Matthew 22
22
Parable of the Wedding Feast
1As was his custom, Jesus continued to teach the people by using allegories. 2He illustrated the reality of heaven’s kingdom realm by saying, “There once was a king who arranged an extravagant wedding feast for his son. # 22:2 See Isa. 25:6–8. 3On the day the festivities were set to begin, he sent his servants # 22:3 God is the king who prepares his kingdom feast for his Son, Jesus Christ. The messenger-servants are the prophets he sends to summon the people to enter into the love feast of Jesus. It is all about the wedding of the Lamb to the bride of Christ. What a glorious feast is prepared for us! to summon all the invited guests, but they chose not to come. 4So the king sent even more servants to inform the invited guests, saying, ‘Come, for the sumptuous feast is now ready! The oxen and fattened cattle have been killed and everything is prepared, so come! Come to the wedding feast for my son and his bride!’
5“But the invited guests were not impressed. One was preoccupied with his business; another went off to his farming enterprise. 6And the rest seized the king’s messengers and shamefully mistreated them, and even killed them. 7This infuriated the king! So he sent his soldiers to execute those murderers and had their city burned to the ground. # 22:7 This was fulfilled by the Roman prince Titus (who eventually became emperor of Rome) in the Roman war of AD 67–70.
8“Then the king said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, yet those who had been invited to attend didn’t deserve the honor. 9Now I want you to go into the streets and alleyways # 22:9 The Aramaic is “go to the ends of the roads.” and invite anyone and everyone you find to come and enjoy the wedding feast in honor of my son.’
10“So the servants went out into the city streets and invited everyone to come to the wedding feast, good and bad alike, until the banquet hall was crammed with people! 11Now, when the king entered the banquet hall, he looked with glee over all his guests. But then he noticed a guest who was not wearing the wedding robe provided for him. # 22:11 Those invited to come from the streets had no opportunity to buy wedding clothes. This wedding robe is a picture of the garment of righteousness that grace provides for us. The man without the wedding garment had one provided, but he didn’t want to change into new clothes. A change is necessary, for our King provides garments of white linen for us to wear, our wedding garments. See Isa. 52:1; Rev. 19:8. 12So he said, ‘My friend, how is it that you’re here and you’re not wearing your wedding garment?’ But the man was speechless.
13“Then the king turned to his servants and said, ‘Tie him up and throw him into the outer darkness, # 22:13 The Hebrew Matthew is “the lowest hell [sheol].” where there will be great sorrow, with weeping and grinding of teeth.’ 14For everyone is invited # 22:14 Or “Many are called.” This can be understood to be a Semitic figure of speech that universalizes the invitation. See also Matt. 20:28. to enter in, but few respond in excellence.” # 22:14 The Greek word eklektoi can mean “chosen,” but it can also be translated “worthy,” “pure,” “choice,” “excellent.” See 2 John 1, 13.
The Pharisees Try to Entrap Jesus
15Then the Pharisees came together to make a plan to entrap Jesus with his own words. 16So they sent some of their disciples together with some staunch supporters of Herod. # 22:16 The Hebrew Matthew is “They took violent men from Herod.” The Aramaic is “They took men from Herod’s household.” By bringing with them loyalists to Rome (Herodians), the Pharisees were convinced that Jesus would offend either the Jews, who despised paying the “poll tax” required of every adult male, or those political followers of Herod who sided with the Roman occupation. They said to Jesus, “Teacher, we know that you’re an honest man of integrity and you teach us the truth of God’s ways. We can clearly see that you’re not one who speaks only to win the people’s favor, because you speak the truth without regard to the consequences. # 22:16 Or “You don’t look into the faces of men [before you speak the truth].” 17So tell us, then, what you think. Is it proper for us Jews to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”
18Jesus knew the malice that was hidden behind their cunning ploy and said, “Why are you testing me, you imposters who think you have all the answers? 19Show me one of the Roman coins.” So they brought him a silver coin used to pay the tax. 20“Now, tell me, whose head is on this coin and whose inscription is stamped on it?”
