Matthew 22:5

Mat_22:5

But they made light of it.

Making light of Christ

I. What it is that the sinners make light of.

1. Of the messenger who brings them the news that the marriage supper is prepared.

2. These people despise the feast.

3. They make light of the Kings Son.

4. They make light also of the King.

5. Thou art making light of the great solemnities of eternity.

II. How is it that men make light of it?

1. When men go to hear and yet do not attend.

2. When they attend to something else with it.

3. Who makes a profession of religion, but does not live up to it.

III. Why they make light of it.

1. Because ignorant.

2. Because of pride.

3. Because they did not believe the messenger.

4. Because they were so worldly.

5. Because altogether thoughtless.

6. Out of sheer presumption.

7. Because of the commonness of the gospel. (C. H. Spurgeon.)

Indifference to the gospel invitation

I. The causes.

1. Ignorance.

2. Insensibility.

3. Indisposition.

4. Worldly-mindedness.

5. All these excuses were derived from things that were lawful in themselves.

II. Substantiate the proofs. Must not bring such a charge without the clearest evidence; that you make light of the gospel proved-

1. From your thoughts.

2. From your words.

3. From your actions.

4. From your anxieties.

III. Expose this evil.

1. Consider the conduct of other beings. The devil, angels, saints do not make light of it.

2. Consider the truth of the subject.

3. The importance of the subject.

4. The guilt you contract.

IV. Rejoice in the cure of this indefference. (W. Jay.)

Trifling with the gospel

I. With whom do they trifle?

II. With what do men trifle?

1. With the soul.

2. With Jesus Christ.

3. With eternity.

IV. Under what circumstances do men thus dare to trifle?

1. While you thus trifle all beside you are in earnest.

2. While you thus trifle opportunities are passing away. (T. Raffles, D. D.)

Levity: Subjects often made light of

I. Life, with the faculties and powers we possess.

II. Time, with the opportunities which it offers.

III. Duty, with self-denial which it involves.

IV. Sin, with the misery which it entails.

V. Salvation, with the joys which it brings.

VI. Death, with the uncertainty which attends it. VII. Judgment, with the solemnity that surrounds it. (Seeds and Saplings.)

Making light of salvation

I. Men are apt to remember and affectionately think of things they highly esteem; but as for those which they disregard, they can easily forget them, and live daily without a single thought of them.

II. The things that men value will be the theme of frequent conversation.

III. Things only talked about, and not reduced to practice, are made light of.

IV. We take pains and labour to secure the things we value.

V. Things that men highly esteem deeply and tenderly affect them.

VI. Our estimate of things may he discovered by the diligence and earnestness of our endeavours after them.

VII. That which we highly value we think it impossible to buy too dearly.

VIII. Those things we highly value we shall help our friends to obtain.

1. Those who make light of the Saviour, make light of Him who did not make light of them.

2. They make light of matters of the greatest excellency and importance.

3. Consider whose salvation it is you make light of-your own.

4. This sin is aggravated by professing to believe that gospel you make light of.

5. Consider what things those are which you prefer to the neglect of these.

6. Making light of Christ and salvation is a certain evidence of no interest in them.

7. The time is hastening when none will make light of these things. (President Davies.)

Levity

1. They made light of their advantages.

2. They made light of their opportunities.

3. They made light of human life.

4. They made light of duty.

5. They made light of sin.

6. They made light of the gospel. (Dean Vaughan.)

The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Mat 22:5. Ἀμελήσαντες, making light of, neglecting) This is a greater offence than the previous, They would not come. They ought to have understood (see Act 7:25), and to have watched.—ἀπῆλθον, they departed) leaving even the city, which was therefore burnt; see Mat 22:7. He who does not answer the call, loses even those advantages which he previously had possessed.—τὸν ἴδιον—αὐτοῦ, his own—his) Egoism.[952]—ἀγρὸν—ἐμπορίαν, field—merchandise) The one busied with immoveable, the other with moveable goods; the one detained by a false contentment (αὐτάρκεια[953]), the other by the desire of acquiring more.

