What I Noticed Today (Matthew 22; Mark 12)
Matthew 22
In verses 1-14, Jesus taught the parable of the king and the wedding feast directed at the religious leaders. The king sent his servants out to invite people to the wedding feast, but they rejected the invitation going about their business. Others killed the king’s servants. The king sent his soldiers to destroy those who had killed his servants. Then the king sent his servants to invite others to the feast. The king saw one man who had entered the feast but was not wearing a wedding garment, so the king had him bound and cast out.
Note: Both bad and good are included in the expanded invitation. The guests are the disciples, followers of Jesus. The guests who did not wear the wedding garment provided by the king are false disciples. These false disciples appeared to be followers but were not. Many are invited, few are chosen, but an individual response is essential.
In verses 15-22, the Pharisees plotted to trap Jesus, asking him whether it was lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not.
Note: If Jesus answered it is legal to pay taxes to Rome, he would be siding with Romans against the Jews and would be a traitor to his people. If, however, he said it was not legal to pay taxes to Rome, he would be guilty of opposing Rome and incur the wrath of the Herodians (Herodians were of the family of Herod who supported Roman rule).
Jesus asked whose picture is on the coin. Since Caesar’s picture was on the coin it belonged to Caesar. Therefore, said Jesus, give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and give to God things that are God’s.
In verses 23-33, the Sadducees posed a question to Jesus about the resurrection. If a man was married, but the wife died, and he remarried, and this happened several times, they wondered who would be his wife in the resurrection. Jesus responded in the resurrection there will be no need for marriage (the purpose of marriage was procreation).
Note: The Sadducees believed only the Pentateuch (first five books of Moses), so they rejected the idea of resurrection and an enteral life. Jesus challenged their knowledge of scripture quoting Exodus 3:6. God said, “I am the God of…” (Present tense) implying He still is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. If there were no eternal life, God would have said, “I was the God of” (past tense).
In verses 34-40, when the Pharisees heard that Jesus had answered the Sadducees they sent a lawyer with a question; which is the greatest commandment. Jesus summarized all the law and the teachings of the prophets saying the greatest commandment is to love God (Deuteronomy 6:5), and the second commandment is to love your neighbor (Leviticus 19:18).
In verses 41-46, Jesus turned the tables on the Pharisees and asked them a question; what do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he? They answered that Christ was the son of David. Why then, Jesus asked, did David refer to him as Lord quoting Psalm 110:1.
Note: The word David used for Lord was “Adonay” a word only used for God.
If David called him Lord, how is he his son? None of the Pharisees could answer Jesus, so they stopped asking him questions.
Note: To this point, Jesus had silenced all his critics: the chief priests and elders (Matthew 21:23-27), the Pharisees and Herodians (Matthew 22:15-22), the Sadducees (Matthew 22:23-33), and the Pharisees (Matthew 22:34-36).
Mark 12
In verses 1-12, (See also Matthew 21:33-46), Jesus, still speaking to the chief priests and elders, told the parable of the vineyard owner. A landowner developed and planted a vineyard then leased it to some tenants. At harvest time, the landowner sent a slave to collect the rent, but they beat the slave and sent him away. The landowner sent a second slave whom they also mistreated and sent away. The landowner sent a third slave whom they killed. The landowner sent more slaves, some they beat, and some they killed.
Finally, the landowner sent his own son, thinking they would respect the son. But the tenants killed the son hoping to gain an inheritance. Therefore, the owner of the vineyard will come and destroy the tenants and give the vineyard to someone else. Jesus quoted Psalm 118:22-23. The chief priests and elders knew Jesus was speaking against them, so they plotted to destroy Him.
Note: The three slaves sent to collect the rent represent the prophets God sent to the people of Israel. God sent prophets many times to gather the harvest, but each time they were rejected.
In verses 13-17, (See also Matthew 22:15-22), then the chief priests and elders sent some Pharisees and Herodians to Jesus to trap Him by asking whether it was legal to pay taxes to Caesar. Jesus knew their intent and asked them to bring a Denarius and asked whose picture was on the coin. They answered Caesar’s. Jesus said, then give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God, what is God’s.
Note: If Jesus had simply answered yes, they would have pictured Jesus as pro-Roman thus alienating the crowd. But if he said no, they would have characterized Jesus as being a rebel against Rome.
In verses 18-27, (See also Matthew 22:23-33), the Sadducees now came to Jesus attempting to trap Him by asking if a woman marries a man and he dies, and she marries his brother, and this happens seven times, whose wife will she be in the resurrection.
Note: Sadducees were part of the Jewish aristocracy, often priests, and members of the Sanhedrin (the Jewish supreme court). They did not believe in the resurrection, God’s future judgment, angels, or spirits. The accepted only the Pentateuch as authoritative and even rejected the traditions set down by the Pharisees.
Jesus answered them saying, they had deceived themselves. They had assumed there would be marriage in heaven and they did not fully understand the power of God. Jesus quoted Exodus 3:6, which says, “I am the God of…” indicating God still is their God. God is the God of the living, not the dead, suggesting Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob still had a relationship with God, confirming there is life after death.
In verses 28-34, (See also Matthew 22:34-40), one of the scribes (teachers of the Law) heard this previous exchange and asked Jesus what is the most important commandment.
Note: Scribes had established a large volume of 613 commandments from the Mosaic Law, some more important than others, some positive (to do), and some negative (not to do).
Jesus answered by quoting the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4-5), saying this was the most important commandment. The second commandment Jesus said, is to love your neighbor as yourself (Leviticus 19:18). The scribe admitted that Jesus was correct, and Jesus said the scribe was not far from the kingdom of God (he had a spiritual understanding).
Note: To this point, the chief priest, elders, Herodians, and scribes had all attempted to trap Jesus, but He had refuted them all.
In verses 35-37, as Jesus was teaching in the temple, he asked how is that the Messiah is said to be the Son of David, yet David said the Messiah was His Lord. The only possible answer is that the Messiah is descended from David and also His Lord.
Note: Unlike the religious leaders, the crowd listening to Jesus was listening with delight.
In verses 38-40, (See also Matthew 23:1-9), Jesus warned the people about the hypocrisy of the scribes who liked to portray themselves as important and at the same time, took advantage of widows. They are all show and will receive a harsh judgment.
In verses 41-42, as Jesus was sitting across from the temple treasury, rich people were putting in large sums of money while a widow came and dropped two small coins into the treasury. Jesus said this woman had given more because she had given out of her poverty all she had, while the rich had given out of their surplus.
Note: The widow displayed great trust in God by giving everything she had. She was trusting God to supply her needs.
What did you notice in your study today? Feel free to visit the website and leave a question or a comment.
