Matthew 22:7Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Due to their refusal to come and their actions against those who were sent, He destroyed their cities and dispatched an army for their annihilation. This foreshadows the historical occurrences under Vespasian and Titus. In addition, the Jews brought shame upon the Father by rejecting Him, prompting Him to enact retribution. Thus, the city’s ruin did not transpire right after Christ's crucifixion; rather, it happened forty years later, following their execution of Stephen, the death of James, and the mistreatment of the apostles, all to demonstrate His patience. Observe how precisely and promptly these events were realized; they unfolded while John and many others who had been with Christ were still living, and those who heard the prophecy witnessed its fulfillment.

Upon hearing of these events, the king became furious. Previously, it was said, “The kingdom of heaven is like a king to a man,” illustrating His personal invitation to the wedding feast and demonstrating His mercy. However, in this instance, as the king's wrath intensifies, the reference to man is no longer present; only the king remains. He dispatched His troops, obliterating the murderers and incinerating their city. This army signifies avenging angels, as mentioned in the Psalms, which speak of “A messenger by the angels of the worst,” or “of the wicked” (Psalms 77:49). Additionally, this could refer to the Romans under Vespasian and Titus, who, after defeating the Jewish people, set fire to the city of betrayal.

Observe the immense care and remarkable patience demonstrated. The owner of the vineyard prepared it meticulously, entrusted it to workers, and then departed; when the harvest time arrived, he sent servants to collect the fruits. Upon their being killed, he dispatched more, and when they too were slain, he sent his cherished son. Not only did he endure his own death with grace, but he also sought the eternal joy of the very perpetrators by sending messengers, yet they refused to respond. He sent other messengers, whom they also put to death. Only then did he eradicate these thoroughly wicked and guilty individuals, as if they were beyond healing.

It brings an end to the murderers by eliminating the oppressors. He incinerates their city because He afflicts both their souls and the physical bodies they inhabited with everlasting torment in the fires of Gehenna. Regarding the murderers, it is proclaimed that they are vanquished by the heavenly hosts, for all judgment upon humanity is carried out by angels. What are the angelic battalions if not the legions of our Sovereign? Thus, this Sovereign is known as the Lord of hosts, with Sabaoth signifying 'Lord of Hosts.' To enact the downfall of His adversaries, He dispatches an army, as it is through angels that the Lord administers retribution. In earlier times, our ancestors only heard tales of His mighty retribution, yet now we witness it firsthand.

When the king received word of these events, he became furious, dispatched his troops, eliminated the perpetrators, and set their city ablaze (Matthew 22:7). The Lord refers to the unrighteous Jews, whom He struck down, devastated, and annihilated through the Roman soldiers, as murderers. The wicked are also referred to as instruments of God when they are used to punish other wicked individuals, as the prophet David declares: He unleashed upon me the fury of His wrath, anger, and adversity, sending forth the angels of destruction (Ps. 77:49).

The union of the glorious and radiant Son of the King is described in the Gospels, particularly in Matthew 22:1-14, where the Bridegroom speaks. He is more adorned with goodness than all humanity, embodying purity and faultlessness. In His very being, He has fully accomplished what is required for the Sacrament of Marriage.

For many centuries, God exhibited immense patience towards the Jewish people and employed various compelling methods to guide them back to the righteous path. However, His forbearance did not lead to their transformation; instead, the means intended for their correction and salvation were exploited as opportunities for greater unrighteousness and devastation. Consequently, the Just King became rightly indignant and dispatched Roman forces against them, initially under Emperor Vespasian and subsequently his son Titus. These armies laid siege to Jerusalem, leading to great bloodshed, capturing countless individuals, setting the temple ablaze, reducing the city to rubble, and causing extensive suffering among the Jewish people. From that point onward, the Jewish nation was dispersed throughout the entire world.

Upon hearing of the audacious defiance of those whom he intended to honor with a feast, the King, who had previously displayed tolerance, became wrathful, filled with righteous indignation. He promptly decided to chastise the offenders for their wrongdoing: sending forth his forces, he annihilated their murderers, incinerated their city, and completely eradicated it from existence. Ultimately, God's forbearance toward the people of Judah reached its limit; the Sovereign of Heaven grew furious: “Because they would not come, but killed those who came to them, He burned their cities, and sent an army to destroy them.” This forewarns of the events that transpired under Vespasian and Titus.

The furious monarch dispatches his troops to wipe out the killers and set their city ablaze. Their intentions were thwarted as He triumphed over death, attending the wedding banquet. Those who rejected the invitation faced a grim outcome: the Roman legions arrived and annihilated them while their city and temple were laid to ruin and consumed by flames.

In sending out His forces, He predicts the occurrences during the era of Vespasian and Titus, as explained by Chrysostom. This prophecy refers to the divine judgment upon the Jewish people for their denial of the Messiah Jesus, marking their definitive exclusion by God from the inheritance of the kingdom of Christ.