People's New Testament And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said, 22:1 The Marriage of the King's Son; Attempts to Entrap the Savior
SUMMARY OF MATTHEW 22: The Marriage Feast. The Invited Guests. The Invitation Rejected. Their Fate. Those in the Highway and Hedges Called. The Man with No Wedding Garment. The Pharisees and Herodians. Paying Tribute to Caesar. The Sadducees and the Resurrection. The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The Lawyer's Question. The Great Commandment. What Think Ye of Christ?. Jesus answered and spoke unto them again. Compare Mt 13:15-24. Mark states that after the parable of the wicked husbandmen, the rulers left him and went their way (Mr 12:12); hence this parable (peculiar to Matthew) was not spoken directly to the rulers. The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, 22:2 The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king. Its relation to the Jews and Gentiles is likened unto a king
which made a marriage for his son. Rendered marriage feast in the Revised Version. The scenery of this parable is drawn from the Oriental marriage feast, which assumed a much more important place in the ceremony of marriage than it does in our times. See the wedding feast at Cana, in Joh 2:1-11. The betrothal usually took place many months before, but the marriage rite was consummated by bringing the bride to the home of the bridegroom, and the occasion was celebrated by a feast, to which many were invited. In the parable the King is God, the Son our Lord, the bride is his church, those first invited are the Jews, those invited later are all mankind, the marriage feast is when the Lamb's Bride is taken home to the Father's house, the day named in Revelation, the day of judgment and reward (Re 19:7-9). And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come. 22:3 Sent his servants forth to call them that were bidden to the wedding. It was the custom among the ancients for the guests to be twice invited; or rather first invited that they might prepare themselves, and then summoned a short time before the banquet, that they might be there at the proper time. The first invitation to the Jews was given by the prophets, down to John the Baptist; the second afterwards by the apostles and other disciples in succession.
Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage. 22:4 Again, he sent forth other servants. This is a second invitation to those who had previously been invited and would not come. The Jews were invited first of all, by the Savior and his apostles under the first commission before all things were ready, but they refused the invitation and rejected Christ. Then, after all was made ready by the death and resurrection of Christ and the establishment of the kingdom, they were again invited before the apostles turned to the Gentiles. For seven years from Pentecost, the gospel was preached to Jews alone.
My oxen and my fatlings are killed. A description drawn from an ancient feast, where the substantial portion of the repast was flesh. But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise: 22:5 But they made light of it. There were two classes that refused to heed the invitation. This is the first class, those who are indifferent.
And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them. 22:6 And the remnant took his servants and... slew them. The indifference of the previous class was proof of disloyalty, but the second class resort to open rebellion. This was fulfilled in the persecutions of the apostles and early church stirred by the Jews. See Ac 4:3 5:18,40 7:58 8:03 12:03 14:5,19 16:23 17:05 21:30 23:2; also the Epistles here and there.
But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. 22:7 And when the king heard of it, he was wroth. He who insults or assails a king's heralds assails the king's majesty.
Destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. Strikingly fulfilled in the fate of the Jews. The Roman armies were chosen to inflict the retribution upon the Jewish nation. Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. 22:8 The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. Those who reject the gospel invitation show that they are not worthy. Compare Paul, Ac 13:46.
Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage. 22:9 Go ye therefore into the highways. All are now to be invited, not one race or class alone, but the command is,
As many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage. This was fulfilled when the gospel was offered to the Gentiles as well as Jews. So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests. 22:10 So those servants... gathered together all? both good and bad. The bad are invited, not to remain bad, but in order that they might become good. No one can truly come without a determination to quit sinning.
And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: 22:11 Saw there a man which had not a wedding garment. It is said to be a custom in the East, even at the present day, for the host to present his guests with robes of honor. Every saint is robed, not in his own righteousness, but in the white robes of Christ's righteousness. As many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ (Ga 3:27). Abbott, on this passage says:
The garments we put on when he put on the Lord Jesus Christ by faith in baptism... To be without the wedding garments, offered freely to him, implied that the man thought his usual attire good enough. He therefore represents one who, while professing to be for Christ, thought his own righteousness would save him without a trustful obedience to the Savior (Ro 13:14 Ga 3:26-27).'' And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. 22:12 How camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? The fact that he had not was proof that he had no right to be there. All invited might be very different before, good and bad, but they must be clothed alike when the guests of the Lord.
Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 22:13 Then said the king,... Bind him hand and foot. It is the king's right to exclude all unfit, even at the door of the feast.
For many are called, but few are chosen. 22:14 For many are called, but few are chosen. The many called embrace all who hear the gospel; the whole Jewish nation, and the Gentiles of every land where the gospel is preached. The chosen are those who choose to accept.
Then went the Pharisees, and took counsel how they might entangle him in his talk. 22:15 Then went the Pharisees. They were the chief element in the Sanhedrin delegation which assailed him. See Mt 21:45,46. Compare Mr 12:13-17 Lu 20:19-26.
And they sent out unto him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man: for thou regardest not the person of men. 22:16 Sent out unto him their disciples with the Herodians. The disciples were Pharisees, but young, unknown, and less likely to be suspected. The Herodians were a Jewish political party that favored the Herodian and Roman rule.
Master. They came with flatteries in order the better to deceive. Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not? 22:17 Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, nor not? To the Roman emperor, who had subjected Judea. If he had said no, they expected to denounce him to the Roman governor as teaching sedition. If he had said yes, they expected it would destroy his influence, as the people hated the Romans and the tribute.
