Matthew 22:3 (KJV)

Passage

And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come.

Nearby Context

Matthew 22:1 And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said,

Matthew 22:2 The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son,

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

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

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

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "sent", "forth", "servants", "call", "bidden", "wedding", and "come". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "sent" and "forth", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 2's "The kingdom of heaven is like unto..." into verse 4's "Again he sent forth other servants saying...", so "sent" and "forth" 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 "sent" and "forth" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.