Commentary on Matthew, Mark, Luke - Volume 2.pdf

<strong>Commentary</strong> on Matthew, Mark, Luke - Volume 2
marriage for his son: Luke only mentions a great supper The former speaks of many servants,
while the latter refers to no more than one servant; the former describes many messages, the latter
mentions one only; the former says that some of the servants were abused or slain, the latter speaks
only of their being treated with contempt. Lastly, the former relates that a man was cast out, who
had gone in to the marriage without a wedding garment, of which Luke makes no mention. But
we have formerly pointed out a similar distinction, that Matthew, in explaining the same thing, is
more copious, and enters into fuller details. There is a remarkable agreement between them on the
main points of the parable.
God bestowed on the Jews distinguished honor, by providing for them, as it were, a hospitable
table; but they despised the honor which had been conferred upon them. The marriage of the king’s
son is explained by many commentators to mean, that Christ is the end of the Law, (Romans 10:4.)
and that God had no other design in his covenant, than to make him the Governor of his people,
and to unite the Church to him by the sacred bond of a spiritual marriage. I have no objection to
that view. But when he says, that the servants were sent to call those who were invited, these words
are intended to point out a double favor which the Jews had received from God; first, in being
preferred to other nations; and, secondly, in having their adoption made known to them by the
prophets. The allusion is to a practice customary among men, that those who intended to make a
marriage drew up a list of the persons whom they intended to have as guests, and afterwards sent
invitations to them by their servants. In like manner, God elected the Jews in preference to others,
as if they had been his familiar friends, and afterwards called them by the prophets to partake of
the promised redemption, which was, as it were, to feast at a marriage It is true that those who
were first invited did not live till the coming of Christ; but we know that all received an offer of
the same salvation, of which they were deprived by their ingratitude and malice; for from the
commencement, God’s invitation was impiously despised by that people. 292
4. Again he sent other servants. He speaks as if it had been the same persons who were invited,
for it was one body of the people. The meaning is, that when the happy and joyful day of redemption
drew near, they were warned to be ready; for they had been long ago informed as to the time. But
now Christ told them that, at the very hour, fresh messengers were sent to entreat them to come
with haste; for the first invitation which he mentions includes all the former prophecies, down to
the publication of the Gospel. For a long period, they exercised cruelty on the prophets; but their
fury grew as the time advanced, and at length spent all its force on Christ and the apostles. For this
reason, he charges the ancient people with nothing more than contempt and pride, but says, that
the servants who had been last sent, and who arrived at the hour of supper, were abused or slain.
That people arrived at the highest pitch of their crimes, when their haughty rejection of his grace
was followed by the madness of cruelty. And yet he does not charge all of them equally with crime;
for even at the latest call, which was given by the Gospel, the grace of God was in part ridiculed
292 “Ce peuple-la a vileinement et meschamment mesprise l’honneur auquel Dieu le convioit;” — “that people basely and
wickedly despised the honor to which God invited them.”
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John Calvin