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Matthew 22:5
ESV But they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business,
NIV "But they paid no attention and went off—one to his field, another to his business.
NASB But they paid no attention and went their separate ways, one to his own farm, another to his business,
CSB "But they paid no attention and went away, one to his own farm, another to his business,
NLT But the guests he had invited ignored them and went their own way, one to his farm, another to his business.
KJV But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise:
NKJV But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business.

What does Matthew 22:5 mean?

After the first two parables in this dialogue (Matthew 21:28, 33), Jesus' listeners are beginning to understand what He is suggesting. The general topic is how Israel—most specifically, her religious leaders—have ignored God's call and command. In this story, a king has sent out two rounds of servants asking people to attend his son's wedding. The second group described how great the meal would be and delivered the invitation as an order: come (Revelation 22:17).

Clearly, the king is meant to represent God, and the wedding feast represents the kingdom of heaven. Some listeners may have not understood yet that Jesus was picturing Himself as the son of the king, making Him the Son of God. But who were these guests that refused to attend even at the direct command of the king?

Jesus now shows that some refused directly while others simply ignored the message from the king's servants. They paid no attention to the servants and just continued going about their daily lives. The sense is both that they were not interested in attending the feast and that they were busy with other responsibilities. This parallels the way in which some people dismiss God out of simple disinterest.

Others in the parable will be more aggressive in their refusal (Matthew 22:6), just as some in the world are actively hostile to God and His messengers.
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