Matthew6-2

"Then he sent some more servants and said, `Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.'

4. What response did he get? v.5

"But they paid no attention and went off--one to his field, another to his business

5. What did others then do? v.6

The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them.

6. What was the king's response? v.7

The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.

B. Think:

1. How do you think this parable follows what has just gone?

2. How does this parable differ from the previous one?

3. What is the main point of this parable?

C. Comment:

In the parable of the tenants ( 21:33 -40) the owner rented out the land to others who constantly rejected his servants and finally his son. In this parable the king replaces the land owner and instead of his son being killed, his son is having a wedding banquet. Whereas previously it was the tenants who rejected the owner's servants, here it is the invited guests who reject the servants.

In this parable the king (God) is holding a banquet to rejoice over the marriage of his Son (Jesus) and he expects those previously invited to now come to the feast. In those times it was customary for there to be a pre-invitation followed by a later calling to the event. The king has already invited certain people ( Israel ), who had actually accepted it (by becoming His kingdom) but now they refuse to come.

These invited guests first go off to do their own particular thing and then eventually they even kill the servants. This is gross bad manners and for it they incur the wrath of the king. The message is again obvious. Even as Jesus had warned in 8:43 about the kingdom being taken from Israel , he now again reiterates that message in the story. Those who had been invited and had taken up the invite, and who were now refusing to come to the Son, will be rejected by God. Others will come instead. See tomorrow.

D. Application:

1. When we accept Jesus as Saviour, we take on special responsibility.

2. God expects us to grow and eventually come to the Feast.

Chapter: Matthew 22

Passage: Matthew 22:8-14

A. Find Out:

1. What did the king feel about those who refused to come? v.8

"Then he said to his servants, `The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come.

2. So what did he instruct? v.9

Go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.'

3. So who came? v.10

So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, both good and bad, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.

4. What did the king later notice? v.11,12

"But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. `Friend,' he asked, `how did you get in here without wedding clothes?' The man was speechless.

5. So what did he instruct? v.13

"Then the king told the attendants, `Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'

6. What concluding principle did he state? v.14

"For many are invited, but few are chosen."

B. Think:

1. Who do you think are the guests from the street?

2. Who do you think the guest without clothes is? (see Rev 19:18 )

3. What do you think v.14 means? (read Eph 1:4)

C. Comment:

The first half of the parable is about those invited but who refused to come - Israel . The second part is about those who did come.

First, observe who were then invited and who came: people on the streets, both good and bad. “On the streets” represents people who do not belong to a tribe, or nation, individuals who are alone. These are just anyone who is lost who will heed the invite and come. They are mostly Gentiles, they are the needy, those who recognise their need.

Second, note the man without wedding garments. He stands out from the rest. Everyone else at the banquet has wedding clothes. What are the clothes? They are the robes of righteousness given to each one who comes through repentance. Initially that is imputed righteousness (that is credited to us), but it is also imparted righteousness (the righteous things we do as we are led by the Spirit as children of God). The man who doesn't have these robes from Christ will not be allowed to sneak in!

Finally, note the last words. Many are invited - the gospel goes out and is heard by many, many people, but many don't respond. They are invited but that's all. Those who do respond (who are few), we then see are the ones chosen by God, the ones God knew would respond.

D. Application:

1. Being a Christian means receiving Christ's righteousness.

2. Being a Christian means doing good as led by the Spirit.

Chapter: Matthew 22

Passage: Matthew 22:15-22

A. Find Out:

1. Who tried to do what to whom? v.15

Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap him in his words.

2. What did they first say about Jesus? v.16

They sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians. "Teacher," they said, "we know you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You aren't swayed by men, because you pay no attention to who they are.

3. What question then did they ask? v.17

Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?"

4. What was Jesus' first response? v.18

But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, "You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me?

5. What did he instruct and then ask? v.19,20

Show me the coin used for paying the tax." They brought him a denarius, and he asked them, "Whose portrait is this? And whose inscription?"

6. What reply did he get and then give? v.21

"Caesar's," they replied. Then he said to them, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's."

B. Think:

1. What, basically, do you think the Pharisees were trying to do?

2. How did they go about doing it, and why?

3. How did Jesus' answer solve the problem?

C. Comment:

The pressure against Jesus is building up. The Pharisees now approach him in an attempt to get him to say something that will either be unpopular with the people, or will be seen to be rebellion against Rome . Either way it is going to leave Jesus in trouble. They are quite clearly out to get Jesus. However, Jesus fully understands their intentions and rebukes them. Yet he will not simply leave it and appear to be avoiding the issue and thus be overcome by the Pharisees, so he gives an answer that can only be described as pure wisdom.

