Matthew 22
COMMENTARY:
: 14 For many are called, but few are chosen. (1588 “chosen” [eklektos] means elect, picked out, to obtain salvation through Christ, select, or favorite.)
DEVOTION: Everyone has an opportunity to become a believer. The LORD was speaking to the Jewish leaders who thought they were on their way to heaven. They thought they had it all together. They were right and everyone else was wrong. Jesus told them they were wrong in their teachings.
Most of the world rejects the offer of salvation that God offers. The Jewish nation rejected Jesus. The parables Jesus was using were teaching that God was going to move from HIS chosen people the Jews to the Gentiles. This happened in the book of Acts. The church grew with both Jews and Gentiles.
In Romans chapter one, we find that everyone is without excuse when they stand before the LORD on judgment day. They can’t say they never had an opportunity to follow the LORD. Their response was negative.
The idea that few are the elect of God has caused some problems in some people’s eyes. Do we really have a choice? The answer is yes. The LORD knew before the foundation of the world who would be followers and who would not. HE doesn’t live in time as we do. HE knows what is happening before it happens.
Jesus stated it another way earlier. HE stated that the road to heaven is narrow. The road to hell is wide. Our responsibility is to share the Gospel with all those in our world. Some will respond in a positive manner. Other will not respond that way.
All will stand before the LORD when the books are open and the LORD will show those who reject HIM all their opportunities to follow Jesus.
CHALLENGE: Witness for the LORD on a regular basis. We don’t know who the last person will be that becomes a follower of the LORD before HE calls us home.
: 16 And they sent out to him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, Master, we know that you are true, and teach the way of God in truth, neither care you for any man: for you regard not the person of men. (4383 “person” [prosopon] means face, presence, countenance, surface, appearance, to pay no attention to a person’s status, or to judge on the basis of reputation.)
DEVOTION: There are three groups of people who were not followers of the LORD in this section of the chapter. There are the Pharisees that were the legalists of their day. They had more external rules to follow than the others. They were interested in getting the approval of men rather than God. The second group were the Sadducees which didn’t believe in angels or a resurrection. These two groups make up a group that would Jesus in the future. The third group was the Herodians. This group supported the Roman government. They were politically motivated more than the other two groups.
Here we find a question regarding paying taxes to the government. They wanted to know if they should pay taxes to Rome. They asked Jesus this question to try to tempt HIM. HE gave an answer that amazed the people. HE told them to pay taxes.
But look at their comments about HIS witness. They knew HE was a teacher. They knew HE was honest. They knew HE was truthful. They knew HE was impartial. HE didn’t play favorites.
We all struggle in one of these areas in our life. We need to remember that we are to have these characteristics in our life.
CHALLENGE: Struggling isn’t the sin. HE can give us victory in these areas.
:30 For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels of God in heaven. (386 “resurrection” [anastasis] means rising again, that should rise, the event at the end of time when humanity is restored to life in a body, standing up again or restoration.)
DEVOTION: Remember that the Sadducees didn’t believe in a resurrection but were asking Jesus about what happens after the resurrection. They were being hypocrites for even asking the question. They were only trying to tempt Jesus.
Jesus answered all the questions put to HIM either with an answer or another question. Sometimes it was better to reverse the confrontation. It is true for us today too. We can ask people what they think about an issue. The Holy Spirit will lead us regarding which way to handle those types of situations.
One point that is made is that in heaven there will be no marriage partners. Each individual will have their own mansion. It also gives us more information regarding angels. They have never married and never will. It is believed that all angels are male. So it would be hard for them to marry.
God created Adam and Eve. HE performed the first marriage and it was between a man and a woman. That was HIS plan and that still is HIS plan today. The Bible is firm on marriage. Today we have those who think differently producing their own bible which takes out the parts they don’t like. They will answer to the LORD for this sin.
CHALLENGE: Our responsibility is to be ready for the LORD every day. This means whether we live or die we want to be ready to meet the LORD any minute. Is this true in your life?
: 35 Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying (3544 “lawyer” [nomikos] means pertaining to the law, one learned in the law, or an interpreter and teacher of Mosaic law.)
DEVOTION: This is the final week of the life of Christ on this earth. HE had ministered for three years with HIS disciples. The training was still going on in HIS final week.
In this chapter Jesus is questioned by the Herodians [which were political Jews], Sadducees [which were the liberal Jews who didn’t believe in the resurrection or angels] and the Pharisees [which were the legalistic Jews]. Jesus even questioned the Pharisees at the end of the chapter. They couldn’t answer HIS question and the questioning stopped after this encounter.
The Pharisees had let the other groups question Jesus. They saw that it wasn’t working so they had one of their expects in the law ask a question. Here was an expert in the Mosaic law questioning Jesus to try an cause him to fail. It was a trick question. The purpose of the question was to give Jesus a hard time.
The Pharisees had created 365 negative commandments from the Old Testament. This expect wanted to see if Jesus knew them all. His question was regarding the greatest of the commandments.
Jesus answered by giving a summary of the Ten Commandments. The first and greatest is to LOVE the LORD our God with all our HEART- SOUL – MIND. God wants us to be thinking Christians. The people were “astonished at HIS doctrine” when they heard the answers of Jesus. God would like people to go away from our conversations knowing the Gospel first and secondly knowing that we had good answers to their questions regarding the doctrines of the Bible. There is way too much illiteracy regarding the Word of God in our churches. That is why so many people think we are not intelligent thinkers. We are promised that the Holy Spirit will give us answers when we are questioned. But HE has to have something to work with!!! If we know nothing or very little of the Word of God, we don’t give HIM much to work with. Can HE do it without us studying the Word of God? YES!! But why should HE?
We have been around people who know the church constitution from front to back and want to catch someone not understanding the policies of the church to prove them out of order at a business meeting. We have dealt with people who didn’t care what the Bible taught if it was going against the constitution of the church they were presently in. This was the attitude of this expert in the law. It didn’t matter what the LORD said, it was what the Pharisees taught that was more important.
When Jesus answered his question, it was God’s answer to the question. It was a Biblical answer to the question. It was the right answer to the question. Jesus always answered correctly. When we become an “expert” in the Word of God we should always answer the question correctly. We should be living God’s way. We should be talking God’s way. We should be teaching others about God’s way of life.
Jesus told him that the Ten Commandments could be broke down to two main points. Love the LORD. Love our neighbor. Are we obeying these commandments? That is the Ten in a nutshell. We need to watch out for those who consider themselves “experts” if they are not living for the LORD. There are still Pharisees in our world. Those who use them as excuses for not being followers of God will stand before God one day and the excuse will NOT WORK with HIM.
CHALLENGE: Ask the LORD to give you wisdom from above. We NEED to study to show ourselves approved. The Holy Spirit will reveal to us what the Word of God means.
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