John Calvin Commentary Matthew 22:11

"But when the king came in to behold the guests, he saw there a man who had not on a wedding-garment:" — Matthew 22:11 (ASV)

And the king, having come in to see the guests. Here Christ does not reproach the Jews with having wickedly despised the grace and calling of God, but gives early warning to those who would be placed in their place, not to pollute with their filth the holy marriage when God will bestow upon them admission to His table.

Until now He has taught that the Jews, on account of their ungodly and disdainful conduct, would be deprived of the peculiar honor and privilege which they had enjoyed, and that from among the irreligious and abhorred Gentiles men would be called to occupy their place.

But now He threatens that, out of this very number, those who bring reproach upon the Church will be expelled. For God invites all indiscriminately by the Gospel, and thus many unholy and abominable persons creep in, who, though for a time they are admitted along with others, yet, when God reviews the guests, will be thrown out and dragged to punishment.

The general truth conveyed is that not all who have once entered the Church will become partakers of everlasting life, but only those who are found to wear the dress which befits the heavenly palace.

As to the wedding garment, is it faith, or is it a holy life? This is a useless controversy; for faith cannot be separated from good works, nor do good works proceed from any other source than from faith. But Christ intended only to state that the Lord calls us on the express condition of our being renewed by the Spirit after His image; and that, in order to our remaining permanently in His house, we must put off the old man with his pollutions, (Colossians 3:9; Ephesians 4:22) and lead a new life, that the garment may correspond to so honorable a calling.

But a question arises: how is it that a beggar is punished so severely for not bringing a wedding garment; as if it were unusual to see wretched people, who beg their bread on the public roads, wearing tattered and ugly clothes? I reply, the question is not as to the manner in which the garment is to be procured; for whoever the Lord invites, He at the same time supplies with clothing, and in all of us is fulfilled what Ezekiel says (Ezekiel 16:6–14) that God finds nothing in us but wretchedness, and nakedness, and abominable filth, but adorns us with magnificent attire.

We know also that there is no other way in which we are formed anew after the image of God but by putting on Christ, (Romans 13:14; Galatians 3:27). It is not, therefore, the declaration of Christ that the sentence of casting them into outer darkness will be executed on wretched men who did not bring a costly garment taken from their own wardrobe, but on those who will be found in their pollution when God comes to make a scrutiny of His guests.