The Story of the Wedding Banquet
“Jesus responded by telling still more stories. “God’s kingdom,” he said, “is like a king who threw a wedding banquet for his son. He sent out servants to call in all the invited guests. And they wouldn’t come!”
Matthew 22:1-3 MSG
The king in the parable represents God, and the original guests represent the Israelites who were invited to join God's kingdom but refused the invitation. (not all rejected him, many followed him!) The king then sends out more servants to invite everyone they can find, both good and bad, to the banquet, representing the Gentiles who are now also included in God's kingdom.
This is brought up many times! The verses below express that the Gospel was first for the Jews and then the Gentiles.
Matthew 15:24: "He answered, 'I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.'"
John 1:11: "He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him."
Romans 1:16: "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile."
Romans 9:4-5: "They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen."
Acts 13:46: "Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly: "We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles."
The man who was thrown out of the banquet for not wearing the proper clothes represents those who claim to be followers of God but do not live according to His commands. This could be interpreted as a reference to the Pharisees and other religious leaders of Jesus' time who were more concerned with following their own interpretations of the law rather than accepting Jesus as the Messiah.
Matthew 23:2-3: "The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat, so practice and observe whatever they tell you—but not what they do. For they preach, but do not practice."
Matthew 23:23: "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others."
Luke 11:39-40: "And the Lord said to him, 'Now you Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. You fools! Did not he who made the outside make the inside also?'"
Luke 18:9-14: "He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: 'Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: "God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get." But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, "God, be merciful to me, a sinner!"'
Matthew 7:21-23: "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'"
The parable also references the destruction of the thugs and leveling of their cities, which could be interpreted as Jesus coming to fulfill the old way of following the law and instituting a new way of following God through faith in him.
Matthew 5:17 "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them."
2 Corinthians 3:6 "He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life."
Hebrews 8:13 "By calling this covenant “new,” he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and outdated will soon disappear."
Romans 10:4 "Christ is the culmination of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes."
Colossians 2:14 "He canceled the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross."
Ephesians 2:15 "by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace."
Galatians 3:24-25 "So the law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith. Now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian."
Paying Taxes
The Pharisees are at it again! Trying to trap Jesus into saying something incriminating.
Matthew 22:15-17 MSG
“That’s when the Pharisees plotted a way to trap him into saying something damaging. They sent their disciples, with a few of Herod’s followers mixed in, to ask, “Teacher, we know you have integrity, teach the way of God accurately, are indifferent to popular opinion, and don’t pander to your students. So tell us honestly: Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?””
During Jesus' time, the Romans were known to be strict and harsh in their enforcement of taxes. Tax evasion was considered a serious crime, and those who were caught were often punished severely. This could include imprisonment, fines, or even execution. The Roman authorities had a large and well-organized system for collecting taxes, and they were not tolerant of those who tried to evade their obligations. Additionally, the Roman occupying forces were often seen as ruthless oppressors and tax collectors as collaborators, so tax evasion was seen as a form of resistance by the Jewish population.
The Pharisees here are tying to accuse Jesus of tax evasion, in part to try and discredit His teachings and perhaps also looking for ways to get him in trouble with the Roman officials.
Matthew 22:18-22 MSG
“Jesus knew they were up to no good. He said, “Why are you playing these games with me? Why are you trying to trap me? Do you have a coin? Let me see it.” They handed him a silver piece. “This engraving—who does it look like? And whose name is on it?” They said, “Caesar.” “Then give Caesar what is his, and give God what is his.” The Pharisees were speechless. They went off shaking their heads.”
Marriage and Resurrection
This section we are dealing with the Sadducees, if you remember in one of our previous conversations we talked about how these two religious leader groups disagreed on the concept of Resurrection, the Sadducees did not believe in life after death.
Both groups were opposed to Jesus teachings and often challenged him, but for different reasons, the Sadducees saw Jesus as a threat to their power and influence as the religious leaders, while the Pharisees saw Jesus teachings as a threat to their traditional interpretation of the Law and their own authority as religious leaders.
So in this story we are presented with a scenario where a woman is essentially passed down from one brother to the next after being widowed by the last one. In our current culture and marriage traditions this sounds incredibly like women were Possessions.
