Matthew chapter 22
Jesus tells the parable of the wedding feast. He is asked about paying taxes, about the resurrection, and about the greatest commandment.
THE PARABLE OF THE WEDDING FEAST
VERSE 1. Jesus answered and spoke to them again in parables, saying,
VERSE 2. “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a certain king, who made a marriage feast for his son,
VERSE 3. and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the marriage feast, but they would not come.
sent out his servants. This is probably a reference to the prophets of the Old Testament era.
VERSE 4. Again he sent out other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “Behold, I have prepared my dinner. My cattle and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the marriage feast!” ’
VERSE 5. But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his merchandise,
VERSE 6. and the rest grabbed his servants, and treated them shamefully, and killed them.
VERSE 7. When the king heard that, he was angry, and sent his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city.
sent his armies … and burned their city. This reads like a prediction of the destruction of Jerusalem by the Roman Empire in 70 AD.
VERSE 8. “Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited weren’t worthy.
VERSE 9. Go therefore to the intersections of the highways, and as many as you may find, invite to the marriage feast.’
This verse is fantastic! Would you consider memorizing it? More great verses to memorize from the Gospel According to Matthew and from the entire Bible.
This verse seems like a command! Would you consider acting on it? More commands of Jesus Christ from the Gospel According to Matthew and from the entire Bible.
Go therefore. The need is urgent. We’re not to rest on our laurels. The imperative is to go evangelize. We are called to go out to the street corners and invite to the banquet of Jesus Christ anyone we can find.
The Lord Jesus calls us to take his Gospel to the whole world. Here are the key Bible verses about this »
VERSE 10. Those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together as many as they found, both bad and good. The wedding was filled with guests.
VERSE 11. But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man who didn’t have on wedding clothing,
wedding clothing. To be wearing a wedding robe would not be expected of someone summoned off the street.
VERSE 12. and he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here not wearing wedding clothing?’ He was speechless.
Friend. This is said sarcastically.
VERSE 13. Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and throw him into the outer darkness. That is where the weeping and grinding of teeth will be.’
the outer darkness. The Lord Jesus Christ talks about Hades, Gehēnna, fire, and darkness. Christians often call those things Hell. Is Hell a location where people are sent? Or a state of being? Read more »
VERSE 14. For many are called, but few chosen.”
few chosen. This serves as a warning to Christians against arrogance or self-righteousness.
SHOULD WE PAY TAXES?
VERSE 15. Then the Pharisees went and took counsel how they might entrap him in his talk.
how they might entrap him in his talk. When you speak God’s truth, people will become jealous and try to stop you. They almost always do the exact same thing. In a deceptively polite conversation, they lay a trap for you.
VERSE 16. They sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are honest, and teach the way of God in truth, no matter whom you teach, for you aren’t partial to anyone.
the Herodians. These were Jewish people who supported either Herod Antipas or the Herodian dynasty.
Teacher. They are insincere in the use of this word.
VERSE 17. Tell us therefore, what do you think? Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?”
pay taxes .. or not? This question is a trap.
VERSE 18. But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, “Why do you test me, you hypocrites?
The Lord Jesus does not mince words. He uses the term “hypocrite” to address his opponents directly. Read more »
VERSE 19. Show me the tax money.” They brought to him a denarius.
a denarius. In those days, that was the amount of the temple tax.
VERSE 20. He asked them, “Whose is this image and inscription?”
Whose … inscription? In those days, the inscription was “Tiberius Caesar, son of the divine Augustus.”
VERSE 21. They said to him, “Caesar’s.” Then he said to them, “Give therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”
This verse seems like a command! Would you consider acting on it? More commands of Jesus Christ from the Gospel According to Matthew and from the entire Bible.
VERSE 22. When they heard it, they marveled, and left him, and went away.
A QUESTION ABOUT THE RESURRECTION
VERSE 23. On that day Sadducees (those who say that there is no resurrection) came to him. They asked him,
there is no resurrection. The Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection, because it is not mentioned in the Pentateuch.
