Charles Spurgeon Commentary Matthew 8:11-12

"And I say unto you, that many shall come from the east and the west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven: but the sons of the kingdom shall be cast forth into the outer darkness: there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth." — Matthew 8:11-12 (ASV)

And I say unto you, that many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

This is a strange thing, yet it is still continually happening, despite its strangeness, that those who are placed in such positions of privilege that you would naturally expect them to become believers, remain unbelievers; while others, who are placed at a terrible disadvantage, nevertheless often come right out from sin, and right away from ignorance, and become believers in Christ.

Oh, that none of us, who sit under the sound of the gospel from Sabbath to Sabbath, might be sad illustrations of this truth, while others, unaccustomed to listen to the Word, may be happy instances of the way in which the Lord still takes strangers and adopts them into his family.

Heaven will be filled. If the likely ones will not come, the unlikely ones will do so. Many beloved ones are there already, a sort of nucleus to which we gather, even as Israel gathered to “Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob.” From “east and west,” great multitudes will come, undeterred by distance, and these will share the same heaven as do the patriarchs of old.

How sad to think that the descendants of those patriarchs will be cast out like refuse, thrown behind the wall in the dark, and left in the cold to gnash their teeth in anguish! What a turning of things upside down! The nearest cast out and the furthest made near! How often is this the case! The centurion comes from the camp to Christ and the Israelite goes from the synagogue to hell. The harlot bows at Jesus' feet a penitent, while the self-righteous Pharisee rejects the great salvation.

Oh, that this incident may sweetly persuade us to believe greatly and may none of us doubt the power of the incarnate Son of God!

With Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. But the children of the kingdom,

Those born in Israel, who belong to the promised seed.