The concept of passing a wife down to a brother in the case of a husband's death can be explained as a way to ensure the continuation of the deceased husband's family line and provide for the widow's security and well-being. In ancient societies, women often did not have the same opportunities for work and financial independence as men, and being married and having children was often their primary means of support. By providing for the widow in this way, the society was ensuring that she would not be left destitute and would be able to continue to raise her children and maintain her social standing. This practice can be seen as an act of kindness and protection for the woman, rather than viewing her as a possession. It's important to note that this law was given in a specific historical and cultural context, and that the way society views marriage and gender roles have changed over time.
Deuteronomy 25:5-10, which states: "If brothers dwell together, and one of them dies and has no son, the wife of the dead man shall not be married outside the family to a stranger. Her husband’s brother shall go in to her and take her as his wife and perform the duty of a husband’s brother to her. And the firstborn whom she bears shall succeed to the name of his dead brother, that his name may not be blotted out of Israel. And if the man does not wish to take his brother’s wife, then his brother’s wife shall go up to the gate to the elders and say, ‘My husband’s brother refuses to perpetuate his brother’s name in Israel; he will not perform the duty of a husband’s brother to me.’ Then the elders of his city shall call him and speak to him, and if he persists, saying, ‘I do not wish to take her,’ then his brother’s wife shall go up to him in the presence of the elders and pull his sandal off his foot and spit in his face. And she shall answer and say, ‘So shall it be done to the man who does not build up his brother’s house.’"
We will see this play out in the book of Ruth!
Matthew 22:29-33 MSG
“Jesus answered, “You’re off base on two counts: You don’t know what God said, and you don’t know how God works. At the resurrection we’re beyond marriage. As with the angels, all our ecstasies and intimacies then will be with God. And regarding your speculation on whether the dead are raised or not, don’t you read your Bibles? The grammar is clear: God says, ‘I am—not was—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob.’ The living God defines himself not as the God of dead men, but of the living.” Hearing this exchange the crowd was much impressed.”
I love this answer, they were really pressing in on the concept of life after death by presenting a question that acknowledged that there was a life after death, He also completely dismantles their question by letting them know that in Heaven there was not going to be any marriage because God will be the source of all our fulfillment.
The Most Important Command
So the Sadducees just got shut down, but someone still had to make one more attempt to best Jesus.
Matthew 22:34-36 MSG
“When the Pharisees heard how he had bested the Sadducees, they gathered their forces for an assault. One of their religion scholars spoke for them, posing a question they hoped would show him up: “Teacher, which command in God’s Law is the most important?””
Jesus response was perfect.
Matthew 22:37-40 MSG
“Jesus said, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence.’ This is the most important, the first on any list. But there is a second to set alongside it: ‘Love others as well as you love yourself.’ These two commands are pegs; everything in God’s Law and the Prophets hangs from them.””
They would have already known this, if they really studied the law for understanding.
Deuteronomy 6:5
5 Love God, your God, with your whole heart: love him with all that’s in you, love him with all you’ve got!
David's Son and Master
Psalm 110
English Standard Version
Sit at My Right Hand
A Psalm of David.
110 The Lord says to my Lord:
“Sit at my right hand,
until I make your enemies your footstool.”
2 The Lord sends forth from Zion
your mighty scepter.
Rule in the midst of your enemies!
3 Your people will offer themselves freely
on the day of your power,[a]
in holy garments;[b]
from the womb of the morning,
the dew of your youth will be yours.[c]
4 The Lord has sworn
and will not change his mind,
“You are a priest forever
after the order of Melchizedek.”
5 The Lord is at your right hand;
he will shatter kings on the day of his wrath.
6 He will execute judgment among the nations,
filling them with corpses;
he will shatter chiefs[d]
over the wide earth.
7 He will drink from the brook by the way;
therefore he will lift up his head.
Matthew 22:43-45 MSG
“Jesus replied, “Well, if the Christ is David’s son, how do you explain that David, under inspiration, named Christ his ‘Master’? God said to my Master, “Sit here at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool.” “Now if David calls him ‘Master,’ how can he at the same time be his son?””
