Again he sent other servants, saying: Tell them that were invited, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my beeves and fatlings are killed, and all things are ready. Come ye to the marriage.
παλιν απεστειλεν αλλους δουλους λεγων ειπατε τοις κεκλημενοις ιδου το αριστον μου ητοιμασα οι ταυροι μου και τα σιτιστα τεθυμενα και παντα ετοιμα δευτε εις τους γαμους
12 Church Fathers comment on this verse
When the Jews witnessed the Son, their anger led them to take His life, yet He continues to reach out to them through His servants. What is He inviting them to? Not to toil, trials, or misfortunes, but to joy. He proclaims, “My oxen and what is fattened, slaughtered, and all things are ready.” What a lavish banquet, what glorious abundance! Despite this, their hearts remained unchanged; instead, the more He endured, the more they grew obstinate.
‘Calves and fatted things’ represent the Old and New Testaments. The Old Testament is symbolized by the calves, as it was the era of animal sacrifices, while the New Testament is represented by the bread offering, for we now present loaves upon the altar; these may be considered a bread offering because they are composed of flour. In this way, God invites us to partake in the blessings of both Testaments. When you observe someone effectively explaining the Scriptures to an audience, recognize that they are providing spiritual nourishment, sustaining the souls of the simple. You may wonder: How can it be said to ‘call the called’—if they are already called, what is the necessity for further calling?
Understand that each individual is naturally called to goodness, guided by reason and innate understanding. However, God also appoints external teachers so they may summon those who are inherently called through external proclamation. The king dispatched his army, meaning the Romans, to dismantle the rebellious Jews and set fire to their city, Jerusalem, as accurately recorded by the historian Josephus.
All Christians are familiar with the parable of the royal son and his nuptial banquet. The feast prepared by the Lord is offered to all who partake in a worthy manner. It is crucial for each person to reflect on their approach to this celebration, even if they are not expressly prohibited from attending. Holy Scripture instructs us that there are two types of gatherings hosted by the Lord: one to which both the righteous and the unrighteous are invited, and another to which the unrighteous do not gain entry. In the Gospel account we have just heard, both virtuous and wicked individuals were present. Those who declined the invitation were indeed wicked, yet not all who accepted were virtuous. Now I turn to you, the honorable attendees of this gathering.
Pay close attention to this truth: whoever partakes of the bread and wine in an unworthy manner, brings judgment upon themselves, failing to recognize the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 11:29). I implore you: do not look for goodness outside of the Church while tolerating evil within it.
Understanding the prophets in relation to the second group of messengers sent is far more enlightening than doing so with the apostles; thus, if it is stated here, as mentioned earlier, that they are messengers, and if you find reference to messengers there, then the term "second messengers" should denote the apostles. The feast set before them, along with the bulls and the choice sacrificial animals, can be interpreted either in a symbolic manner as a representation of royal abundance, assessing the spiritual through the lens of the material, or perhaps illustrating the grandeur of the beliefs and teachings of the Divine, fully aligned with the sacred law.
The initial group of servants refers to those who supported Peter, while the second group signifies those aligned with Paul. He describes the banquet, the bulls, the rich offerings, and the ritual slaying of the finest animals, consistent with the traditions of a wedding feast. This entire occasion can be understood as a celebration of Divine teaching, where one experiences heavenly joy and fulfillment. The mention of the calves and the fatted signifies the richness and magnificence of the feast.
What do we mean, dear brothers, by the terms ‘young men’ and ‘fat’ if not the patriarchs of both the Old and New Testaments? However, since I aim to speak plainly, I also need to clarify the very words of the Gospel passage. By ‘well-fed’ we refer to that which has been nourished; the term ‘well-fed’ is derived from the concept of ‘nourishment.’ It is written in the law, ‘Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy’ (Matt. 5:43; Lev. 19:18), which permitted the righteous at that time to vanquish the foes of God and their own using all their strength, even to the point of slaying them with the sword.
Nevertheless, in the New Testament, this is undoubtedly forbidden, as the Truth Himself teaches us, saying, ‘Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that despitefully use you and persecute you’ (Matt. 5:44). Who, then, can be identified as young men if not the patriarchs of the Old Testament? They, having the Law’s consent, exacted vengeance upon their enemies, similar to the young men who defeated their foes through physical might. What do the ‘fat’ represent if not the fathers of the New Testament, who, having received the grace of spiritual mortification, transcend worldly desires and ascend to lofty heights on the wings of their contemplation? To dwell with our thoughts solely on earthly matters leads to a certain aridity of the soul. Yet those who, through understanding heavenly truths, are nourished by the inner delight derived from holy aspirations toward what is above grow spiritually robust as if they were consuming abundant sustenance. The Prophet longed for this nourishment when he declared, ‘As with fat and oil my soul is fed, and with a joyful voice my mouth praises You’ (Psalm 62:6). Thus, since the divinely appointed heralds of the Incarnation of the Lord—first the Prophets and later the Holy Apostles—faced persecution at the hands of unbelievers, who were summoned but refused to heed the call, it is proclaimed, ‘my oxen and what is fattened are slaughtered, and all things are ready.’ This is a clear urging, as if to say, ‘Look upon the culminations of the Fathers before you, and reflect upon how you live.’ It is noteworthy that in the initial invitation, there is no mention of ‘calves’ or ‘fat,’ yet in the subsequent invitation, both are included; this is because the Almighty God, when we neglect to listen to His words, provides further examples to make what appears impossible more likely, reassuring us of its feasibility as we see it already realized in others.
