Matthew 22:10 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And those servants went out into the roads and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests.

NIV: So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, the bad as well as the good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.

NASB: Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good; and the wedding hall was filled with dinner guests.

CSB: So those servants went out on the roads and gathered everyone they found, both evil and good. The wedding banquet was filled with guests.

NLT: So the servants brought in everyone they could find, good and bad alike, and the banquet hall was filled with guests.

KJV: So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests.

NKJV: 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.

As told in this parable (Matthew 22:1–6), the king's chosen citizens have refused to come to a wedding feast in honor of his son. After enacting harsh, but deserved, judgment (Matthew 22:7–9), the king has called the original invitees unworthy and sent his servants out of the city into highways and intersections to invite all who would willingly come to the banquet. The servants succeed in finding guests, filling the wedding hall with people of all kinds, both "bad and good."

Those who may have somewhat followed the meaning behind Jesus' parable may now be confused. To understand the king as God and Jesus as His Son, they are doing well. The king's servants may represent prophets and, later, evangelists. The unworthy guests are the religious leaders who have refused to honor God's Son, Jesus, as the Messiah. The comment about "bad and good," however, can be confusing when it comes to the replacement guests. If the wedding banquet is the kingdom of heaven, how can both "bad and good" be represented there?

In one sense, this follows Jesus' pattern of distinguishing between outward appearances and a person's sincerity in responding to God (John 7:24; Matthew 21:31–32). In the form of this parable, Christ is explaining a kingdom in which some who have not rigorously followed the Old Testament law are welcomed by God. At the same time, there is a difference between superficial attendance and sincere obedience, as shown in upcoming verses (Matthew 22:11–14). It's good to keep in mind that parables are loose analogies—not every minute detail is meant to have an explicit parallel.

Commentators disagree whether these guests gathered from the roadways are meant to predict the inclusion of Gentiles, or simply represent Jewish people who are outside of Judaism and the elite religious class. In either case, Jesus' description of them being welcomed to the feast is something new, especially since some of them are "bad." The following verse offers additional explanation of who might be included at the feast. Invited or not, something else is required for them to be fully welcomed by the king.

Matthew 22:1–14 contains Jesus' parable of the wedding feast. Jesus compares the kingdom of heaven to a king who threw a banquet for his son. The king's chosen guests refuse to come, to the point of violence against his messengers. So, the king fills the wedding hall with common people he finds out and about; some bad, some good. One guest is thrown out into the darkness, though, for trying to attend the feast without wearing a wedding garment. Jesus summarizes the message with the famous phrase, "Many are called, but few are chosen." This parable touches on Israel's rejection of the Messiah and salvation by grace. This touches on very similar themes to those of the parable of the great banquet (Luke 14:12–24), but with critical differences.

Continuing a dialogue with hostile religious leaders, Jesus tells a parable comparing the kingdom of heaven to a wedding feast which ends up being attended by those not initially invited. He answers trick questions about taxes, marriage, resurrection, and the Law of Moses. These responses are the source of common English idioms such as "render to Caesar…" and "many are called but few are chosen." Finally, Jesus asks how the Messiah can be both the son of David and the Lord of David. None can answer Him, so they stop challenging Him in public.

This chapter extends an exchange between Jesus and several groups of religious leaders in the temple. The previous chapter concluded with two parables about the failures of the religious leaders. This chapter begins with a third parable, about chosen guests who refuse to attend a wedding feast. Jesus then fields questions from several religious groups, who fail in their attempts to trip Him up. His wise and profound answers silence all of them. At this point, Jesus launches into a full-throated condemnation of the Pharisees in chapter 23.

The Gospel of Matthew clearly shows the influence of its writer's background, and his effort to reach a specific audience. Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples, a Jewish man, and a former tax collector. This profession would have required literacy, and Matthew may have transcribed some of Jesus' words as they were spoken. This book is filled with references to the Old Testament, demonstrating to Israel that Jesus is the Promised One. Matthew also includes many references to coins, likely due to his former profession. Matthew records extensive accounts of Jesus' teaching, more than the other three Gospels.