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The sermon interprets the rejected wedding invitation in Matthew 22 as a picture of sinners making light of God’s provision of salvation in Christ. Indifference may appear as ignorance, unbelief, worldly busyness, inattentiveness, or thoughtless delay, but all represent contempt for Christ and the Gospel. Spurgeon strongly emphasizes death, final judgment, hell, and condemnation for those who persist in unbelief. His closing appeal is evangelical and urgent: hear the Gospel, trust in Christ, and be baptized as a public profession of faith.
Theological center: Salvation is found through faith in Christ, while rejecting Him leaves sinners under divine judgment and eternal condemnation.
Applications: Turn from unbelief · Believe and receive the Gospel · Consider eternity and judgment · Feel the seriousness of rejecting Christ
Primary texts: Matthew 22:5 · Mark 16:16
“But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise.” Matthew 22:5 MAN is not much changed since the days of Adam. In his bodily frame he appears to be exactly similar, for skeletons many hundred years’ old are the exact counterparts of ours. And sure enough that which was recorded in history as having been done by man centuries ago, might be written again, for, “There is nothing new under the sun.” The same class of men is still to be discovered (although, perhaps, differently dressed) as that which existed ages long gone by. There are still men who answer the character given to others, in His day, by the Savior, “They go their way, one to his farm, another to his merchandise,” making light of the glorious things of the Gospel. I am certain I have many such characters here tonight and I pray the Lord that I may be enabled to discourse to them very solemnly and very pointedly. And I must ask all you who understand the heavenly art of prayer, to pray that God would be pleased to send home every thought into the breast where He intends it to lodge, that it may bring forth the comfortable fruit of righteousness in the salvation of many souls. “They made light of it,” so do too many in this day. And so will a large portion of my hearers tonight. I believe that to think lightly of Christ is a sin. And at all risks of being falsely called legalist or free-willer, by those who are wise above what is written, I shall charge it upon you as such, for I hope I shall never belong to that class of Calvinists who do the devil’s work by excusing sinners in their sins. In the first place, we shall have a few words with you concerning what it is that the sinner makes light of. Secondly, how it is that he makes light of it. And thirdly, why it is that he makes light of it. Then a general observation or two, and we shall not weary you. I. In the first place, WHAT IS IT THAT THE SINNER MAKES LIGHT OF? According to the parable, the person alluded to made light of a marriage banquet which a king had provided, with all kinds of dainties, to which they were freely invited, and from which they willfully absented themselves. The spiritual meaning of this is easy to discover. Sinners who make light of Christ express their contempt of a glorious banquet which God has provided at the marriage of His Son. This is solemn ground to tread upon. Oh! for the teachings of the Holy Spirit. Taking this parable as the basis of our remarks, we may observe, first, that the sinner makes light of the messenger who brings him the news that the marriage sup…