THE PARABLE OF THE WEDDING FEAST (22:1-14). The emphasis in this parable is on people's attitude towards the king's son, and in the final analysis on their attitude to Jesus, the true King's Son. The tenants in the vineyard had despised Him. Now all must consider their response to Him. It makes most... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And Jesus answered and again spoke in parables to them, saying,' The use of ‘answered' in this vague way is a characteristic of Matthew's Gospel. If it has any significance other than as a literary device it is in suggesting that by these words Jesus is answering His opponents. The ‘again' connect... [ Continue Reading ]
‘The kingly rule of heaven can be likened to a certain king, who made a marriage feast for his son,' The parable is to be an illustration of the Kingly Rule of Heaven. Compare for this Matthew 13:24; Matthew 18:23; Matthew 25:1; and see also Matthew 13:31; Matthew 13:33; Matthew 13:44; Matthew 13:47... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And sent forth his servants to call those who were bidden to the marriage feast, and they would not come.' The king then sends out the original invitations. It was quite normal in those days for a general invitation to be issued, which would be followed by a later invitation indicating date and tim... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Again he sent forth other servants, saying, “Tell those who are bidden, Behold, I have made ready my dinner. My oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the marriage feast.' When all was ready the patient king, expecting that they might well have had second thoughts when... [ Continue Reading ]
‘But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his merchandise, and the remainder laid hold on his servants, and treated them shamefully, and killed them.' Some of his messengers who made their way back reported that on receiving the invitation, instead of preparing... [ Continue Reading ]
‘But the king was angry, and he sent his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned their city.' Understandably the king, recognising open rebellion, was angry. He knew that he was given no alternative. Thus he did what kings do in such circumstances, he sent his armies and destroyed the rebe... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Then he says to his servants, “The wedding is ready, but those who were bidden were not worthy.” ' However, the king was determined that the wedding should go ahead and the marriage feast be a success. The original invitees had proved to be not worthy. They had proved to be rebels and not deservin... [ Continue Reading ]
“Go you therefore to the partings of the highways, and as many as you shall find, bid to the marriage feast.” So He told His servants to go to those who were outside the rebellious city, to those who would be found at the parting of the highways, the road intersections, where men presumably gathere... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good, and the wedding was filled with guests.' And so the servants went out into the highways, and they gathered all whom they found, without distinction, until the wedding was filled with g... [ Continue Reading ]
‘But when the king came in to survey the guests, he saw there a man who did not have on a wedding-garment.' This is now brought out in that when the king came in to survey his guests it was his requirement and expectation that they be clothed in wedding-garments in honour of his son's marriage and... [ Continue Reading ]
THE TEST CONCERNING THE TRIBUTE MONEY: JESUS CONTRASTS MEN'S ATTITUDES TOWARDS THE KINGLY RULE OF MEN AND THE KINGLY RULE OF GOD (22:15-22). In the light of His establishment of His new congregation on earth, and His new Kingly Rule, the question is now raised as to what men's attitudes are to be t... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Then went the Pharisees, and took counsel how they might ensnare him in his talk.' ‘Took counsel.' This may signify that the Scribes of the Pharisees and the other leading Pharisees came together to discuss the matter, or it may even have included the Herodians and others in the discussions. Which... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And they send to him their disciples, with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are true, and teach the way of God in truth, and care not for any one, for you do not regard the person of men.” ' Their preparations were carefully laid. In order that Jesus might suspect nothing the Phari... [ Continue Reading ]
“Tell us therefore, What do you think? Is it right to give tribute to Caesar, or not?” Then they introduced the crunch question. ‘Was it right (or ‘lawful') to give tribute to Caesar or not?' The word exestin can refer either to being ‘right in itself', or alternatively to being ‘in accordance with... [ Continue Reading ]
‘But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, “Why do you put me to the test, you hypocrites?” Jesus was not for one moment deceived by their seeming innocence, nor moved by their flattery. He saw straight through them to the wickedness that lay at the heart of their question. And He made this q... [ Continue Reading ]
“Show me the tribute money.” And they brought to him a denarius.' Then He bade them to show Him the tribute money, that is the coin in which they would pay the tribute. And as He anticipated they brought Him a denarius. Most religiously minded Jews sought to avoid carrying a denarius, firstly becau... [ Continue Reading ]
a ‘And he says to them, “Whose is this image and superscription?” They say to him, “Caesar's”.' Jesus then turned to His questioners and, indicating the denarius, asked them, “Whose is this image and superscription?” There was only one reply to such a question, ‘Caesar's'. The emperors were now kno... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Then he says to them, “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.” Jesus' reply was masterly, for it clearly answered the question, and yet did it in such a way that all, even the most fervent, had to acknowledge that He was right. “Render therefo... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And when they heard it, they marvelled, and left him, and went away.' On hearing His reply His opponents marvelled at the wisdom of His answer. Instead of having caught Him out and shown Him up, it was they who had been shown up for hypocrisy, the hypocrisy of pretending to live only for God, and... [ Continue Reading ]
‘On that day there came to him Sadducees, those who say that there is no resurrection, and they asked him,' Note the emphasis that it was ‘on the same day'. Thus the Pharisees, the Herodians and the Sadducees all approached Him to test Him on that day. All were out to bring Him down. We know little... [ Continue Reading ]
JESUS CONFIRMS THE TRUTH ABOUT THE RESURRECTION AND THE SECONDARY NATURE OF MARRIAGE (22:23-33). Jesus was now faced with the Sadducees. The Sadducees were mainly of the ruling parties and included the Chief Priests, and many of the aristocratic Elders. But here the ones who were sent were probably... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Saying, “Teacher, Moses said, If a man die, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife, and raise up seed to his brother.” The Sadducees began by briefly outlining the law. Strictly the law said ‘a brother living in the same household', but as the Book of Ruth demonstrates, it was someti... [ Continue Reading ]
