Matthew 22

Notes

Ver. 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 burned, 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.

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.

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.

Ver. 3. 'The carnal mind,' in its 'enmity against God,' is here represented (ver. 3, 5, 6) under four aspects:—1. They would not—the human will being set up against the will of God. 2. In levity and neglect, they made light of it, ver. 5. 3. In preference of earthly to heavenly things, ver. 5, they went 'one to his farm,' &c. 4. In rebellious persecution of God's servants, ver. 6. All which things were not only exemplified by the Jews, but have continued. among the Gentiles till this day. C.

Ver. 16. The Herodians were certain political partisans of Herod, to whom, as an Idumean and Sadducee, the Pharisees were directly opposed. But in opposition to Christ these extremes are made to coalesce.—Note, Thus in these very days Popery and infidelity—implicit faith and no faith—are seen to unite in determined opposition to evangelical truth! C.

Ver. 28. The object of the Sadducees is to show the absurdity of a future state, by producing what they conceive an insuperable difficulty—a difficulty which our Lord solves with a readiness that humbles their pride of intellect, though it does not soften the hardness of their heart. C.

Ver. 32. Our Lord's argument is this: You admit the being of a God—a living God—the God of living men. But God called himself the God of Abraham, &c., long after Abraham's body was dead, therefore the soul of Abraham must have been still alive, since the living God continues to acknowledge him for his servant and friend. C.

Reflections.—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 the saving power of Jesus and his grace implanted in their souls. Why should we dissemble before the all-seeing Redeemer? Rather let us tremble to reflect, that all men are called to salvation, yet so few heed the call—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 spiritual 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.