The King Confronts the Guest Without a Wedding GarmentBible World
22:6Matthew 22:6
And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them.
In the parable the king who made a marriage for his son sent servants to call those bidden, and after the first refusal and the second gracious call announcing all things ready was made light of by those who went to farm and merchandise, the remnant seized the servants, abused them and murdered them, bringing the king's wrath so that he sent armies to destroy the murderers and burn their cities, then sent servants into the highways to gather all found so the wedding was furnished with guests for inspection. Taking the servants spitefully and slaying them was not mere indifference but the further step after contemptuous refusal, when those provoked at being disturbed in self-complacency despised reproving truth, hated arguments they could not meet, and mistreated and killed the messengers who brought the invitation and sought to bring them to their true state. It portrays the Jewish people's rejection of the gospel invitation and the persecution and death of its messengers after Christ's crucifixion, despising the king's authority and honor in insulting and killing his servants. The murder brought the king's wrath upon the murderers, warning of the fate awaiting Jerusalem for rejecting God's only means to save it, when God permitted the Romans to destroy those murderers and burn their city, by which the nation as a nation decided its own destiny and divorced itself from God. The same parable applies more especially to the Christian world today, to whom the gracious call to the marriage supper of the Lamb is still to be carried into highways and hedges before Christ's coming, with the warning that those sent with the invitation may still be resisted, while all who will accept Christ and return to loyalty and perfect obedience are the elect.
Parable Setting and Language
The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who made a marriage for his son and sent forth servants to call those who were bidden to the wedding, including those who thought themselves worthy to be bidden. When the bidden would not come, a further call was sent announcing that dinner was ready and all things were now ready, with servants sent personally so the guests would understand the invitation, but the general invitation was refused. Some made light of that call and went away to farm and merchandise, while the remnant seized the king's servants, entreated them spitefully and slew them. That killing brought the king's wrath, so that he sent forth his armies to destroy those murderers and burn up their cities, then sent servants into the highways to gather all found, both bad and good, so that the wedding was furnished with guests for the king to inspect.
Some of the invited people thus answered with abuse and murder, rejecting both the wedding invitation and the messengers who carried it. The insult is deeper than refusal of a householder's supper invitation, because this is a king's invitation from one vested with power to command and the feast involved much. The guilt of those who refused is deeper, for they made light of the king's command while pleading circumstances and supposed duties for failing to comply, and treated his messengers with scorn. The punishment is more than exclusion from presence and table, for the wrath of the king fell upon them in sending armies to destroy those murderers and burn up their cities.
The scene is a royal wedding banquet prepared by the king, with the king calling his own guests to the feast in his marriage hall. It belongs to the parable of the wedding feast and the king's marriage feast.
Many handlings place the verse in the wedding-feast parable but center on the feast, the wedding garment, or the general invitation without explaining the mistreatment and killing of the servants. In those handlings the feast represents the gospel invitation, and the king's inspection shows that those invited are judged so that only those clothed in Christ's righteousness are accepted and have a place at the king's feast among the blood-washed. The same banquet presents the Lord's Word as a feast prepared for its guests who must wear the white robe of Christ's righteousness, and sounds the solemn warning that the invitation must be heeded and people must be ready to enter the wedding. The marriage-feast invitation is also applied to those who refuse God's warning and offer of pardon and salvation, and its imagery is applied to proclaiming the gospel and gathering people to the marriage supper of the Lamb.
Meaning of Violent Rejection
The first call went to the higher classes, to the chosen people, to those in the higher walks of life. These were the shepherds of the flock and divinely appointed teachers, men in the higher ranks of society, in business life and positions of trust. They were men with large inventive faculties and scientific insight, men of genius and God-given powers of organization, of leadership and ability to look ahead and discern what needs to be done. They were men to whom many talents had been entrusted, who were to be sought out with tender affection and brotherly regard and to be first to hear the call in a manner different from the past, because their powers were needed as managers of institutions, leaders, captains, educators, faithful financiers, and presidents of conferences standing solid as a rock to principle.
