MATTHEW—NOTE ON MATTHEW 22:1 The parable of the WEDDING FEAST describes the judgment of irresponsible religious leaders (see note on 21:43). ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0, len=images.length, img; i [ Continue Reading ]
MATTHEW—NOTE ON MATTHEW 22:3 THEY WOULD NOT COME. To refuse a direct invitation from the king would be an extreme insult and a challenge to his authority. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0, len=images.length, img; i [ Continue Reading ]
MATTHEW—NOTE ON MATTHEW 22:7 BURNED THEIR CITY. An extreme punishment reserved for rebellion against the king; possibly an allusion to the future destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0, len=images.length, img; i [ Continue Reading ]
MATTHEW—NOTE ON MATTHEW 22:9 The wedding invitation to those not previously invited anticipates the spread of the gospel to the Gentiles (Matthew 28:18; Acts 1:8; Romans 1:16). See note on Matt. 15:24. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = do [ Continue Reading ]
MATTHEW—NOTE ON MATTHEW 22:11 A MAN WHO HAD NO WEDDING GARMENT. Everyone was invited, but proper wedding clothing was still expected. This proper clothing could have been either a special garment provided by the king (see Genesis 45:22; Esther 6:8; compare Ezekiel 16:10) or a clean garment, symboliz... [ Continue Reading ]
MATTHEW—NOTE ON MATTHEW 22:13 WEEPING AND GNASHING OF TEETH. See note on 8:11–12. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0, len=images.length, img; i [ Continue Reading ]
MATTHEW—NOTE ON MATTHEW 22:14 MANY ARE CALLED... FEW ARE CHOSEN. When the gospel is proclaimed, only those who are the elect respond with true faith (see Matthew 11:27; Matthew 24:22, Matthew 24:24, Matthew 24:31; 1 Corinthians 1:24,... [ Continue Reading ]
MATTHEW—NOTE ON MATTHEW 22:15 ENTANGLE. The Pharisees hope that Jesus will say something that will make him look guilty of breaking the law. They hope they can use this to bring him to the Romans for execution. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0, len=images.length... [ Continue Reading ]
MATTHEW—NOTE ON MATTHEW 22:16 HERODIANS. A loosely organized group that sought to advance the political and economic influence of the Herodian family (c. 37 B.C.–A.D. 93). Although the Herodians and the Pharisees were on different sides of many political and religious issues, they join forces here t... [ Continue Reading ]
MATTHEW—NOTE ON MATTHEW 22:17 IS IT LAWFUL TO PAY TAXES TO CAESAR, OR NOT? All of Rome’s subjects were heavily taxed by the empire. Some Jews believed that paying any tax to pagan rulers contradicted God’s lordship over his people. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i... [ Continue Reading ]
MATTHEW—NOTE ON MATTHEW 22:18 WHY PUT ME TO THE TEST, YOU HYPOCRITES? Jesus’ enemies thought that, if he said it was right to pay taxes, he would lose favor with the tax-burdened people, but if he said it was wrong, they could accuse him of rebellion against Rome. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getEle... [ Continue Reading ]
MATTHEW—NOTE ON MATTHEW 22:19 On one side of the silver DENARIUS was a profile of Tiberius Caesar. The Latin inscription “Tiberius Caesar, son of the divine Augustus” was written around the coin’s perimeter. On the opposite side was a picture of the Roman goddess of peace, Pax, with the Latin inscri... [ Continue Reading ]
MATTHEW—NOTE ON MATTHEW 22:21 RENDER TO CAESAR... AND TO GOD. Jesus is not establishing a political kingdom in opposition to Caesar. His followers should pay taxes and obey civil laws. There are matters that belong to the realm of civil government and matters that belong to God’s realm. Jesus does n... [ Continue Reading ]
MATTHEW—NOTE ON MATTHEW 22:23 SADDUCEES (see note on 3:7) relied mainly on the first five books of the OT for doctrine. Thus, they did not believe in the resurrection, because this theme is developed more clearly in the later OT books (see Isaiah 26:19; Daniel 12:2). They ASKED HIM A QUESTION in ord... [ Continue Reading ]
MATTHEW—NOTE ON MATTHEW 22:24 MOSES SAID. The Sadducees cite the OT law (Deuteronomy 25:5; see Genesis 38:8): If a man dies without any children, the man’s brother must marry the widow and help her have a child. This child will grow up to support his mother in her old age. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = do [ Continue Reading ]
MATTHEW—NOTE ON MATTHEW 22:29 BUT ARE LIKE ANGELS IN HEAVEN who do not marry or have children. This teaching might at first seem discouraging to married couples who deeply love each other. Yet people will know their loved ones in heaven (see Matthew 8:11; Luke 9:30, Luke 9:33). ⇐ ⇔... [ Continue Reading ]
MATTHEW—NOTE ON MATTHEW 22:31 I AM THE GOD OF ABRAHAM, AND... ISAAC, AND... JACOB. The present tense in the quotation from Exodus 3:6 shows that God was still in covenant relationship with the patriarchs, even though they had died centuries earlier. The Sadducees should recognize God’s power to rais... [ Continue Reading ]
MATTHEW—NOTE ON MATTHEW 22:35 A LAWYER is an expert in the law; it is another term for “scribes of the Pharisees” (Mark 2:16; see Acts 23:9). ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0, len=images.length, img; i [ Continue Reading ]
MATTHEW—NOTE ON MATTHEW 22:36 THE GREAT COMMANDMENT. The rabbis had an ongoing debate regarding which commandments were “light” and which were “weighty” (compare Matthew 23:23; see note on 5:19). THE LAW refers here to the entire OT. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var... [ Continue Reading ]
MATTHEW—NOTE ON MATTHEW 22:37 LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD... HEART... SOUL... MIND. This command from Deuteronomy 6:5 was repeated twice daily by faithful Jews. It expresses the idea of total devotion to God. It includes the duty to obey the rest of God’s commandments (see Matthew 5:16). “Heart,” “soul,”... [ Continue Reading ]
MATTHEW—NOTE ON MATTHEW 22:39 YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF. See Leviticus 19:18, Leviticus 19:34. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0, len=images.length, img; i [ Continue Reading ]
MATTHEW—NOTE ON MATTHEW 22:40 THE LAW AND THE PROPHETS. See note on 5:17. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0, len=images.length, img; i [ Continue Reading ]
MATTHEW—NOTE ON MATTHEW 22:41 Jesus now ASKED the Pharisees about the long-awaited Messiah (THE CHRIST), WHOSE SON IS HE? Their reply, THE SON OF DAVID, reflected the common understanding that the Messiah would be a descendant of David (see 2 Samuel 7:12; Psalms 89:3; Isaiah 11:1; Jeremiah 23:5). Je... [ Continue Reading ]