The Gospel narrates that the Father, the King, dispatched additional servants with the invitation, “Call those who are invited: my banquet is prepared, my chosen ones and my esteemed guests, and all is ready; come to the feast.” Yet, they paid no attention and went about their own affairs, returning to their villages or going to acquire their own possessions. Others mistreated His servants, insulted them, and ultimately killed them (Matthew 22:4-6). To whom does the Lord refer as these second servants that were sent? They are His holy apostles. What kind of feast is this? It represents the heavenly kingdom, prepared by God since the foundation of the world for those who willingly accept the invitation. By whom is He calling the chosen and esteemed guests?
He is referring to the Son of the Virgin and God Himself, who is the glorified body established for this very purpose of being sacrificed and consumed. Yet, He is also described as a young man because of His invincible might. He is referred to as young men in the plural because His sacred body is distributed into many parts, each containing the whole of Christ. He possesses such power that He conquers all adversaries for those who partake of His communion and grants them the strength to triumph over the world and to become children of God. He is also known as the Lamb of God, the singular and perfect offering. He bears a cross, resembling horns, which delivered a mortal blow to our enemy, the devil, during His crucifixion at the hands of the Jews. As previously mentioned, the Lord designates the holy Apostles as these other servants, whom He commissioned to preach, instructing them not to take the path of the Gentiles or enter Samaria, but rather to seek out the lost sheep of the house of Israel, meaning the Jews. However, they rejected the Apostles, leading to some being mocked and beaten, while others met their end, including Stephen, the first martyr.
The Gospels recount the union of the magnificent and radiant Son of the King, as seen in Matthew 22:1-14, where the Bridegroom shares His story. He stands out in virtue, surpassing all humanity in purity and innocence. In His essence and action, He embodies and brings to completion the meaning of the Sacrament of Marriage.
Among the other servants sent to the same Jewish people following the Incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ, the first is John the Baptist, about whom the Prophet Malachi prophesied, stating: ‘Behold I send My angel, and He shall look upon the way before My face’ (Malachi 3:1). This John clearly proclaimed to the Jews: ‘He who is mightier than I is coming after me, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I have baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit’ (Mark 1:7-8).
The second group consists of the Holy Apostles, who, upon receiving the command: ‘Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans; but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel’ (Matthew 10:5-6), invited the first Jews to partake in the banquet prepared, which is the sacred meal of the Church’s mystery. What do the symbols of a young man and a well-fed calf represent? (Luke 15:12) They symbolize the fattened calf and the enclosure, along with the Lamb who was led to slaughter for us (Isaiah 53:7); they signify the natural sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, which consists of the Body and Blood of Christ, the Giver of Life; those who partake in this become one with Jesus Christ Himself: ‘He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him’ (John 6:56). I referenced the meal of the Holy Eucharist earlier because through it, a spiritual union occurs, reflecting the marriage between the Bridegroom and the Bride, namely Jesus Christ and His Pure Soul. Then it was added, ‘all things are ready,’ to indicate that the God-glorifying Apostles, in their call, proclaimed not only, ‘Come, the meal of the Holy Eucharist is prepared,’ but also, ‘Come, all things are ready: repentance, baptism, divine gifts, glory, and the everlasting Kingdom of God. All things are ready for those who approach Christ in faith.’
The king graciously absolved the guests who were late, possibly due to some confusion. Rather than being threatening or demanding, his kindness compelled him to ensure they did not miss the chance to partake in the banquet. He instructed his servants to urgently encourage the invitees once more: AGAIN HE SENT THE OTHER SERVANTS, SAYING, ‘SAY TO THOSE WHO ARE INVITED, “BEHOLD, I HAVE PREPARED MY DINNER, MY OXEN AND WHATSOEVER IS FATTENED AND SLAUGHTERED, AND ALL THINGS ARE READY; COME TO THE WEDDING FEAST.”’ All are welcomed to receive the bounty of God’s grace!
The choice young calves have been sacrificed (Matthew 22:4); the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ our Redeemer, has been offered; His holy body and precious Blood are presented in His Church to all believers; every provision has been made: baptism, repentance, all the gifts of the Spirit, and the very Kingdom of Heaven… But what does He invite them to? To toil, struggles, hardships? No, He invites them to joy. For He declares, “My oxen, and what is fattened, are slaughtered.” What a magnificent feast, what grandeur! Yet, even this did not sway them. “The servants,” as St. Hilary notes, “represent the apostles, tasked with reminding those called by the prophets. The second group sent comprises the men and successors of the apostles.” Both the apostles and their followers initially directed their proclamation of Christ the Saviour to the Jews, but the majority, save for a few chosen by grace, turned away from their message.
When the king summoned his guests through his messengers, they refused to respond. Subsequently, he sent another invitation, informing them that everything was prepared and all that remained was for them to join the celebration: come! Yet, they still did not attend; some went off to tend to their fields, others engaged in trade, while others mocked and even killed the servants he had sent. God had made arrangements for His kingdom, intended for those deemed worthy to enter, and He extended this invitation to the wedding feast of His Son primarily to the Jews, His chosen people. He called them through the prophets, but they ignored their pleas and refused to take the path leading to the banquet.
He sent John the Baptist to proclaim, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand’ (Matthew 3:2), but still, they did not respond. He called them in the name of His Son, inviting them with the words, ‘Come unto Me, all of you!’ Yet, they regarded Him as merely a servant of the king and resolved to eliminate Him through murder.
The phrase "sent other servants" indicates that these additional servants can be interpreted as the apostles, who, empowered by the Holy Spirit, bore witness to the gospel in Jerusalem and throughout all of Judea, in line with the Lord's promise (Acts 1:8). They earnestly urged the initially invited Jews to enter the established kingdom of Christ at a time when, as the saying goes, the feast was fully set.
Passages read together with this verse.
Greek text, 27 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
THEOSIS