Making light of the call and going to farm and merchandise meant being wholly intent on securing worldly gain, in buying and selling, planting and building, with eternity left out. It was refusal driven by pride in buying and selling and getting gain, by trust in the world and mammon and turning to merchandise, farming and social attractions. Those who refused thought they could not afford to lose any worldly advantage to enjoy the heavenly feast. Their refusal was made knowing what acceptance required, to put off the common citizen's dress and put on the robe of Christ's righteousness, thereby showing themselves His church, married to Christ as His bride.
Taking the servants spitefully and slaying them was disrespect for the master of the feast by those turned back from the Lord who had not sought nor inquired for Him. They thought their own wisdom sufficient and spoke as oracles of wisdom while sending refusal asking to be excused. The violence was the further step after treating the gracious invitation lightly with contempt as unworthy of notice. Provoked at being disturbed in self-complacency when conviction stirred them, the invited used harsh and bitter words, despised the reproving truth, hated scriptural arguments they could not meet, and mistreated and killed the messengers.
The servants were messengers sent to bring the invitation and to bring the church to understand its true state and come to the supper, offering the richest blessings of heaven, justification by faith and the imputed righteousness of Christ. Some of those invited did more than ignore the invitation, and their violent rejection illustrates cruel treatment of gospel messengers. Refusal also appears without open opposition, as holding aloof from the servants, refusing close relation and harmony with their work except in part, and refusing to drink fully the truth held to the lips. By clinging to the old citizen's dress instead of accepting the dress prepared by Christ, they reject the supper itself. Others assent to the truth brought by servants but will not obey or accept the call, because they love not the light and will not come to the light or to Jesus for deliverance, light and life, since their deeds are evil. The banquet that would satisfy every want is set before them and every heart may and can respond to love without parallel if it will, yet God cannot work for the soul that does not respond.
Judgment on First Guests
The rejection in Matthew 22:6 was not mere indifference but contempt for the king's authority and honor, shown in insulting and killing his servants. It portrays the Jewish people's rejection of the gospel invitation and the persecution and death of its messengers after Christ's crucifixion. The servants are the messengers who carried the invitation, and their violent rejection illustrates the cruel treatment of the messengers of the gospel. That violence was the further step after lightly refusing the gracious invitation as unworthy of notice and turning to merchandise, farming, social attractions, and trust in the world and mammon. Provoked at being disturbed in self-complacency when conviction stirred them, the invited used harsh and bitter words, despised reproving truth, hated scriptural arguments they could not meet, and mistreated and killed God's messengers.
The insult is deeper than refusal of a householder's supper invitation, because this is a king's invitation from one vested with power to command and the feast involved much. The guilt of those who refused is therefore deeper, for they made light of the king's command with pleas of circumstances and supposed duties, and treated his messengers with scorn, spitefully using them and slaying them. This brought the wrath of the king upon the murderers, punished with more than exclusion from his presence and table, by sending forth his armies to destroy those murderers and burn up their cities. Jesus used this to warn of the fate awaiting Jerusalem for rejecting the only means God had provided to save it, with God permitting the Romans to destroy those murderers and burn their city.
By this the Jewish nation decided its own destiny. The first invited guests had all the privileges and opportunities of the richest banquet ever presented, and had consented to come, yet as a nation divorced itself from God by rejecting His only begotten Son and refusing the garment of Christ's righteousness, forever separating itself from God. The same parable applies more especially to the Christian world today who claim to believe in Christ. From the newly invited guests found in highways and hedges the Lord requires just as implicit obedience and high-principled service as from those first called, with no mistake to be made about those called to the heavenly banquet.
Gospel Feast and Garment
The feast is the gospel invitation, the call to the marriage supper of the Lamb with the summons Come, for all things are now ready. Christ by His atoning death prepared the marriage feast, offering redemption to the world by God sending His Son to die in behalf of men that through faith believers should become one with God. The wedding garment testifies to that atoning death.
