Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
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Matthew
Book: Matthew
Chapter: 22
Overview:
The
Parable of the
Marriage Feast.
(1-14) The
Pharisees
question
Jesus as to the
Tribute.
(15-22) The question of the
Sadducees as to the resurrection.
(23-33) The substance of the
Commandments.
(34-40) Jesus questions the
Pharisees.
(41-46)
1-14 The provision made for perishing souls in the
Gospel, is
represented
By a royal
Feast made
By a
King, with eastern
liberality,
On the
Marriage of his son. Our merciful
God has not
only provided
Food, but a royal
Feast, for the perishing souls
of his rebellious creatures. There is enough and to spare, of
every thing that can add to our present comfort and
Everlasting
happiness, in the
Salvation of his Son
Jesus Christ. The guests
first invited were the Jews. When the prophets of the Old
Testament prevailed not, nor
John the Baptist, nor
Christ
himself, who told them the
Kingdom of God was at
Hand, the
apostles and ministers of the
Gospel were sent, after
Christ's
resurrection, to tell them it was come, and to persuade them to
accept the offer. The reason why sinners come not to
Christ and
Salvation By him, is, not because they cannot, but because they
will not. Making
Light of
Christ, and of the great
Salvation
wrought out
By him, is the damning
Sin of the world. They were
careless. Multitudes perish for ever through mere carelessness,
who show
No direct aversion, but are careless as to their souls.
Also the business and profit of worldly employments hinder many
in closing with the
Saviour. Both farmers and merchants must be
diligent; but whatever we have of the world in our hands, our
care must be to keep it out of our hearts, lest it come between
us and
Christ. The utter ruin coming upon the Jewish
Church and
nation, is here represented.
Persecution of
Christ's
Faithful
ministers fills up the
Measure of guilt of any people. The offer
of
Christ and
Salvation to the
Gentiles was not expected; it was
such a surprise as it would be to wayfaring men, to be invited
to a royal wedding-
Feast. The design of the
Gospel is to gather
souls to
Christ; all the children of
God scattered abroad, Joh
10:16; 11:52. The case of hypocrites is represented
By the
guest that had not
On a wedding-garment. It concerns all to
prepare for the scrutiny; and those, and those only, who
Put On
the
Lord Jesus, who have a
Christian temper of mind, who live
By
Faith in
Christ, and to whom he is all in all, have the
wedding-garment. The imputed
Righteousness of
Christ, and the
Sanctification of the
Spirit, are both alike necessary.
No Man
has the wedding-garment
By nature, or can form it for himself.
The
Day is coming, when hypocrites will be called to account for
all their presumptuous intruding into
Gospel ordinances, and
usurpation of
Gospel privileges. Take him away. Those that walk
unworthy of Christianity, forfeit all the happiness they
presumptuously claimed. Our
Saviour here passes out of the
Parable into that which it teaches. Hypocrites go
By the
Light
of the
Gospel itself down to utter
Darkness. Many are called to
the wedding-
Feast, that is, to
Salvation, but few have the
wedding-garment, the
Righteousness of
Christ, the
Sanctification
of the
Spirit. Then let us examine ourselves whether we are in
the
Faith, and seek to be approved
By the
King.
15-22 The
Pharisees sent their disciples with the
Herodians, a
party among the Jews, who were for full subjection to the Roman
emperor. Though opposed to each other, they joined against
Christ. What they said of
Christ was right; whether they knew it
or not, blessed be
God we know it.
Jesus Christ was a
Faithful
Teacher, and a bold reprover.
Christ saw their wickedness.
Whatever mask the
Hypocrite puts
On, our
Lord Jesus sees through
it.
Christ did not interpose as a
Judge in matters of this
nature, for his kingdom is not of this world, but he enjoins
peaceable subjection to the powers that be. His adversaries were
reproved, and his disciples were taught that the
Christian
religion is
No enemy to civil government.
Christ is, and will
be, the wonder, not only of his friends, but of his enemies.
They admire his
Wisdom, but will not be guided
By it; his power,
but will not submit to it.
23-33 The doctrines of
Christ displeased the infidel
Sadducees,
as
Well as the
Pharisees and
Herodians. He carried the great
truths of the resurrection and a future state, further than they
had yet been revealed. There is
No arguing from the state of
things in this world, as to what will take place hereafter. Let
Truth be set in a clear
Light, and it appears in full strength.
Having thus silenced them, our
Lord proceeded to show the
Truth
of the doctrine of the resurrection from the books of
Moses.
God
declared to
Moses that he was the
God of the patriarchs, who had
died long before; this shows that they were then in a state of
being, capable of enjoying his favour, and proves that the
doctrine of the resurrection is clearly taught in the Old
Testament as
Well as in the New. But this doctrine was kept for
a more full
Revelation, after the
Resurrection of Christ, who
was the
First-fruits of them that slept. All errors arise from
not knowing the Scriptures and the power of
God. In this world
Death takes away one after another, and
So ends all earthly
hopes, joys, sorrows, and connections. How wretched are those who
look for nothing better
Beyond the
Grave!
34-40 An interpreter of the
Law asked our
Lord a question, to
try, not
So much his knowledge, as his
Judgment. The
Love of
God
is the first and great commandment, and the sum of all the
commands of the first table. Our
Love of
God must be sincere,
not in
Word and tongue only. All our
Love is too little to
bestow upon him, therefore all the powers of the soul must be
engaged for him, and carried out toward him. To
Love our
neighbour as ourselves, is the second great commandment. There
is a self-
Love which is corrupt, and the root of the greatest
sins, and it must be
Put off and mortified; but there is a
self-
Love which is the rule of the greatest duty: we must have a
due concern for the welfare of our own souls and bodies. And we
must
Love our neighbour as truly and sincerely as we
Love
ourselves; in many cases we must deny ourselves for the good of
others.
By these two
Commandments let our hearts be formed as
By
a mould.
41-46 When
Christ baffled his enemies, he asked what thoughts
they had of the promised
Messiah? How he could be the Son of
David and yet his
Lord? He quotes Ps 110:1. If the
Christ was
to be a mere
Man, who would not exist till many ages after
David's
Death, how could his forefather
Call him
Lord? The
Pharisees could not answer it. Nor can any solve the difficulty
except he allows the
Messiah to be the
Son of God, and
David's
Lord equally with the
Father. He took upon him human nature, and
So became
God manifested in the
Flesh; in this sense he is the
Son of Man and the Son of
David. It behooves us above all things
seriously to inquire, "What think we of
Christ?" Is he
altogether glorious in our eyes, and precious to our hearts? May
Christ be our joy, our confidence, our all. May we daily be made
more like to him, and more devoted to his service.