Matthew 22
Big idea: Four traps spring backward: the wedding feast warns the invited, Caesar's coin gets Caesar's things and God gets God's, the Sadducees meet the God of the living, and David's Lord silences every questioner.
The temple showdown continues as an examination: each power bloc — Pharisees with Herodians, Sadducees, a lawyer — tests Jesus, until he asks the question that ends all questions.
22:1-14 — The wedding feast and the missing garment
A king makes a wedding feast for his son; the invited refuse — some indifferent to farm and merchandise, some violent against the servants. The king destroys the murderers, burns their city, and sends servants to the highway intersections: gather everyone, bad and good, until the hall is full. But inspecting the guests, he finds a man without wedding clothing, speechless when asked, and has him bound and cast into outer darkness. For many are called, but few chosen.
1 Jesus answered and spoke to them again in parables, saying, 2 “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a certain king, who made a wedding feast for his son, 3 and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come. 4 Again he sent out other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “Behold, I have prepared my dinner. My cattle and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding feast!”’ 5 But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his merchandise; 6 and the rest grabbed his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them. 7 When the king heard that, he was angry, and sent his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city. 8 “Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited weren’t worthy. 9 Go therefore to the intersections of the highways, and as many as you may find, invite to the wedding feast.’ 10 Those servants went out into the highways and gathered together as many as they found, both bad and good. The wedding was filled with guests. 11 “But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man who didn’t have on wedding clothing, 12 and he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here not wearing wedding clothing?’ He was speechless. 13 Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and throw him into the outer darkness. That is where the weeping and grinding of teeth will be.’ 14 For many are called, but few chosen.”
22:15-22 — Caesar's coin
The Pharisees, with the Herodians, set the perfect trap wrapped in flattery: is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not? — sedition if no, betrayal of Israel if yes. Jesus asks for the tax coin, has them name the image and inscription ('Caesar's'), and cuts the knot: give to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's. They marvel and leave.
15 Then the Pharisees went and took counsel how they might entrap him in his talk. 16 They sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are honest, and teach the way of God in truth, no matter whom you teach; for you aren’t partial to anyone. 17 Tell us therefore, what do you think? Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” 18 But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, “Why do you test me, you hypocrites? 19 Show me the tax money.” They brought to him a denarius. 20 He asked them, “Whose is this image and inscription?” 21 They said to him, “Caesar’s.” Then he said to them, “Give therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” 22 When they heard it, they marveled, and left him and went away.
22:23-33 — God of the living: the resurrection question
The Sadducees, who deny resurrection, bring their reductio: seven brothers serially marry one widow under levirate law — whose wife is she in the resurrection? Jesus: you are mistaken, knowing neither the Scriptures nor God's power. Resurrection life isn't marriage-as-usual — they are like angels. And from the Torah the Sadducees accept: 'I am the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob' — God is not the God of the dead but of the living. The crowds are astonished.
23 On that day Sadducees (those who say that there is no resurrection) came to him. They asked him, 24 saying, “Teacher, Moses said, ‘If a man dies, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife and raise up offspring for his brother.’ 25 Now there were with us seven brothers. The first married and died, and having no offspring left his wife to his brother. 26 In the same way, the second also, and the third, to the seventh. 27 After them all, the woman died. 28 In the resurrection therefore, whose wife will she be of the seven? For they all had her.” 29 But Jesus answered them, “You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God. 30 For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like God’s angels in heaven. 31 But concerning the resurrection of the dead, haven’t you read that which was spoken to you by God, saying, 32 ‘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.” 33 When the multitudes heard it, they were astonished at his teaching.
22:34-46 — The greatest commandment; David's Lord
A Pharisee lawyer tests: which commandment is greatest? Jesus: love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind — the first and great commandment; and a second like it: love your neighbor as yourself. The whole law and prophets hang on these two. Then Jesus turns questioner: the Christ — whose son? 'David's.' Then how does David in the Spirit call him Lord — 'The Lord said to my Lord, sit at my right hand'? If David calls him Lord, how is he his son? No one could answer a word, and no one dared ask him anything more.
34 But the Pharisees, when they heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, gathered themselves together. 35 One of them, a lawyer, asked him a question, testing him. 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the law?” 37 Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 A second likewise is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.” 41 Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question, 42 saying, “What do you think of the Christ? Whose son is he?” They said to him, “Of David.” 43 He said to them, “How then does David in the Spirit call him Lord, saying, 44 ‘The Lord said to my Lord, sit on my right hand, until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet’? 45 “If then David calls him Lord, how is he his son?” 46 No one was able to answer him a word, neither did any man dare ask him any more questions from that day forward.
Scripture text: World English Bible (public domain).