The invitation is gracious and benevolent, prepared for the guests' benefit and intended to satisfy every need and every want, a banquet full of marrow and fatness in His Word. It does not force anyone, but each person may choose whether to respond to love without parallel and to grace, and the issue rests wholly with those invited. It is not made to a few but to all who will come, with no walls built to keep any living soul from salvation, though every heart may and can respond if it will. God offers grace and bestows love and waits for a response, but He cannot work for a soul that does not respond.
The predestination taught by the banquet includes all who will accept Christ as personal Saviour and return to loyalty and to perfect obedience to all God's commandments. All who are willing to be saved by Christ are the elect of God, the obedient predestinated from the foundation of the world, the effectual salvation of a peculiar people chosen from among men to the praise and glory of His grace, power, and wisdom.
No one can enter in citizen's garments of stubborn self-will and pride. Every invited guest must put off self and the old citizen life lived in ignorance and be clothed in the spotless robe prepared by the Inviter, the humility, meekness and lowliness and righteousness of Christ. That robe of Christ's righteousness, the white linen of a clean pure character, spotless as the pure white lily, has been purchased and provided as the richest gift that can be bestowed on mortal man, to be secured by giving whole attention to it.
The king's inspection shows that those invited are judged, and only those clothed in Christ's righteousness are accepted. The wedding is connected with the investigative judgment in heaven before the wedding, presenting events before the wedding. The parable of the wedding garment opens a lesson of the highest consequence, presenting the marriage of humanity with divinity and showing the standard of character each must reach to be accounted a fit guest, to be gathered by careful study, where unless the righteousness of Christ as defined in the sixth chapter of John is accepted there is no wedding garment on.
Accepting the invitation outwardly is not enough, for guests must put on Christ's righteousness and live out the truth. To come to the banquet without the wedding garment is to be unsanctified, to fail to represent Christ in character, to keep Christ out of the heart while keeping truth in the outer court, to talk the Word yet build on sand as a hearer and not a doer to whom the work of the Holy Spirit is strange. It insults the Lord and abuses His gracious benevolence and does the greatest dishonor to Him who invites and provides the robe, so that the man is cast out. God is not unjust and not arbitrary when He tells the wrongdoer that he shall be separated from His presence.
Partaking of the feast means accepting Christ as personal Saviour, and all partakers say by that act that they have accepted truth as it is in Jesus, which is the robe of Christ's righteousness. Only those who accept the invitation in this way do honor to Christ, while those who accept thinking only to benefit themselves and to partake of the provisions while refusing to clothe themselves in the garment do not honor Him. Those who truly put on the garment no longer live the old citizen life lived in ignorance, with changed speech and conversation in altogether another line, so that faith stands not in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.
Carrying Invitation Today
The gospel invitation is the call to the marriage supper, to the wedding feast and the marriage supper of the Lamb, and it is to be carried to people everywhere so that God's house may be full. It is to go out into the highways and hedges to compel those there to come in, to those who have not yet heard as a final invitation before Christ's coming, bringing truth before thousands now in vice and iniquity that they may be redeemed from dissipation and sin. Believers have the opportunity to work for God by coming to the feast themselves and inviting others to come with them, praying and working together with God and urging people to come rather than lowering God's law to gain converts. The mistreatment and killing of the king's servants warns that people may resist those sent with the invitation, while outward acceptance is not enough without putting on Christ's righteousness and living out the truth. Those with every privilege of knowing Bible truth who show love of ease and selfish indulgence, fail to bring truth into the inner sanctuary of the soul, and fail to return entrusted talents in honest faithful service will be held accountable, and those who nominally accept truth but do not practice it come without the wedding garment of Christ's righteousness and, though professedly circumcised, are among the uncircumcised in practice through covetousness and will be destroyed with the uncircumcised.