21“Caesar’s,” they replied.
Jesus said, “Precisely, for the coin bears the image of the emperor Caesar. # 22:21 Actual coins from that era have been found with the emperor’s image and a superscription saying, “Tiberius Caesar Augustus, son of the divine Augustus.” Well, then, you should pay the emperor what is due to the emperor. But because you bear the image of God, # 22:21 The coin belongs to Caesar because it carries his image. We have an obligation to God because we carry his image. give back to God all that belongs to him.”
22The imposters were baffled in the presence of all the people. When they realized once again that they were unable to trap Jesus, they went away stunned.
Marriage and the Resurrection
23Some of the Sadducees, a religious group that denied there was a resurrection of the dead, # 22:23 The Aramaic clearly states that the Sadducees said to Jesus, “There is no life after death.” came to ask Jesus this question: 24“Teacher, the law of Moses teaches that if a man dies before he has children, his brother should marry the widow and raise up children for his brother’s family line. # 22:24 See Deut. 25:5–10. 25Now, there was a family with seven brothers. The oldest got married but soon died, leaving his widow for his brother. 26The second brother married and also died, and the third also. This was repeated down to the seventh brother, 27when finally the woman also died. So here’s our dilemma: 28Which of the seven brothers will be the woman’s husband when she’s resurrected from the dead, since they all were once married to her?”
29Jesus answered them, “You are deluded, because your hearts are not filled with the revelation of the Scriptures or the power of God. 30For after the resurrection, men and women will not marry, just like the angels of heaven don’t marry. 31Haven’t you read what God said: 32‘I am the Living God, # 22:32 As translated from the Aramaic and implied in the Greek. the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.” # 22:32 The implication Jesus is making is that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were all alive (in glory) when God spoke to Moses in the burning bush. See Ex. 3:6.
33When the crowds heard this they were dazed and astonished over his teaching! # 22:33 As translated from the Hebrew Matthew. The Greek is “teaching.”
The Greatest Commandment
34When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they called a meeting to discuss how to trap Jesus. 35Then one of them, a religious scholar, posed this question to test him: 36“Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?”
37Jesus answered him, “ ‘Love # 22:37 The Hebrew Matthew is “worship,” also quoted as “worship” by Justin Martyr (ca. AD 165), First Apology XXI. the Lord your God with every passion of your heart, with all the energy of your being, and with every thought that is within you.’ # 22:37 Or “with all your mind.” See Deut. 6:5. 38This is the great and supreme commandment. 39And the second is like it in importance: ‘You must love your friend # 22:39 As translated from the Aramaic word kareb, which means “one who is close to you” (emotionally or by proximity). The Greek is “neighbor.” in the same way you love yourself.’ # 22:39 See Lev. 19:18. 40Contained within these commandments to love you will find all the meaning of the Law and the Prophets.”
Jesus, Son of David—Lord of David
41While all the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus took the opportunity to pose a question of his own: 42“What do you think about the Anointed One? Whose son is he?”
“The son of David,” they replied.
43Then Jesus said to them, “How is it that David, inspired by the Holy Spirit, could call his son the Lord? For didn’t he say:
44The Lord said to my Lord,
‘Sit beside me in the place of authority
until I subdue all your enemies under your feet’? # 22:44 See Ps. 110:1, which is the Old Testament passage of Scripture most often quoted in the New Testament.
45“So how could David call his own son ‘the Lord’?” # 22:45 As translated from the Aramaic. To those who insisted on only interpreting the Scriptures literally, Jesus was proving there was a deeper spiritual interpretation. To say the Messiah would be the Son of David means that the Anointed One would manifest the qualities and devotion that David walked in. A true “spiritual” son of David.
46No one could come up with an answer. And from that day on none of the Pharisees had the courage to question Jesus any longer.
