Matthew 22:4 (ASV)

Passage

Again he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them that are bidden, Behold, I have made ready my dinner; my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come to the marriage feast.

Nearby Context

Matthew 22:2 The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a certain king, who made a marriage feast for his son,

Matthew 22:3 and sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the marriage feast: and they would not come.

Matthew 22:4 Again he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them that are bidden, Behold, I have made ready my dinner; my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come to the marriage feast.

Matthew 22:5 But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his merchandise;

Matthew 22:6 and the rest laid hold on his servants, and treated them shamefully, and killed them.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "all things", "again", "sent", "forth", "other", "servants", "saying", and "tell". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "all things" and "again", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 3's "and sent forth his servants to call..." into verse 5's "But they made light of it and...", so "all things" and "again" belong inside that flow. In Matthew context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "all things" and "again" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.