The call reaches people in the highways, including people of high standing, men of the world, the higher classes of life, and people in high places of influence and wealth. These are a group few can gain association with and difficult to reach, including shepherds of the flock and divinely appointed teachers, men in higher ranks of society, in business life and positions of trust, men with large inventive faculties and scientific insight, men of genius and God-given powers of organization. Servants must not pass men of the world by but must urge them, take hold of them and bring them in to the banquet He has prepared offering repose from the din and confusion of earth and the peace and happiness and joy He longs to bestow. Those in high places are to be given a fair chance to consider the truth and to be asked earnestly whether they are prepared for immortal life. Those to whom God has entrusted many talents are to be sought out with tender affection and brotherly regard and to be first to hear the gospel call in a manner different from the way they have heard it in the past, because their ability to look ahead and discern what needs to be done is needed in carrying forward the work for the last days as managers of institutions, leaders, captains, educators, faithful financiers, and presidents of conferences who stand solid as a rock to principle, and those who receive the truth can use their influence and relationships to help carry the message to others.
The call is truth given as a repast to be received, and when set forth it holds large numbers with most earnest interest, including interested listeners outside. There are not more great men, noted men, and worldly-wise men among those who believe the truth because, though Christ paid the ransom of His own precious blood to send them the invitation and by being a Sin-bearer opened a way whereby all who desire eternal life above every other earthly consideration may come to Him, they hear the messenger say Come yet listen to the wily foe and adopt the varied, foolish excuses he frames for refusing the gracious call. They refuse the heavenly benefits because this present world is their god, refuse Him who could give real value to their characters and bring them back to allegiance to God and His commandments, and will not take the marriage contract and partake of the marriage supper. They will not associate with Him who would make them truly great and valuable and turn their crosses into crowns, do not believe the promise to make a man precious, and will not permit Him to place His own image and superscription upon them to change them into His obedient, loyal children, and God allows everyone to choose his own lord.
The time is short and everyone must be prepared for the marriage supper of the Lord. Preparation means accepting the robe of Christ's righteousness so as not to be found without the wedding garment, and receiving the peace of Christ. Satan is working and will work in great power with the children of disobedience as agents to destroy the soul, so the devil must be resisted that he may flee. The prepared feast is an invitation intended for the guests' benefit, but when it is rejected as people turn to lesser interests those who remain unready lose opportunity when the door is shut and seek admission too late, and their neglect can also influence others to remain unprepared.
In the parable the king who made a marriage for his son sent servants to call those bidden, and after the first refusal and the second gracious call announcing all things ready was made light of by those who went to farm and merchandise, the remnant seized the servants, abused them and murdered them, bringing the king's wrath so that he sent armies to destroy the murderers and burn their cities, then sent servants into the highways to gather all found so the wedding was furnished with guests for inspection. Taking the servants spitefully and slaying them was not mere indifference but the further step after contemptuous refusal, when those provoked at being disturbed in self-complacency despised reproving truth, hated arguments they could not meet, and mistreated and killed the messengers who brought the invitation and sought to bring them to their true state. It portrays the Jewish people's rejection of the gospel invitation and the persecution and death of its messengers after Christ's crucifixion, despising the king's authority and honor in insulting and killing his servants. The murder brought the king's wrath upon the murderers, warning of the fate awaiting Jerusalem for rejecting God's only means to save it, when God permitted the Romans to destroy those murderers and burn their city, by which the nation as a nation decided its own destiny and divorced itself from God. The same parable applies more especially to the Christian world today, to whom the gracious call to the marriage supper of the Lamb is still to be carried into highways and hedges before Christ's coming, with the warning that those sent with the invitation may still be resisted, while all who will accept Christ and return to loyalty and perfect obedience are the elect.
Parable Setting and Language
The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who made a marriage for his son and sent forth servants to call those who were bidden to the wedding, including those who thought themselves worthy to be bidden. When the bidden would not come, a further call was sent announcing that dinner was ready and all things were now ready, with servants sent personally so the guests would understand the invitation, but the general invitation was refused. Some made light of that call and went away to farm and merchandise, while the remnant seized the king's servants, entreated them spitefully and slew them. That killing brought the king's wrath, so that he sent forth his armies to destroy those murderers and burn up their cities, then sent servants into the highways to gather all found, both bad and good, so that the wedding was furnished with guests for the king to inspect.
