SCRIPTURE: MATTHEW 22
THE PARABLE OF THE WEDDING BANQUET (vs. 1-14)
A king prepared a wedding banquet for his son and sent his servants to invite people to come to the banquet. But those invited paid no attention and went off – one to his field, another to his business. Some others seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them. The king was enraged and sent his army to destroy those murderers and burned their city. Then he sent his servants to go to the street corners and invite anyone to come. So the servant went into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, both good and bad,, and the wedding hall was filled with guests. But when the king came in to see the guests, he notice a man who was not wearing wedding clothes. So the king told the attendants to tie him and throw him outside. “For many are invited, but few are chosen.” (v. 14)
PAYING TAXES TO CAESAR (vs. 15-22)
The Pharisees planned to trap Jesus by asking him this question: “Tell us, what is your opinion, Is is right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?” Knowing their evil intent, Jesus answered: “You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me? Show me the coin used for paying the tax. Whose portrait is this? And whose inscription? They replied: “Caesar’s”. Then Jesus said to them: “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s? (v. 18-23)
MARRIAGE AT THE RESURRECTION (vs. 23-33)
The Sadducees, who did not believe in resurrection came to Jesus with a question: “Moses told us that if a man dies without having children, his brother must marry the widow and have children for him. Now there were 7 brothers among us. The first one married and died, and since he had no children, he left his wife to his brother. The same thing happened to the second and third brother, right on down to the 7th. Finally, the woman died, Now then, at the resurrection, whose wife will she be of the seven, since all of them were married to her?” (vs. 24-28) Jesus replied: “At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. But about the resurrection of the the dead, have you not read what God said to you, I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? He is not the God of the dead but of the living.” (vs. 29)
THE GREATEST COMMANDMENT (vs. 34-40)
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.”
WHOSE SON IS THE CHRIST? (vs. 41-45)
Jesus asked the Pharisees: “What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?” (v. 41). “The son of David”, they replied. Jesus said to them: “How is it then that David, speaking by the Spirit calls him ‘Lord’? For he says ‘the Lord said to my Lord’ ” Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet. If then David call him ‘Lord’, how can he be his son?” No one could say a word in reply and from that day on no one dared to ask him any more questions.
THOUGHTS:
In ancient culture, two invitations were expected when bouquets were given. The first asked the guests to attend; the second announce that all was ready. In this story, the king invited his guests 3 times, and each time, they rejected his invitation. So he opened his invitation to everyone. God wants us to join him at his banquet, which will last for eternity. That is why he sends invitation to everyone. Have you accepted his invitation?
It was their custom for the wedding guests to be given wedding clothes to wear to the banquet. Refusing to wear the clothes will insult the host. The wedding clothes picture the righteousness needed to enter God’s Kingdom. Each person must put on the clothes of righteousness to enter God’s banquet (eternal life).
The Pharisees and supporter of Herod tried a plan to corner Jesus by asking this question: “Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”. If Jesus would agree that it was right to pay taxes to Caesar, the Pharisees would say he was opposed to God, the only King they recognized. If Jesus said the taxes should not be paid, the supporters of Herod would hand him over to Herod on the charge of rebellion. But Jesus gave them a wise reply. He avoid their trap by showing that we have dual citizenship. Our citizenship in the nation requires that we pay money for the services and benefits we receive. Our citizenship in the kingdom of heaven requires that we pledge to God our obedience and commitment.
The Sadducees asked Jesus what marriage would be like in heaven. Jesus said it was more important to understand God’s power than know what heaven will be like. In every generation and culture, ideas of eternal life tend to be based on images and experiences of present life. Jesus answered that faulty ideas are caused by ignorance of God’s Word. We must not make up our own ideas about eternity and heaven by thinking of it and God in human terms. We should concentrate more on our relationship with God than about what heaven will look like.
Again, the Pharisees asked Jesus what is the greatest commandment. Jesus summarized the 10 commandments into two.
- Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. – This summarized the first 4 of the 10 commandments.
- Love your neighbor as yourself. – This summarized the last 6 of the 10 commandments.
Jesus asked the Pharisees: “Whose Son is the Christ?” They replied: “The son of David.” (v. 42). Then Jesus said: “If he is the son of David, why did David call him Lord?” (v. 43. They could not say a word in reply so no one dared to ask him any more questions. The most important question we have to answer is what we believe about Christ.