“Now there were with us seven brothers, and the first married and deceased, and having no seed left his wife to his brother, in like manner the second also, and the third, to the seventh, and after them all, the woman died.” They then laid out the case where seven brothers died childless one after... [ Continue Reading ]
“In the resurrection therefore whose wife shall she be of the seven? For they all had her.” So the question now was as to whose wife she would be in the resurrection, for she had been married to all and had had sexual relations with them all. Whichever one was selected they would have had arguments... [ Continue Reading ]
‘But Jesus answered and said unto them, “You go astray, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God.” ' Jesus, however, pointed out that they went astray in their thinking for two reasons. Firstly because they did not know the Scriptures, and secondly because they did not appreciate the power... [ Continue Reading ]
“For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as angels in heaven.” They failed to recognise the power of God because they limited Him to only being able to raise people in a way that would fit into earthly patterns. They did not accept the existence of ‘spirits'. B... [ Continue Reading ]
“But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God, saying,” Having demonstrated the weakness of their argument Jesus then turned to what was ‘spoken by God'. Notice His emphasis on the fact that the Scriptures were ‘spoken by God'. Jesus constantly revea... [ Continue Reading ]
“I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.” He points out that God had stated to Moses that ‘I am the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob' (See Exodus 3:6; Exodus 3:15), and that as He is not the God of the dead but of the li... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And when the crowds heard it, they were astonished at his teaching.' It was the crowds who were impressed and astonished by His teaching. This indicates that the Sadducees were rather annoyed by being unable to reply, rather than being impressed. They were not willing to be convinced. they were me... [ Continue Reading ]
‘But the Pharisees, when they heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, gathered themselves together.' The Pharisees had no doubt heard with approval that Jesus had confuted the Sadducees on their favourite topic, but it only stirred them up the more to try to show Him up. So they came togeth... [ Continue Reading ]
THE QUESTION AS TO WHAT IS THE GREATEST COMMANDMENT (22:34-40). Jesus' success over the Sadducees was seen as sufficiently impressive to cause rumours concerning it to spread around which came to the ears of the Pharisees. They also had failed to trap Him, but it gave them the idea that perhaps they... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And one of them, a teacher of the law, asked him a question, testing him out.' This time there would be no pretence that the question came from innocent seekers. Rather they wanted to bring out their big guns against Him, and they approached Him through ‘a teacher of the Law' (nomikos), with a que... [ Continue Reading ]
“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” His question was simply as to which was the greatest and most important commandment in the whole of the Law. Some of the Scribes and Pharisees did in fact class certain laws as being of greater and higher importance than other laws, and there was... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.” Jesus went right to the heart of the matter, citing Deuteronomy 6:5. This could hardly fail to meet with their approval for it was in fact a verse which was central to Jewish... [ Continue Reading ]
“This is the great and first commandment.” Then Jesus emphasised the centrality of this commandment. This, He said, is the great commandment, and comes before all others. All else pales beside it. For if we truly love God then our behaviour will be God-like and all else will fall into place. It is... [ Continue Reading ]
“And a second like to it is this, You shall love your neighbour as yourself.” But Jesus then adds a second so as to ensure that love for each other is given its rightful place and not overlooked (for man can be guilty of such insensitivity that in his supposed love for God he neglects his neighbour)... [ Continue Reading ]
“On these two commandments the whole law hangs, and the prophets.” That is why Jesus could say that the whole Law hangs on these two commandments, together with the prophets. For without this love neither the Law nor the prophets can be fulfilled. By this combination of the Law and the Prophets we a... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question, saying,' For ‘gathered together' compare Matthew 22:34 and its connection with Acts 4:26 citing Psalms 2:2. It indicated their hostility and there intention to bring Jesus crashing down. So Jesus, having dealt with their... [ Continue Reading ]
JESUS IS NOT JUST DAVID'S SON, HE IS DAVID'S LORD (22:41-46). Just as the Sermon on the Mount was preceded by a revelation of the glorious light that had burst on the world in Jesus (Matthew 4:16) so that the Kingly Rule of Heaven was seen to be at hand (Matthew 4:17; Matthew 4:23), so now this reve... [ Continue Reading ]
“What do you think of the Messiah (Christ)? Whose son is he?” They say to him, “The son of David.” ' First He asked them what their view was about the Messiah. Whose son did they see him to be? In the light of the beliefs of the time that was not a difficult one and they promptly replied, ‘the son... [ Continue Reading ]
‘He says to them, “How then does David in the Spirit call him Lord, saying,” But Jesus then turns their minds to the Scriptures, and He refers them to Psalms 110; Psalms 110 was a psalm ‘of David' and David was believed by all present, including Jesus, to be its author, something which He specifica... [ Continue Reading ]
“The Lord said to my Lord, You sit on my right hand, until I put your enemies underneath your feet?” He then amplifies that further by citing the Psalm. On Jesus' interpretation the LORD (YHWH) had said to David's Lord, “You sit on my right hand, until I put your enemies underneath your feet?” To be... [ Continue Reading ]
“If David then calls him Lord, how is he his son?” That all being so, how can he be called simply David's son? The idea behind the title is therefore to be seen as insufficient for a description of the Messiah. ‘Calls Him Lord' is here to be seen as indicating all that is included in the quotation... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And no one was able to answer him a word, neither dared any man from that day forth to ask him any more questions.' Once again they could give Him no answer, for they had to mentally acknowledge the truth of what He said. But they were not willing to receive it into their hearts, and there is a se... [ Continue Reading ]