Some of the invited people thus answered with abuse and murder, rejecting both the wedding invitation and the messengers who carried it. The insult is deeper than refusal of a householder's supper invitation, because this is a king's invitation from one vested with power to command and the feast involved much. The guilt of those who refused is deeper, for they made light of the king's command while pleading circumstances and supposed duties for failing to comply, and treated his messengers with scorn. The punishment is more than exclusion from presence and table, for the wrath of the king fell upon them in sending armies to destroy those murderers and burn up their cities.
The scene is a royal wedding banquet prepared by the king, with the king calling his own guests to the feast in his marriage hall. It belongs to the parable of the wedding feast and the king's marriage feast.
Many handlings place the verse in the wedding-feast parable but center on the feast, the wedding garment, or the general invitation without explaining the mistreatment and killing of the servants. In those handlings the feast represents the gospel invitation, and the king's inspection shows that those invited are judged so that only those clothed in Christ's righteousness are accepted and have a place at the king's feast among the blood-washed. The same banquet presents the Lord's Word as a feast prepared for its guests who must wear the white robe of Christ's righteousness, and sounds the solemn warning that the invitation must be heeded and people must be ready to enter the wedding. The marriage-feast invitation is also applied to those who refuse God's warning and offer of pardon and salvation, and its imagery is applied to proclaiming the gospel and gathering people to the marriage supper of the Lamb.
Meaning of Violent Rejection
The first call went to the higher classes, to the chosen people, to those in the higher walks of life. These were the shepherds of the flock and divinely appointed teachers, men in the higher ranks of society, in business life and positions of trust. They were men with large inventive faculties and scientific insight, men of genius and God-given powers of organization, of leadership and ability to look ahead and discern what needs to be done. They were men to whom many talents had been entrusted, who were to be sought out with tender affection and brotherly regard and to be first to hear the call in a manner different from the past, because their powers were needed as managers of institutions, leaders, captains, educators, faithful financiers, and presidents of conferences standing solid as a rock to principle.
Making light of the call and going to farm and merchandise meant being wholly intent on securing worldly gain, in buying and selling, planting and building, with eternity left out. It was refusal driven by pride in buying and selling and getting gain, by trust in the world and mammon and turning to merchandise, farming and social attractions. Those who refused thought they could not afford to lose any worldly advantage to enjoy the heavenly feast. Their refusal was made knowing what acceptance required, to put off the common citizen's dress and put on the robe of Christ's righteousness, thereby showing themselves His church, married to Christ as His bride.
Taking the servants spitefully and slaying them was disrespect for the master of the feast by those turned back from the Lord who had not sought nor inquired for Him. They thought their own wisdom sufficient and spoke as oracles of wisdom while sending refusal asking to be excused. The violence was the further step after treating the gracious invitation lightly with contempt as unworthy of notice. Provoked at being disturbed in self-complacency when conviction stirred them, the invited used harsh and bitter words, despised the reproving truth, hated scriptural arguments they could not meet, and mistreated and killed the messengers.
The servants were messengers sent to bring the invitation and to bring the church to understand its true state and come to the supper, offering the richest blessings of heaven, justification by faith and the imputed righteousness of Christ. Some of those invited did more than ignore the invitation, and their violent rejection illustrates cruel treatment of gospel messengers. Refusal also appears without open opposition, as holding aloof from the servants, refusing close relation and harmony with their work except in part, and refusing to drink fully the truth held to the lips. By clinging to the old citizen's dress instead of accepting the dress prepared by Christ, they reject the supper itself. Others assent to the truth brought by servants but will not obey or accept the call, because they love not the light and will not come to the light or to Jesus for deliverance, light and life, since their deeds are evil. The banquet that would satisfy every want is set before them and every heart may and can respond to love without parallel if it will, yet God cannot work for the soul that does not respond.
