Charles Spurgeon Commentary Matthew 22:3

"and sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the marriage feast: and they would not come." — Matthew 22:3 (ASV)

The set time had arrived, and the Jews, who as a nation were bidden to the wedding, were invited to come and partake of the royal bounty. They had been “bidden” long before by the prophets whom the King had continued to send to them, and now that the festive day had dawned, the King sent forth his servants to call those who were bidden to the wedding. This was in accordance with the Eastern custom of sending a second invitation to those who had favorably received the first. John the Baptist and our Lord’s apostles and disciples plainly told the people that the long-awaited event was drawing near. Indeed, the appointed hour had already struck, the set time to favor Zion had come; all that was needed was that the guests should come to the wedding.

The Jews were highly honored in being chosen out of all the nations of the earth to attend the wedding of the King’s Son, but sadly, they did not prize their privileges; they would not come. They were instructed, entreated, and warned, but all to no avail: they would not come. Our Lord was very near the end of His stay on earth, and He summarized all He had observed of Israel’s conduct towards Him in this short sentence: they would not come. It is not said, “They could not come,” but, They would not come. Some for one reason, and some for another, and perhaps some without any reason at all, but without exception, they would not come. They thus manifested their disloyalty to the King, their disobedience to His command, their dislike of His Son, their distaste for the royal banquet, and their disregard for the messengers sent to them by the King.

Note: it was the King who made this wedding feast. Therefore, to refuse to be present, when the invitation implied great honor to those who received it, was as distinct an insult as could well be perpetrated against both the King and His Son. If an ordinary person had invited them, they might have done as they pleased about accepting the invitation, but a royal invitation is a command that will be disobeyed at the refuser’s peril. Let this be remembered by those who are now refusing the invitation of the Gospel.