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Matthew 22: TPT
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Learn More About The Passion TranslationMatthew 22
22
A Story About a Wedding Feast
1Jesus again used stories to teach them. He said, 2“The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding feast for his son. 3The king invited some people to the feast. When the feast was ready, the king sent his servants to tell the people, but they refused to come.
4“Then the king sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who have been invited that my feast is ready. I have killed my best bulls and calves for the dinner, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.’
5“But the people refused to listen to the servants and left to do other things. One went to work in his field, and another went to his business. 6Some of the other people grabbed the servants, beat them, and killed them. 7The king was furious and sent his army to kill the murderers and burn their city.
8“After that, the king said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready. I invited those people, but they were not worthy to come. 9So go to the street corners and invite everyone you find to come to my feast.’ 10So the servants went into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, both good and bad. And the wedding hall was filled with guests.
11“When the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man who was not dressed for a wedding. 12The king said, ‘Friend, how were you allowed to come in here? You are not dressed for a wedding.’ But the man said nothing. 13So the king told some servants, ‘Tie this man’s hands and feet. Throw him out into the darkness, where people will cry and grind their teeth with pain.’
14“Yes, many are invited, but only a few are chosen.”
Is It Right to Pay Taxes or Not?
15Then the Pharisees left that place and made plans to trap Jesus in saying something wrong. 16They sent some of their own followers and some people from the group called Herodians. They said, “Teacher, we know that you are an honest man and that you teach the truth about God’s way. You are not afraid of what other people think about you, because you pay no attention to who they are. 17So tell us what you think. Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”
18But knowing that these leaders were trying to trick him, Jesus said, “You hypocrites! Why are you trying to trap me? 19Show me a coin used for paying the tax.” So the men showed him a coin. 20Then Jesus asked, “Whose image and name are on the coin?”
21The men answered, “Caesar’s.”
Then Jesus said to them, “Give to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and give to God the things that are God’s.”
22When the men heard what Jesus said, they were amazed and left him and went away.
Some Sadducees Try to Trick Jesus
23That same day some Sadducees came to Jesus and asked him a question. (Sadducees believed that people would not rise from the dead.) 24They said, “Teacher, Moses said if a married man dies without having children, his brother must marry the widow and have children for him. 25Once there were seven brothers among us. The first one married and died. Since he had no children, his brother married the widow. 26Then the second brother also died. The same thing happened to the third brother and all the other brothers. 27Finally, the woman died. 28Since all seven men had married her, when people rise from the dead, whose wife will she be?”
29Jesus answered, “You don’t understand, because you don’t know what the Scriptures say, and you don’t know about the power of God. 30When people rise from the dead, they will not marry, nor will they be given to someone to marry. They will be like the angels in heaven. 31Surely you have read what God said to you about rising from the dead. 32God said, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ God is the God of the living, not the dead.”
33When the people heard this, they were amazed at Jesus’ teaching.
The Most Important Command
34When the Pharisees learned that the Sadducees could not argue with Jesus’ answers to them, the Pharisees met together. 35One Pharisee, who was an expert on the law of Moses, asked Jesus this question to test him: 36“Teacher, which command in the law is the most important?”
37Jesus answered, “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ 38This is the first and most important command. 39And the second command is like the first: ‘Love your neighbor as you love yourself.’ 40All the law and the writings of the prophets depend on these two commands.”
Jesus Questions the Pharisees
41While the Pharisees were together, Jesus asked them, 42“What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?”
They answered, “The Christ is the Son of David.”
43Then Jesus said to them, “Then why did David call him ‘Lord’? David, speaking by the power of the Holy Spirit, said,
44‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit by me at my right side,
until I put your enemies under your control.” ’ #Psalm 110:1
45David calls the Christ ‘Lord,’ so how can the Christ be his son?”
46None of the Pharisees could answer Jesus’ question, and after that day no one was brave enough to ask him any more questions.
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