Judgment on First Guests
The rejection in Matthew 22:6 was not mere indifference but contempt for the king's authority and honor, shown in insulting and killing his servants. It portrays the Jewish people's rejection of the gospel invitation and the persecution and death of its messengers after Christ's crucifixion. The servants are the messengers who carried the invitation, and their violent rejection illustrates the cruel treatment of the messengers of the gospel. That violence was the further step after lightly refusing the gracious invitation as unworthy of notice and turning to merchandise, farming, social attractions, and trust in the world and mammon. Provoked at being disturbed in self-complacency when conviction stirred them, the invited used harsh and bitter words, despised reproving truth, hated scriptural arguments they could not meet, and mistreated and killed God's messengers.
The insult is deeper than refusal of a householder's supper invitation, because this is a king's invitation from one vested with power to command and the feast involved much. The guilt of those who refused is therefore deeper, for they made light of the king's command with pleas of circumstances and supposed duties, and treated his messengers with scorn, spitefully using them and slaying them. This brought the wrath of the king upon the murderers, punished with more than exclusion from his presence and table, by sending forth his armies to destroy those murderers and burn up their cities. Jesus used this to warn of the fate awaiting Jerusalem for rejecting the only means God had provided to save it, with God permitting the Romans to destroy those murderers and burn their city.
By this the Jewish nation decided its own destiny. The first invited guests had all the privileges and opportunities of the richest banquet ever presented, and had consented to come, yet as a nation divorced itself from God by rejecting His only begotten Son and refusing the garment of Christ's righteousness, forever separating itself from God. The same parable applies more especially to the Christian world today who claim to believe in Christ. From the newly invited guests found in highways and hedges the Lord requires just as implicit obedience and high-principled service as from those first called, with no mistake to be made about those called to the heavenly banquet.
Gospel Feast and Garment
The feast is the gospel invitation, the call to the marriage supper of the Lamb with the summons Come, for all things are now ready. Christ by His atoning death prepared the marriage feast, offering redemption to the world by God sending His Son to die in behalf of men that through faith believers should become one with God. The wedding garment testifies to that atoning death.
The invitation is gracious and benevolent, prepared for the guests' benefit and intended to satisfy every need and every want, a banquet full of marrow and fatness in His Word. It does not force anyone, but each person may choose whether to respond to love without parallel and to grace, and the issue rests wholly with those invited. It is not made to a few but to all who will come, with no walls built to keep any living soul from salvation, though every heart may and can respond if it will. God offers grace and bestows love and waits for a response, but He cannot work for a soul that does not respond.
The predestination taught by the banquet includes all who will accept Christ as personal Saviour and return to loyalty and to perfect obedience to all God's commandments. All who are willing to be saved by Christ are the elect of God, the obedient predestinated from the foundation of the world, the effectual salvation of a peculiar people chosen from among men to the praise and glory of His grace, power, and wisdom.
No one can enter in citizen's garments of stubborn self-will and pride. Every invited guest must put off self and the old citizen life lived in ignorance and be clothed in the spotless robe prepared by the Inviter, the humility, meekness and lowliness and righteousness of Christ. That robe of Christ's righteousness, the white linen of a clean pure character, spotless as the pure white lily, has been purchased and provided as the richest gift that can be bestowed on mortal man, to be secured by giving whole attention to it.
The king's inspection shows that those invited are judged, and only those clothed in Christ's righteousness are accepted. The wedding is connected with the investigative judgment in heaven before the wedding, presenting events before the wedding. The parable of the wedding garment opens a lesson of the highest consequence, presenting the marriage of humanity with divinity and showing the standard of character each must reach to be accounted a fit guest, to be gathered by careful study, where unless the righteousness of Christ as defined in the sixth chapter of John is accepted there is no wedding garment on.
Accepting the invitation outwardly is not enough, for guests must put on Christ's righteousness and live out the truth. To come to the banquet without the wedding garment is to be unsanctified, to fail to represent Christ in character, to keep Christ out of the heart while keeping truth in the outer court, to talk the Word yet build on sand as a hearer and not a doer to whom the work of the Holy Spirit is strange. It insults the Lord and abuses His gracious benevolence and does the greatest dishonor to Him who invites and provides the robe, so that the man is cast out. God is not unjust and not arbitrary when He tells the wrongdoer that he shall be separated from His presence.
