WHO ENTERS INTO THE KINGDOM??? SEE ALSO (LUKE 14:15-24)
MATTHEW 22:1-14:
22:1-14: LIKE THE PRECEDING PARABLES: this one is also proclaiming the transfer of the Kingdom from the faithless Jews to the Gentiles: It's set as a joyful wedding banquet (v. 2; see Matthew 25:1-13), for Christ is referenced many times as the "BRIDEGROOM"- (Matthew 9:15; John 3:29), St. Paul also uses the marriage analogy for the Kingdom of God- (Ephesians 5:21-33): The repeated sending out of SERVANTS shows the Father's great desire to have His people with Him in the Kingdom: The first group (v. 3) is interpreted to be Moses and those with him, while the second group, (v. 4) is composed of the prophets: These groups call those initially invited-the Jews: The third group, (v. 9) represents the apostles sent to the Gentiles, those not initially invited, but now called!!!
22:4: THE OXEN: Represent the sacrifices of the Old Covenant, while the FATTED CATTLE represent the eucharistic bread of the New Covenant: (fatted is better translated "wheat-fed", or even more literally "formed from wheat"; see also Luke 15:23)- Both the Old and the New Covenants are fulfilled at the wedding of Christ and His Church!!!
22:7: BURNED UP THEIR CITY: St. John Chysostom teaches that here Christ is prophesying the destruction of the Jerusalem by the Romans in AD 70, this shows the destruction is an act of God rather than that of men themselves: The Lord gave them 40 years to repent up until Christ appeared as the Messiah!!!
22:11-13: THE WEDDING GARMENT: would have been provided by the king, therefore the man had no excuse for not wearing one; so he is SPEECHLESS: His refusal to wear the garment that was provided is showing us an illustration to those who refuse God's hospitality, or who want His Kingdom on their own terms: The garment is referring to the baptismal garment, and by extension, a life of faith, repentance, virtue, and charity: without any of this a person will ultimately be CAST INTO OUTER DARKNESS:
22:14: FOR MANY: SEE NOTES AND READ LUKE 20:24-28:
A TRAP FOR JESUS, SEE ALSO (MARK 12:13-17; LUKE 20:20-26)
MATTHEW 22:15-22:
22:15-22: SEE AND READ-NOTES LUKE 20:20-26: The distinction between THINGS THAT ARE CAESAR'S AND THINGS THAT ARE GOD'S does not imply the division of a believer's life into the secular and the sacred: The Lord is Lord over all life, including the crazy secular world that is so insane and hypocritical: We, do however, fulfill governmental requirements that do not conflict with our first responsibility to the Lord our God- (Romans 13:1-7; see and also compare Acts 4:19; 5:29): Paying taxes and other civil duties does not conflict with overall holiness:
RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD, SEE ALSO (MARK 12:18-27; LUKE 20:27-40)
MATTHEW 22:22-33
22:23-33: YOU ARE MISTAKEN, (v. 29): Christ is confirming there will indeed be a Resurrection, the Sadducees are imagining something a little different than Yeshua is describing: The Sadducees considered the resurrection to be continuation of earthly life (including earthly marriage), and so mocked such doctrine with an absurd scenario: They were extremely ignorant of THE SCRIPTURES, which reveal a complete transfiguration of life in the resurrection, making such earthly questions irrelevant!!! They failed to understand how Abraham and his sons believed in a God even if they are physically dead- Christ teaches that the souls of the faithful in Him that have departed from this life are sustained before the face of God!!!
THE GREATEST COMMANDEMENT, SEE ALSO (MARK 12:28-34)
MATTHEW 22:34-40
22:34-40: THE PHARISEES HAD FOUND 613 COMMANDMENTS IN THE SCRIPTURES: Debated about which one was central: Jesus sets forth the FIRST AND THE SECOND, which constitute the entire summary of the Law: Though the LAWYER has come with malice to test the Lord, we know if we turn to St. Mark's teachings that this man is converted by Christ's answer (Mark 12:28-34):
12:39: THIS SECOND COMMANDMENT MUST BE UNDERSTOOD AS WRITTEN: YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF, or more clearly, as being yourself, is sometimes often misinterpreted, "You shall love your neighbors as you love yourself, which destroys the force statement: How much we love ourselves is not the standard by which Christ is calling us to love others: We are rather called by Him to love our neighbors as being of the same nature as we ourselves are, as being Created in God's image and likeness just as we are- we find our true selves when loving others and serving others with humility and mercy!!!
DAVID'S SON IS HIS LORD, SEE ALSO (MARK 12:35-37; LUKE 20:41-44)
MATTHEW 22:41-46
22:41-46: CHRIST ASKS THIS QUESTION: To lead the Pharisees to the only logical conclusion: That He is God Incarnate: They thought the Messiah would be a man and replied that the Messiah would be the SON OF DAVID: David, as King of Israel, could not and would not address anyone as "LORD" except God: In (Psalm 109:1), David refers to the Messiah as "LORD": Therefore, the Messiah must be God: The only possible conclusion is that the Messiah is a descendant of David only according to the flesh, also is truly divine, and sharing His LORDSHIP with God the Father and the Holy Spirit: The Pharisees do not ANSWER because they realized the implications and are afraid to confess Yeshua (Jesus) to be the Son of God- (see also and notes on Luke 20:41-44):
PEACE WITH THE PSALMS/BROKEN AND BEAUTIFUL PSALM 103
MESSAGE IS ABOUT MERCY
Matthew 5:7:
Blessed are the merciful,
For they shall obtain mercy.
-Mercy is love set in motion, that is also expressed in action. Christ showed mercy when He gave His life at His own free Will to free us from Satan snares!!! So with the Lord having mercy to all we are return to be merciful to all as well!!!
JPCE SPIRITUAL TALK
NEVER HOLD BACK
THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD
JEHOVAH SHALOM!!!
Comments