VERSE 24. saying, “Teacher, Moses said, ‘If a man dies, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife, and raise up offspring for his brother.’
VERSE 25. Now there were with us seven brothers. The first married and died, and having no offspring left his wife to his brother.
seven brothers. This narrative is from the deuterocanonical Book of Tobit.
VERSE 26. In the same way, the second also, and the third, to the seventh.
VERSE 27. After them all, the woman died.
VERSE 28. In the resurrection therefore, whose wife will she be of the seven? For they all had her.”
VERSE 29. But Jesus answered them, “You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God.
NIV translation. You are in error because you do not know the scriptures or the power of God.
This verse is fantastic! Would you consider memorizing it? More great verses to memorize from the Gospel According to Matthew and from the entire Bible.
not knowing the Scriptures. The Sadducees were gravely mistaken, partly because they did not read the Bible.
Similarly, in our day, very few Christians read the Bible regularly.
Let’s resolve to be very familiar with the Bible. We invite you to take part in our Bible Reading Project. There is nothing to sign up for, the workload is light, and it is free!
nor the power of God. The Lord Jesus told the religious leaders they were in error because they did not know the Scriptures nor the POWER of God. Do you know the POWER of God? Read more »
VERSE 30. For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are like God’s angels in heaven.
God’s angels. Jesus attests to the reality of angels.
like God’s angels in heaven. The angels are immortal beings who neither marry nor procreate.
VERSE 31. But concerning the resurrection of the dead, haven’t you read that which was spoken to you by God, saying,
VERSE 32. ‘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.”
but of the living. We humans grapple with the reality of death. However, death is only a factor in the time-space continuum. In the realm of eternity, all are alive. Read more »
VERSE 33. When the multitudes heard it, they were astonished at his teaching.
WHICH IS THE GREATEST COMMANDMENT?
VERSE 34. But the Pharisees, when they heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, gathered themselves together.
VERSE 35. One of them, a lawyer, asked him a question, testing him.
a lawyer. In the New Testament, the word “lawyer” means an expert in the law of Moses.
Don’t think “lawyer” like in a courtroom. Rather, think “church leader.”
VERSE 36. “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the law?”
VERSE 37. Jesus said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’
This verse seems like a command! Would you consider acting on it? More commands of Jesus Christ from the Gospel According to Matthew and from the entire Bible.
From the hundreds of commandments in the Bible, the Lord Jesus Christ singled out the most important commandment of all. Read more »
VERSE 38. This is the first and great commandment.
VERSE 39. A second likewise is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’
This verse seems like a command! Would you consider acting on it? More commands of Jesus Christ from the Gospel According to Matthew and from the entire Bible.
You shall love your neighbor as yourself. The Lord Jesus said this is the second greatest commandment of all. Read more »
VERSE 40. The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.”
law and the prophets. This reminds us of the Sermon on the Mount:
Matthew 5:17. Don’t think that I came to destroy the law or the prophets. I didn’t come to destroy, but to fulfill.
WHOSE SON IS THE MESSIAH?
VERSE 41. Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question,
VERSE 42. saying, “What do you think of the Christ? Whose son is he?” They said to him, “Of David.”
VERSE 43. He said to them, “How then does David in the Spirit call him Lord, saying,
in the Spirit. While writing as a prophet, David would have been under the inspiration and guidance of the Holy Spirit.
VERSE 44. ‘The Lord said to my Lord, sit on my right hand, until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet?’
right hand. The Bible often mentions “the right hand” of God. That is a position of power and honor. We believe it refers to Jesus Christ. More verses about the right hand.
VERSE 45. “If then David calls him Lord, how is he his son?”
VERSE 46. No one was able to answer him a word, neither did any man dare ask him any more questions from that day forward.
MATTHEW
CHAPTERS: 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28
RESOURCES: Summary, Outline, Memorize, Commands, Spirituality
Unless otherwise noted, all Bible quotations on this page are from the World English Bible and the World Messianic Edition. These translations have no copyright restrictions. They are in the Public Domain.