Matthew 22 (ESV)
The Parable of the Wedding Feast
And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying, 2 “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son, 3 and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come. 4 Again he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.”’ 5 But they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business, 6 while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them. 7 The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. 8 Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy. 9 Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.’ 10 And those servants went out into the roads and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests.
11 “But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment. 12 And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. 13 Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ 14 For many are called, but few are chosen.”
Paying Taxes to Caesar
15 Then the Pharisees went and plotted how to entangle him in his words. 16 And they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are true and teach the way of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone's opinion, for you are not swayed by appearances. 17 Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” 18 But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why put me to the test, you hypocrites? 19 Show me the coin for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius. 20 And Jesus said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” 21 They said, “Caesar's.” Then he said to them, “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.” 22 When they heard it, they marveled. And they left him and went away.
Sadducees Ask About the Resurrection
23 The same day Sadducees came to him, who say that there is no resurrection, and they asked him a question, 24 saying, “Teacher, Moses said, ‘If a man dies having no children, his brother must marry the widow and raise up offspring for his brother.’ 25 Now there were seven brothers among us. The first married and died, and having no offspring left his wife to his brother. 26 So too the second and third, down to the seventh. 27 After them all, the woman died. 28 In the resurrection, therefore, of the seven, whose wife will she be? For they all had her.”
29 But Jesus answered them, “You are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God. 30 For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. 31 And as for the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was said to you by God: 32 ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not God of the dead, but of the living.” 33 And when the crowd heard it, they were astonished at his teaching.
The Great Commandment
34 But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. 35 And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. 36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”
Whose Son Is the Christ?
41 Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question, 42 saying, “What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?” They said to him, “The son of David.” 43 He said to them, “How is it then that David, in the Spirit, calls him Lord, saying,
44 “‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at my right hand,
until I put your enemies under your feet”’?
45 If then David calls him Lord, how is he his son?” 46 And no one was able to answer him a word, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions.
9 Comments
Yolanda Kennedy Jan 31, 2017 @ 9:52 pm
Listened to DBR and it was good.
Bruce Blakey Jan 31, 2017 @ 7:29 pm
The Word of God is precise. Jesus bases His argument regarding the resurrection on verb tense (v.32 - I am not I was). What an amazingly wise God we have and what a treasure we have in His Word! This encourages me to keep digging because Scripture is full of riches from God!
John Gardner Jan 31, 2017 @ 5:46 pm
@Martha T. I read John MacArthur's commentary on this section and it was great. Since the King ultimately had to go out on the street to gather people, both good and bad, it is reasonable to assume that the king Himself was providing proper wedding attire. The guest that did not have proper attire was guilty of entering the feast and rejecting the garment that was provided for him. This was even worse than not coming because it was done right in front of the king. Just as God provides the righteousness of Christ for us to be clothed with, this king provided the wedding garments. Entering the feast without the proper garment is like trying to enter heaven clothed in only your own righteousness--woefully inadequate and an insult to the Host that provided a suitable garment (the righteousness of Christ) for you at great cost to Himself.
Art Wachdorf Jan 31, 2017 @ 2:01 pm
When Jesus was asked what was most important commandment in the law, he answered “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” I must constantly remind myself that the MOST important thing is to Love the Lord with all my heart, soul and mind. Everything else comes out of our love for Him. That's what Jesus said.
Erika Almanza Jan 31, 2017 @ 12:37 pm
Am I truly loving Christ with all my heart, soul and mind in my actions, words and thoughts? I truly believe that with this commandment everything else will fall into place. If I am loving Chirst the way He has called me to love Him, then loving my neighbor will not be hard. Adding this to my prayers because I fail in loving Christ the way I should.
John Newton Jan 31, 2017 @ 9:51 am
Jesus said "The King invited people to a wedding feast." but they WOULD not come. Will-filled rejecting of the King, How different it would be if Jesus had said that "they could not come" . A second time they were called them to come, buts this time they paid no attention. The act of rejection/rebellion festered even more. . . Now how many passer-bys were asked to come?
Well as servants of the King, Are we busy compelling the stranger to enter the feast of our Lord?
I know I entered the narrow gate robed in filthy rags and as I entered I was dressed in the Son's righteousness. Praise be to God that He dresses us with the impossible for us to buy. Our attempts to enter the feast dressed in Self-righteousness will never be accepted because they are but filthy rags at their best.
Arturo Jan 31, 2017 @ 8:56 am
Eager to hear the answer to Martha's question. However, after reading John MacArthur's commentary, it has to do with rejection. But I know there is more to this...God only knows the heart and mind of the individual. God chooses. Wow! I'm speechless now....
Arturo (Gordie) Jan 31, 2017 @ 8:40 am
When it comes to the parable of the wedding feast, all that comes to mind is the doctrine of sovereign election. As for the rest, I too marvel and am astonished...
Martha T Jan 31, 2017 @ 8:31 am
What does it mean for someone to come into the feast without a wedding garment? Why would he be thrown out? What if he couldn't afford one?
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