But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites? 22:18 Perceived their wickedness. Their deceit.
Shew me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a penny. 22:19,20 Shew me the tribute money. The Roman coin was used to pay the poll-tax.
A penny. The Roman denarius, a silver coin worth sixteen cents. It had on it the image and name of Tiberius Caesar. And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? 22:19,20 Shew me the tribute money. The Roman coin was used to pay the poll-tax.
A penny. The Roman denarius, a silver coin worth sixteen cents. It had on it the image and name of Tiberius Caesar. They say unto him, Caesar's. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's. 22:21 Render therefore unto Caesar. The use of Caesar's coin as the current money was an acknowledgment of Caesar. Let them return his coin when demanded.
Unto God the things that are God's. Obedience in moral and spiritual things. Faith, love, obedience and liberal giving for God's work. We are to obey the human government over us, and to obey God. When the first requires us to disobey God, we are to obey him, whatever may be the peril. See Ac 5:29. When they had heard these words, they marvelled, and left him, and went their way.
The same day came to him the Sadducees, which say that there is no resurrection, and asked him, 22:23 The same day came to him the Sadducees. See PNT Mt 3:7. They were materialists.
Which say that there is no resurrection. They denied the immortality of the soul. See Ac 23:8. Saying, Master, Moses said, If a man die, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother. 22:24 Moses said. See De 25:5.
Now there were with us seven brethren: and the first, when he had married a wife, deceased, and, having no issue, left his wife unto his brother:
Likewise the second also, and the third, unto the seventh.
And last of all the woman died also.
Therefore in the resurrection whose wife shall she be of the seven? for they all had her. 22:28 Whose wife shall she be of the seven? They state a fictitious case that they suppose will make the doctrine of the resurrection ridiculous.
Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God. 22:29 Ye do err. Not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God.
For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven. 22:30 Are as the angels of God. The physical relations of earthly marriage do not belong to spiritual beings. The saints when raised are like the angels. This does not deny personal intercourse or spiritual relationships, but the existence of fleshly ties.
But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying, 22:31 As touching the resurrection of the dead. The Sadducees doubted some of the prophetic books, but accepted Moses; hence, the Lord appeals to Moses to show that he taught future existence, or the resurrection, which is the sense in which the latter phrase is used.
I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living. 22:32 I am the God of Abraham. See Ex 3:6. God does not say, I was, but I 'am' the God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob. The present tense shows that he is still the God of the departed patriarchs, and that they are still in existence.
God is not the God of the dead, but of the living. Queen Victoria is not the queen of Bacon, Shakespeare and Ben Jonson, but only of her living subjects. The Savior teaches that the soul is resurrected when it leaves the body, and that there is no unconscious state between death and the final resurrection of the body. And when the multitude heard this, they were astonished at his doctrine.
But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together. 22:34 The Pharisees... were gathered together. Compare Mr 12:28-34 Lu 10:25-28.
Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, 22:35 A lawyer. An expounder of the law of Moses. A scribe (see Mr 12:32).
Tempting him. Trying him. Master, which is the great commandment in the law? 22:36 Which is the great commandment? This was a question which, with some others, divided the Jewish teachers into rival schools, and was a constant bone of contention--one of those strivings about the law, against which Paul warns Titus (Titus 3:9). The Jews divided their commandments into greater and lesser, but were not agreed in particulars. Some pronounced the law of circumcision the greater; others, that of sacrifices, or ablutions, or phylacteries. The Talmud reckoned the positive laws of Moses at 248, the negative at 365, in all 613. To keep so many laws, said the Jews, is an angel's work. So they had much question which was the great commandment, so that they might keep it in lieu of keeping the whole.
Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 22:37 Thou shalt love the Lord thy God, etc. Freely quoted from De 6:5. A demand for supreme love for God.
This is the first and great commandment. 22:38 This is the first and great. First, in that it precedes the second that he is about to name; great, because it embraces all others; He who loves God supremely cannot live in disobedience to him.
And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 22:39 The second is like. The first command sums up what man owes to God; the second, what he owes to his fellow-man.
Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. See Le 19:18. One who loves God supremely, will not live in disobedience; one who loves his neighbor as himself, will seek the welfare of those around him. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, 22:41 While the Pharisees were gathered together. Compare Mr 12:35-37 Lu 20:21-44.
Saying, What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The Son of David. 22:42 What think ye of Christ? The great question still.
Whose son is he? They reply, the Son of David, a correct but incomplete answer, as he shows by their own Scriptures. He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying, 22:43 Call him Lord. David then, by inspiration, calls his own Son his Lord, which shows that he is more than David's Son.
The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool? 22:44 The LORD. Jehovah.
Said unto my Lord. The Christ. Found in Ps 110:1. This psalm is quoted also in Mr 12:36 Lu 20:42,43 Ac 2:34,35 1Co 15:25 Heb 1:13 5:6,10 7:17,21 10:13. If David then call him Lord, how is he his son? 22:45 How is he his son? The answer is not given here, but plain. Christ, the Son of David, according to earthly descent, is the Son of God, God manifest in the flesh.
And no man was able to answer him a word, neither durst any man from that day forth ask him any more questions. 22:46 No man was able, etc. Henceforth the Pharisees argued no more, but only sought his death. The People's New Testament by B.W. Johnson [1891] Bible Hub |
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