Matthew 22:34-46

Matthew 22:34-46

The verbal debates with the religious leaders are moving to a conclusion. Round after round cocky opponents have been completely defeated by the humble Galilean. The final assault was about priority of the commandments. Scribes defined 613 commandments all of which were binding, but there was much debate over priority, over which were weightier. The test was an attempt to get Jesus partitioned off into a sect, which would undermine at least a part of His popular support. Jesus’s answer is sublime and beautiful. To love God and neighbor forms the core of the life of a disciple. This is easy to understand but difficult to live. In many churches this passage is read weekly at the beginning of the worship. We should add that not one of us has done this perfectly and that is why we need mercy. Jesus says the rest of the law and the prophets depend on or hang on these two commandments. As disciples of Jesus our whole lives ought to be derived from or motivated by the love expressed in these two commandments.

Jesus then turns the table and asks them about their Messianic expectations. They said that the Messiah would be the son of David, a title already ascribed to Jesus. This messianic title while true Biblical and appropriate was also incomplete. Somewhat like describing the ocean as being ‘wet’, true, but not enough. Also in that context, David’s heir or son might imply a political Messiah. So, Jesus points to David acting as a prophet and declares that the Messiah is his Lord. The Pharisees are in a bind if they deny Jesus as the son of David they will alienate the people. If they admit he is the son of David then He is the Messiah, but more than a political Messiah, He is David’s Lord. They face a terrible “trilemma”. Was he an imposter, a charlatan, a liar? The healings he performed the day before would say “no”. Was He mad man or even demonic using the power of darkness to do miracles? His teaching of love says, “Absolutely not.” Then He must be the Christ! Unable to admit this fact they chose to be silent. Their opposition, which is now verbal, will move to conspiratorial and after that violence.

"Forgive Lord when I have failed to love You with my how being, and  my neighbor as myself.  Have mercy on me Lord Jesus. AMEN

Matthew 22:15-33

Matthew 22:15-33

The day after the temple’s purification is the day of the most aggressive, intellectual conflict between Jesus and the united front opposing him. Jesus will face two challenges that seemed impossible to overcome. These were long-lasting conflicts in that day, highly divisive and intended to undermine Jesus's popularity and possibly remove Him from the public influence.

In the highly divisive day we live in we will do well to learn from our master. First, there was a poll tax. This was a direct tax paid by God's chosen people directly to a pagan king with a coin that had an engraved image and inscription of "son of god". This is very unpopular and for many it calls for rebellion. This was no abstract, academic issue. It was a practical heart issue for every devout Jew. If Jesus opposed the tax as a popular leader He could end up on trial as a zealot, a terrorist, and an insurrectionist. If He supported it He would be casting His support to the oppressors and advocating idolatry. The two parties that brought the question to Jesus represent the two horns of the dilemma. Jesus calls them hypocrites. There is the hypocrisy of inconsistent living. Then there is the more egregious form of an insincere motive. Without a doubt both of these are often in the same person. But even if our behaviors are consistent, we are still evil if that happens from insincere motives. In answer to the challenge, Jesus gives this dictum, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's." The word “give” in verse 17 and “render” in verse 21 is very different. The first is simply “to give”, but render (v. 21) means “to give back to”. Jesus in essence is saying, "The coin was given to you by Caesar give it back to him." There is a question that was not asked and its absence is tragic and its absence shows the hypocrisy of the question that was asked. The question might be asked this way, "In whose image is man made?" Both parties wanted to compartmentalize life into the sacred and the secular. That allows management and manipulation to our ends. When we see God's image on the whole of life every moment must be given back to Him.

The opposition to Jesus now comes from the Sadducees the theological Left of the day. They believe the soul perished with death. This party accepted only the first five books of the Old Testament Scripture. Passages such as Isaiah 26:19 and Daniel 12:2 that talk about the resurrection were not considered Scripture to the Sadducees. Levirate marriage was an ongoing issue with the practical and theological implications. The test case presented to Jesus appears to have been at least until His day an unanswerable scenario. Jesus attributes their position and question to ignorance of Scripture and the power of God. That was a stinging rebuke. Clearly, the Sadducees knew the Scripture. But they knew it only in a superficial way. The Scriptures were facts and arguments and trivia. They had not allowed Scripture to penetrate into their hearts so that they would know the God of Scripture and His power. A great danger in every generation of believers is to know Scripture superficially but not know the God it reveals. In this way we may end up with a cultural faith attempting to support our point of view by Scripture. When we do this we come to God as if He is our servant doing our bidding, rather than see Him and adore Him as the only reason for life. From the passages that they accept, Jesus shows them that the life-giving God is not subject to death's power.

"Lord, save us from only knowing about You. Rather help us adore You and find in You our reason for being. Amen"

Matthew 22:1-14

Matthew 22:1-14

There are a great many religions that are more comfortable than Christianity. This parable would not have been very uncomfortable to the original hearers and it ought to strike a discomforting tone for us as well. Parables were not meant to reflect real life, although sometimes they did, they were meant to teach a point and on occasion exaggeration was necessary. To focus on the real life details might cause us to miss the real point of the parable.

In the parable Jesus reemphasizes that the people of Israel, especially their current leadership, were by the rejection of the Messiah going to find themselves “outside” and replaced by other people. This was no fluke accident or oversight. There was a willful rejection of the Messiah. Some were simply indifferent to the Messiah (who by the way had just purified the temple) and some were overtly hostile. In the parable the king responds in two ways to the offense of his invitation being rejected. First was destruction of the cities of those who rejected the Messiah. This was most likely a prophecy of the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. Second was the king calling new people.

The invitation is to the good and evil people. Note this is not an invitation to a group of good people with one evil person, but plenty of both. The gathering of non-Jews at the wedding is the Church. But the king does find one person inappropriately dressed. Stressing the wrong point here will keep us from understanding what Jesus was teaching. Verses 11 through 13 are not about election, predestination or free will. This is about righteousness in the life of a disciple. The wedding garment need not be pressed to be repentance or specific good works; but rather, the Holy life that is appropriate for God's people. In the last parable the tenants were to pay appropriate proceeds. Those in the dinner were to be appropriately dressed for the occasion. Jerusalem was destroyed because of rejection of the Messiah.In the same way there will be in the Church, those who are not part of the community of the chosen ones. And that is seen by the evidence of their lives.

"Lord, grant that in your grace, I will live my life in holiness to your honor. AMEN"