What Jesus Did! 'Brutal Refusal' — Matthew 22:5-6

The power of this parable, this story, is found in a few key identifications. Clearly, the king in this story is God. The son, or prince, he wants honored is Jesus. As was standard practice, the king sent a general invitation to his banquet and then a specific one announcing that it was ready. To refuse to come to the king's banquet when you were invited was a slight beyond imagination. Very few would be invited to such an event. To be invited was truly an honor. But the refusal in this story, the rejection of the son, is especially striking. The guests were invited a third time and refused to come. In fact, they chose to go about their everyday activities and not come to the king's banquet for his son. But more than rejecting the invitation, they abused and even murdered the king's servants.

Clearly Jesus is passing judgment on the Jewish leadership for refusing to respond to him as God's royal Son. He is declaring in this story that the leaders' refusal is not only rude; it is hostile and unconscionable. In rejecting the Son and acting murderously to God's servants, the leaders are rejecting God and his rule over them.