious will that moment in time be for the few? And yet, how eternally terrible and final will that moment in time be for every individual, past, present, and future, who refused all that pertained to godliness and holiness, only to be refused entrance into the kingdom of God?
In Closing:
For the many, they will be forced to eternally abide in outer darkness where there will be, according to Jesus, much weeping and continual gnashing of teeth forever for the many of every generation who did not take seriously these warnings of Jesus. God forbid that we be found by God to be among the many!
Let’s Pray:
Our Father in heaven, thank You for these three parables pertaining to the just judgment of God. Help us and others of our households and acquaintances not to refuse the call of Christ to allow Him to rule over our lives that we may be allowed to wear the righteous wedding garments required to enter into the kingdom of God. And teach us through the Word of God to seek Your forgiveness as needed so as to keep our garments spotless and white as snow in and through the precious blood of the Lamb of God, Jesus. In Him Always, Amen!
According to Jesus 