[952] In the original, “ἴδιον· αὐτοῦ, proprium: suum) Suitas.” This is one of those passages which it is far more easy to understand than to translate. There is a connection between the expression “Suitas” (a word, I believe, coined by Bengel for the occasion) and suum immediately preceding. The meaning is, that the words, ἴδιον, αὐτοῦ, both refer to Self, and imply a recognition of Self as the object of thought and consideration, apart from, independent of, in contradistinction, nay in preference to, GOD—in fact, a state or feeling the very opposite to that involved in the Apostle’s words (1Co 6:19-20), Ye are NOT YOUR OWN: ye are bought with a price. Therefore glorify GOD in your body, and in your spirit, WHICH ARE GOD’S.—(I. B.)

[953] See p. 150, f. n. 3, and on Mat 10:9.—(I. B.)

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Mat_22:5 ff. Ἀμελήσαντες] having paid no attention, said with reference merely to those who went away; for the others, Mat_22:6, conducted themselves in a manner directly hostile. This in answer to Fritzsche, who holds that Matthew would have expressed himself more precisely: οἱ δὲ ἀμελ., οἱ μὲν ἀπῆλθον … οἱ δὲ λοιποὶ, κ.τ.λ. Instead of so expressing himself, however, he leaves it to appear from the context that the first οἱ represents the majority of those invited, while the οἱ δὲ λοιποί constitute the remainder, so that the general form of expression (οἱ δὲ ἀμελ., κ.τ.λ.) finds its limitation in οἱ δὲ λοιποί. This limitation might also have been expressed by οἱ δέ alone, in the sense of some, however (see Kühner, II. 2, p. 808).

εἰς τὸν ἴδιον ἀγρόν] to his own farm (Mar_5:14; Mar_6:36), so that he preferred his own selfish interests to being present at the marriage of the royal prince, as was also the case with him who went to his merchandise. For ἴδιος, comp. note on Eph_5:22.

Meyer — Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament — English translation by Peter Christie, edited by Frederick Crombie (T&T Clark, 1880) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Mat 22:5-7 . οἱ δὲ ἀμελήσαντες ἀπῆλθον . The Vulgate resolves the participle and translates: “neglexerunt et abierunt,” so also the A.V [122] and R.V [123] ; justly, for the participle points out the state of mind which gave rise to the conduct specified. They treated the pressing invitations and glowing descriptions of the servants with indifference. ὃς μὲν , ὃς δὲ : this one to his own ( ἴδιον for αὐτοῦ = proprius for suus ) field, that one to his trading ( ἐμπορίαν here only in N. T. Cf. Lk. at this point).

[122] Authorised Version.

[123] Revised Version.

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise:

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

(5) They made light of it.—The words point to the temper of neglect which slights the offer of the kingdom of God, and prefers the interest of this world. This was one form of neglect. Another ran parallel with it, and passed on into open antagonism.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

But they made light of it,.... The invitation. They neglected the ministry of the Gospel; they did not care for it, nor showed any regard to it: and this is the ease, when either it is not attended on, though there is an opportunity, yet having no heart to embrace it, and no value for it, neglect attendance on it; and which often arises from loving of the world too much: or when it is attended on, but in a very negligent and careless manner; when men pull away the shoulder, or stop their ears; when they do not mind what they hear, let it slip and forget it; when they are unconcerned for it, and their thoughts are employed about other things: or when the Gospel and the ordinances of it are looked upon as things of no importance; not knowing the real worth and value of them; seeing no wisdom in them, having never tasted the sweetness, or felt the power of them, or seen the need of the things revealed by them: as also when there is an aversion to the Gospel, a loathing of it, as a novel, upstart doctrine, received but by a few, and these the meanest and most illiterate; as contrary to reason, and tending to licentiousness; and especially, when it is contradicted and blasphemed, as it was by the Jews, and its ministers despised: some men make light of it, because of the loss of time from worldly employments; because of the charge attending it; because it teaches them to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts; and because they prefer their bodies to their souls, and things temporal, to things eternal. The aggravations of their sin, in slighting and neglecting the Gospel and Gospel ordinances, are, that this is a grand entertainment, a very expensive provision, as well as a very plentiful one; that it was a wedding dinner, a feast of love, they were invited to; that it was prepared by so great a person as a king, and who is the King of kings, and the only potentate; who provided this dinner of his own sovereign good will and pleasure, in the everlasting council and covenant of grace and peace: for the things of which it consists, there was a scheme so early contrived to bring them about; and that this was made on the account of the marriage of his Son, the Messiah, who had been so often spoken of by the prophets of the Old Testament, these men professed a value for; one so long expected by their forefathers, and is the messenger of the covenant, whose coming they themselves desired and sought for; and that they should be invited to it again and again, and one set of servants sent after another, and the most striking and moving arguments made use of; and yet they slighted and made light of all this, and were careless and unconcerned; to which may be added, that the things they were invited to, were such as concerned their immortal souls, and the spiritual and eternal welfare of them; in short, it was no other than the great salvation, wrought out by the great God, and our Saviour, for great sinners, at the expense of his blood and life, which they neglected; See Gill on Heb 2:3.