It was expected that Jesus would be from David's blood line, so these scholars would have known very well what they were asking.
Isaiah 11:1: "A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit."
Jeremiah 23:5: "The days are coming," declares the Lord, "when I will raise up to David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land."
Ezekiel 34:23-24: "I will place over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he will tend them; he will tend them and be their shepherd. I the Lord will be their God, and my servant David will be prince among them. I the Lord have spoken."
Matthew 1:1: "This is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah the son of David"
Luke 1:32-33: "He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob's descendants forever; his kingdom will never end."
In Jewish culture during the time of Jesus, it was considered very important to have a clear and undisputed lineage, especially for those in positions of leadership or authority. This was because one's lineage was believed to be an indicator of one's right to hold certain roles and positions, such as being a leader of the Jewish people or a member of the ruling class. Additionally, one's lineage was also believed to be an indicator of one's righteousness and closeness to God. The fact that Jesus claimed to be the Son of David would have been a very big deal because it would have implied that He was the long-awaited Messiah and rightful ruler of the Jewish people. Additionally, it would have also implied that He was a direct descendant of David, which would have made Him a member of the ruling class and an heir to the throne of Israel. This would have been a significant claim that would have challenged the religious and political leaders of the time, who did not believe in Jesus as the Messiah.
Matthew 22:46 MSG
“That stumped them, literalists that they were. Unwilling to risk losing face again in one of these public verbal exchanges, they quit asking questions for good.”
Job 25
“Bildad the Shuhite again attacked Job: “God is sovereign, God is fearsome— everything in the cosmos fits and works in his plan. Can anyone count his angel armies? Is there any place where his light doesn’t shine? How can a mere mortal presume to stand up to God? How can an ordinary person pretend to be guiltless? Why, even the moon has its flaws, even the stars aren’t perfect in God’s eyes, So how much less, plain men and women— slugs and maggots by comparison!””
Job 25:1-6 MSG
Bildad's argument today is pretty short and to the point. He is trying to demonstrate that nothing is without flaw, not even the moon and stars, he is really trying to provoke a confession out of Job by giving this example and saying that "there is no way, you Job are innocent".
Job 26
I love Job's response here, it's pure sarcasm at it's finest.
“Job answered: “Well, you’ve certainly been a great help to a helpless man! You came to the rescue just in the nick of time! What wonderful advice you’ve given to a mixed-up man! What amazing insights you’ve provided! Where in the world did you learn all this? How did you become so inspired?”
Job 26:1-4 MSG
Job continues his response by expressing Gods sovereignty over all creation including death and the grave. He is humoring Bildad in this response but is also genuine about his views on God and stating that God is still worth praising even amongst his disposition.
He also raises a great question, "Whatever would we do if He really raised his voice?"
Psalms 22
Psalms 22 is a very important Psalm, It is one that is believed to predict Jesus death on the cross and is also believed to be a verse that Jesus recites while on the cross.
Matthew 27:46
English Standard Version
46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
Psalms 22:16-18 MSG
“Now packs of wild dogs come at me; thugs gang up on me. They pin me down hand and foot, and lock me in a cage—a bag Of bones in a cage, stared at by every passerby. They take my wallet and the shirt off my back, and then throw dice for my clothes.”
I don't believe that for one moment Jesus was forsaken on the cross, or that God looked away, I think that Jesus said this because the Pharisees and sadducees would have know exactly what he was quoting. He was putting it in their face that they were subjected to Gods will and that the prophecies were being fulfilled right before their eyes.
Psalms 22:22-24 MSG
“Here’s the story I’ll tell my friends when they come to worship, and punctuate it with Hallelujahs: Shout Hallelujah, you God-worshipers; give glory, you sons of Jacob; adore him, you daughters of Israel. He has never let you down, never looked the other way when you were being kicked around. He has never wandered off to do his own thing; he has been right there, listening.”
The Psalms finishes off with a beautiful statement that all will hear the Good news that God does exactly what he says he will do.
Psalms 22:30-31 MSG
“Our children and their children will get in on this As the word is passed along from parent to child. Babies not yet conceived will hear the good news— that God does what he says.”
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