Partaking of the feast means accepting Christ as personal Saviour, and all partakers say by that act that they have accepted truth as it is in Jesus, which is the robe of Christ's righteousness. Only those who accept the invitation in this way do honor to Christ, while those who accept thinking only to benefit themselves and to partake of the provisions while refusing to clothe themselves in the garment do not honor Him. Those who truly put on the garment no longer live the old citizen life lived in ignorance, with changed speech and conversation in altogether another line, so that faith stands not in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.
Carrying Invitation Today
The gospel invitation is the call to the marriage supper, to the wedding feast and the marriage supper of the Lamb, and it is to be carried to people everywhere so that God's house may be full. It is to go out into the highways and hedges to compel those there to come in, to those who have not yet heard as a final invitation before Christ's coming, bringing truth before thousands now in vice and iniquity that they may be redeemed from dissipation and sin. Believers have the opportunity to work for God by coming to the feast themselves and inviting others to come with them, praying and working together with God and urging people to come rather than lowering God's law to gain converts. The mistreatment and killing of the king's servants warns that people may resist those sent with the invitation, while outward acceptance is not enough without putting on Christ's righteousness and living out the truth. Those with every privilege of knowing Bible truth who show love of ease and selfish indulgence, fail to bring truth into the inner sanctuary of the soul, and fail to return entrusted talents in honest faithful service will be held accountable, and those who nominally accept truth but do not practice it come without the wedding garment of Christ's righteousness and, though professedly circumcised, are among the uncircumcised in practice through covetousness and will be destroyed with the uncircumcised.
The call reaches people in the highways, including people of high standing, men of the world, the higher classes of life, and people in high places of influence and wealth. These are a group few can gain association with and difficult to reach, including shepherds of the flock and divinely appointed teachers, men in higher ranks of society, in business life and positions of trust, men with large inventive faculties and scientific insight, men of genius and God-given powers of organization. Servants must not pass men of the world by but must urge them, take hold of them and bring them in to the banquet He has prepared offering repose from the din and confusion of earth and the peace and happiness and joy He longs to bestow. Those in high places are to be given a fair chance to consider the truth and to be asked earnestly whether they are prepared for immortal life. Those to whom God has entrusted many talents are to be sought out with tender affection and brotherly regard and to be first to hear the gospel call in a manner different from the way they have heard it in the past, because their ability to look ahead and discern what needs to be done is needed in carrying forward the work for the last days as managers of institutions, leaders, captains, educators, faithful financiers, and presidents of conferences who stand solid as a rock to principle, and those who receive the truth can use their influence and relationships to help carry the message to others.
The call is truth given as a repast to be received, and when set forth it holds large numbers with most earnest interest, including interested listeners outside. There are not more great men, noted men, and worldly-wise men among those who believe the truth because, though Christ paid the ransom of His own precious blood to send them the invitation and by being a Sin-bearer opened a way whereby all who desire eternal life above every other earthly consideration may come to Him, they hear the messenger say Come yet listen to the wily foe and adopt the varied, foolish excuses he frames for refusing the gracious call. They refuse the heavenly benefits because this present world is their god, refuse Him who could give real value to their characters and bring them back to allegiance to God and His commandments, and will not take the marriage contract and partake of the marriage supper. They will not associate with Him who would make them truly great and valuable and turn their crosses into crowns, do not believe the promise to make a man precious, and will not permit Him to place His own image and superscription upon them to change them into His obedient, loyal children, and God allows everyone to choose his own lord.
The time is short and everyone must be prepared for the marriage supper of the Lord. Preparation means accepting the robe of Christ's righteousness so as not to be found without the wedding garment, and receiving the peace of Christ. Satan is working and will work in great power with the children of disobedience as agents to destroy the soul, so the devil must be resisted that he may flee. The prepared feast is an invitation intended for the guests' benefit, but when it is rejected as people turn to lesser interests those who remain unready lose opportunity when the door is shut and seek admission too late, and their neglect can also influence others to remain unprepared.