And went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise: they all turned their backs on the Gospel, and the ministration of it, and pursued their own worldly inclinations, ways, and methods of life: those that were brought up in a rural way, lived a country life, and were concerned in meaner employments, went everyone to their "village", as the Vulgate Latin, and Munster's Hebrew Gospel read it, and to their farms, there to manage their cattle, and till their ground; and others, that lived in larger towns and cities, and were concerned in greater business of life, betook themselves to trade at home, or traffic abroad; placing their happiness in the affluence of this life, which they preferred to the word and ordinances of Christ. Such a division of worldly employment is made by the Jews (k);

"the way of that host is like to a king, who makes a grand entertainment, and says to the children of his palace, all the rest of the days ye shall be everyone in his house; this shall do his business, , "and this shall go about his merchandise", , "and this shall go to his field", except on my day.''

(k) Zohar in Lev. fol. 40. 2.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

5 But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise:

Ver. 5. But they made light of it] God’s rich offers are still slighted and critized; and most men turn their backs upon those blessed and bleeding embracements of his, as if heaven were not worth hearkening after;

"... Paris ut vivat regnetque beatus

Cogi posse negat".-Horat, Eph 2:10.

One to his farm, another to his merchandise] Licitis perimus omnes, More die by food than poison. Worldliness is a great handicap to faith, though men cannot be charged with any great covetousness. See that ye shift not off him that speaketh to you from heaven, Heb 12:25.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

But they made light of it - Treated it with contempt, as a thing of no consequence - an exact representation of the conduct of sinners in regard to the gospel.

One to his farm - So people are engaged so much in their worldly employment that they pretend they have no time to attend to religion. The world is, in their view, of more value than God.

Merchandise - Traffic; trading.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

One to his farm. After they had put to death the Son of God, still did the Almighty invite them to the marriage-feast; but they with futile excuses declined and slighted the proffered favour, wholly taken up with their temporal concerns and sensual enjoyments, their oxen, lands and wives. From the punishment inflicted on these, we learn, that no consideration, how specious soever it may appear, can prove a legitimate excuse for neglecting our spiritual duties. (St. John Chrysostom, hom. lxx.) --- Such as refuse to be reconciled to the holy Catholic Church, allege vain pretexts and impediments; but all these originating in pride, indolence, or human respect, will not serve at the day of general retribution and strict scrutiny.

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

5. Made light of it — We have in these two verses two classes of rejecters of the Gospel described; namely, those who slight its offers, and they who persecute its offerers. Of the former we have in this verse described also two classes, namely, those who go to enjoy the estate they have, and those who go to get gain they have not by traffic.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

They made light of it, and went their ways. They who refused the invitation are divided into two classes the first mentioned in this verse, the second in the following. These are simply careless, indifferent scorners, who are too busy with their worldly concerns to attend to the claims of the gospel. So we read, "The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all these things; and they scoffed at him". (Luk_16:14; comp. Mat_19:23, Mat_19:24) His farm; ton : his own farm, or estate. This is the landed proprietor, who goes to the selfish enjoyment of his possessions. His merchandise. This is the busy trader, who is engrossed in the pursuit of wealth. (compare the excuses in Luk_14:18, Luk_14:19)

The enticement of material interests.

