Matthew 22:6

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

Matthew 22:6 (KJV)

Context

Jesus spoke this verse within the Parable of the Wedding Feast, which He told in response to the chief priests and Pharisees who were questioning His authority. In the parable, a king prepares a wedding feast for his son and sends servants to call those who were invited. The invited guests refuse to come, and after a second invitation, they make light of it and go to their farms and merchandise. Verse 6 describes the remnant, the rest of those invited, who took the king’s servants, treated them spitefully, and killed them.

Meaning

The remnant represents the Jewish people who were initially God’s chosen people. The servants represent the prophets and messengers whom God sent throughout history to call His people to repentance and faithfulness. Their spiteful treatment and killing symbolize how the religious leaders rejected and persecuted God’s messengers, often responding with hostility and violence. The Greek word translated “entreated spitefully” conveys the sense of insulting, mistreating, or treating outrageously, showing a progression from indifference to active hostility against the king’s messengers.

Biblical connections

The immediate consequence follows in verse 7: the king, hearing of this, sends his armies, destroys those murderers, and burns their city, a detail that points to the destruction of Jerusalem. The parable then continues with the king sending servants to the highways to invite everyone, both good and bad, showing the inclusion of the Gentiles and others who accept the invitation. This verse reflects the rejection and mistreatment of the prophets by the Jewish people, culminating in their rejection of Jesus, the Son of God, and His message of salvation.

Application

The parable highlights the importance of responding to God’s invitation to enter into a relationship with Him. The initial invitees who rejected the king’s invitation represent those who reject God’s call to salvation. The mistreatment and killing of the servants serve as a warning against hardening our hearts and resisting God’s messengers. We are called to examine our own hearts and actions, striving to be responsive to God’s invitation and treating His messengers with respect and openness. We must also ensure that our acceptance of God’s invitation is genuine, marked by repentance and a transformed life, not by trying to enter on our own terms.

Reflection

Consider how you respond to God’s call and to those He sends into your life. Are there areas where indifference or hostility has replaced openness to His Word? The parable reminds us that God’s invitation is gracious, but it also calls for a sincere response. Studying the Bible as a whole, along with considering related passages, can deepen our understanding of this sobering yet hopeful account.