Saturday, March 15, 2008

Matthew 22

Notice how much teaching Jesus does in this last week. A parable about a wedding banquet follows. The original guests can't be bothered to come. So, everyone is invited. Yet, each guest must come prepared. The fruit of Kingdom of Heaven is for everyone but each person must prepare himself or herself through faith (trust.)
 
The religious leaders now send civil authorities when they test Jesus. They want to trap Jesus on a civil charge and let the civil authorities do away with Jesus. Jesus, in his usual manner, turns their loaded tax question back on them, leaving lots of room for interpretation.
 

The Sadducees (religious leaders who have status and wealth to obtain their position as opposed to the Pharisees who were learned in the Law and worked for their living) ask a resurrection question (they thought the idea of resurrection, new in that day, was foolishness) that they hope will make Jesus look ridiculous. Jesus, again fails to answer a loaded question and, instead, reminds the leaders that God cares about everyone, living or dead. Marriage is a non-question. Jesus gives no answer, maybe because the question of marriage after resurrection is not important.

 

Now the Pharisees come back quizzing Jesus on the greatest commandment. Jesus quotes Deuteronomy and Leviticus and summarizes all the laws as Love God and Love your neighbor. These laws drive everything in scripture. Sacrificial Love, not rules is what drives a person of faith.

 

The Pharisees get a question from Jesus, which shuts them up. Sort of a riddle. The Messiah comes from King David's lineage but David calls the Messiah, Lord. How can the Messiah be God and Human?  They don't know. Jesus probably wanted to open their minds to the fact that scripture says a number of things that the Pharisees have not explored deeply enough. They had thought of the Messiah strictly in earthly terms.

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