"One to his farm, another to his merchandise." These men, as we have seen, were discourteous from mere wilfulness, mere bad nature; but they turned away from the king"s servants to their own private affairs, in order to make a show of reasonable excuse. So while it is true that men often are absorbed in their material concerns, and these may explain their neglect of religion, it is even more frequently true that men make their material interests excuse their bad-heartedness, and are busy with temporal concerns in the hope of hiding their stubborn self-willedness. A man"s material interests never need really stand in the way of his religion; but if he is resolutely set against religion, he can easily make his material interests into a stumbling block in his way. A great deal of insincere talk is made about the enticement of things seen and temporal; business and pleasure are supposed to carry away men who would be pious. The honest fact is that men usually do not want to be pious, and throw themselves into their worldly concerns as a blind.

I MATERIAL INTERESTS REGARDED AS GENUINE TEMPTATIONS. There is, for all men, even for good-willed men, a fascination in things seen and temporal. The sense sphere is attractive. In every man there is the natural ambition to succeed, to rise in, the social scale, and to win the comfort and security of wealth. Fur men with the business faculty, trade and commerce are positively attractive. In these days the range of living is so luxurious, and trade so competitive, that a man is almost compelled to put his whole mind into his business, if he is to succeed. And every man has material claims from those dependent on him. But, held in fair limitations, our material interests are not temptations. The soul"s life in God finds expression through them.

II MATERIAL INTERESTS MADE AN EXCUSE FOR BADHEARTEDNESS. This may be opened, illustrated, and enforced, so as to be very searching. Men do not want to be religious; they are stubbornly resolved not to go to the gospel feast. That is the real reason for their extreme interest in their farm and their merchandise. R.T.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

One to his farm, another to his merchandise - One must mind what he has; another, gain what he wants. How many perish by misusing lawful things!

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

The rejection:

v. 5. But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm,

another to his merchandise.

v. 6. And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them.

v. 7. But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth; and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.

Here was a case of studied insolence and insult. They were indifferent to the urgent call, they paid absolutely no attention to it, in the majority of cases. They turned away and devoted themselves to their own private affairs, the landholder to his farm, the merchant to his store. But a few of the invited guests were not satisfied with merely indicating their disapproval of the king and their contempt for the wedding-feast in this fashion. They vented their spite on the messengers. Having laid hold on them, they treated them with every mark of contempt, and finally killed them. These were acts of open rebellion, naturally followed by war. Deeply angered, the king sent out his armies and punished the murderers by taking their life in turn and by burning their town. The refusal to come to the wedding-feast, together with the acts of violence against the servants, constituted acts of gross disobedience, which were justly punished in this way.

Paul E. Kretzmann, Popular Commentary of the Bible (1921–1924) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

5. But they made light of it. There were two classes that refused to heed the invitation. This is the first class, those who are indifferent.

B. W. Johnson's The People's New Testament with Notes (1889–1891) — public domain. Electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ThML edition.

Connecting Statement:

Jesus continues telling a parable. (See: Parables)

But they paid no attention

"But the guests the king invited ignored the invitation"

killed those murderers

It is implied that the king's soldiers killed the murderers. (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

translationWords

king

servant

shame

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

6. And they, neglecting (the invitation), went away, one to his estate, and one to his business: and the rest seized his servants, and ill-treated them, and killed them.]—ἴδιον] here = the possessive pronoun; see Deissm. Bib. Stud. 123.

(E)

International Critical Commentary — older volumes (1896–1929), various authors — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Made light of it [αμελησαντες] . Not in the sense of jeering. They simply gave it no heed.

His farm [ιδιον αγρον] . Rev., his own farm; bringing out the contrast between his selfish interest and the respect due to his king. Compare 2Ch 30:10.

Marvin R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (1887–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.