Matthew 22:11

King came in. The parable of the Great Supper (Luke 14:16—24) totally lacks any passages similar to those found here in Matt. 22:11-14.

To see the guests. He came in to see if all was going well, and particularly to see what guests his servants had gathered in from the highways. His inspection of the guests represents a process of judgment, of determining who may and who may not remain. In a special sense it represents the work of the investigative judgment (see COL 310; see on Rev. 14:6, 7).

A wedding garment. The special wedding garments were provided by the king himself. A festal hall filled with properly attired guests would be an honor to the king and to the occasion. A person inappropriately clad would bring dishonor upon the host and introduce a discordant note into the festivities.

The wedding garment represents “the righteousness of Christ” (COL 310). Hence, the rejection of the garment represents the rejection of those traits of character that qualify men to become sons and daughters of God. Like the guests in the parable, we have nothing suitable of our own to wear. We are acceptable in the presence of the great God only when clad in the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ, by virtue of His merits. This is the “white raiment” Christians are counseled to buy (see Rev. 3:18; cf. ch. 19:8).

The man without a wedding garment represents professed Christians who feel no need of a transformation of character. This guest was apparently interested only in the privilege of eating of the king’s bounties. He did not tally appreciate the privilege accorded him. The honor of the king and the importance of the occasion meant nothing to him. He forgot that the feast was being held in honor of the king’s son, and thus of the king himself. How well clad he may have been was beside the point, for he had declined the only thing that qualified him to sit at the king’s table and enjoy the festivities and bountiful provisions that accompanied the wedding celebration.