It is this for two reasons: a) it gets him out of a difficult situation and b) it is the truth. The question, which was legitimate, was “Is it right that we should pay taxes when we don't agree with the government of the day? Wouldn't our money be better spent on charitable activities of our own choosing, or even (for us) on evangelism?” Jesus answer says, do both. It's right to pay for the services that the Government provides and to give to charity or evangelism. There is money for both (implied). Note in passing that Jesus' answers never duck the issue but always declare the truth. In that, they are often uncomfortable!

D. Application:

1. It IS right that we may taxes, even when not agreeing with the

government of the day.

2. We always (certainly in the West) have sufficient for other purposes.

Chapter: Matthew 22

Passage: Matthew 22:23-33

A. Find Out:

1. Who came, believing what? v.23

That same day the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him with a question.

2. What about the Law did they say? v.24

"Teacher," they said, "Moses told us that if a man dies without having children, his brother must marry the widow and have children for him.

3. So what scenario did they paint? v.25-27

Now there were seven brothers among us. The first one married and died, and since he had no children, he left his wife to his brother. The same thing happened to the second and third brother, right on down to the seventh. Finally, the woman died.

4. So what question did they then pose? v.28

Now then, at the resurrection, whose wife will she be of the seven, since all of them were married to her?"

5. What did Jesus say about them? v.29

Jesus replied, "You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God

6. What did he say would happen? v.30

At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven.

7. What did he say about the resurrection generally? v.31,32

But about the resurrection of the dead--have you not read what God said to you, `I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob' ? He is not the God of the dead but of the living."

B. Think:

1. What do you think was the aim of the Sadducees?

2. How did Jesus give a direct answer to their scenario?

3. How did he then tackle the who subject of the resurrection?

C. Comment:

The Sadducees, like the Pharisees, are out to get Jesus. This is all part of the growing antagonism against the Son of God that culminates, at the end of the week, in his arrest and death. They present him with what they see as a trick question.

In answering them, Jesus first summarises their position: they are wrong, and for two reasons! First it is clear that they don't know the Scriptures, otherwise they wouldn't hold their viewpoint. Second, they don't know God's power, because their view of no resurrection denies that God has the power to raise people from the dead.

He next addresses their story: when God does resurrect people, they aren't raised to be in the same roles as when they were on earth. There will not be marriage in the same way we know it today. Why? Because we will be raised with spiritual bodies (see 1 Cor 15:42 -44) which will not have the same physical operations as today (which is what much of marriage is actually about). He then goes on to challenge them about their entire belief system. When God spoke about Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, he spoke about them in the present. They were already raised from the dead and were with Him. God is a God of resurrection; that is at the heart of the Gospel!

D. Application:

1. Our life after death will be different from the limited life on earth.

2. Be assured there is life after death, a place in heaven for believers.

Chapter: Matthew 22

Passage: Matthew 22:34-40

A. Find Out:

1. Who now came again? v.34

Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together.

2. Who came to do what? v.35

One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question:

3. What did he ask? v.36

"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?"

4. What was Jesus' reply? v.37,38

Jesus replied: " `Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment.

5. And what did he add? v.39

And the second is like it: `Love your neighbor as yourself.

6. And what did he say about these two commands? v.40

All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

B. Think:

1. What was the motivation behind the Pharisees coming?

2. What do you think the legal expert hoped to achieve?

3. Read Deut 6:5 and Lev 19:18

C. Comment:

Yet again the Pharisees come to see if they can trip Jesus up, to see if they can get him to say something wrong. They have among them one who is an expert at understanding the Law of Moses. He knows all its difficulties and the problems the teachers of the Law had in interpreting it, so he asks Jesus which is the greatest of all the commands that came through Moses.

This test would, first of all, expect Jesus to have read and known in some detail all the Law. They expected that a country preacher from Galilee would not be so taught. Even if he was able to scan over the whole Law, being able to pick out the “best” command was a daunting task, one that would produce and answer that could surely be criticised. Are you up to this preacher?

Jesus chooses two all embracing commands: the first requires total love for God and the second total love for all other people in your life. If you obey these two commands, says Jesus, you will find that you will obey every other command, for everything else is based on these two. Love is the key to all other laws. These two summarise the objectives of all the other laws.

D. Application:

1. Do we set our love for God above all else? When we fail this one in any

way, we see our first need for the Cross.

2. Do we love those around us as much as we love ourselves? When we fail

this one, here is the second need for the Cross.

Chapter: Matthew 22

Passage: Matthew 22:41-46

A. Find Out:

1. Who did Jesus ask what? v.41,42a

While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, 42 "What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?"

2. What was their reply? v.42b

"The son of David," they replied.

3. What did Jesus see was the problem with that? v.43

He said to them, "How is it then that David, speaking by the Spirit, calls him `Lord'?

4. What did he quote? v.44

For he says, " `The Lord said to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet."

5. So how was that a problem? v.45

If then David calls him `Lord,' how can he be his son?"

6. What effect did this then have? v.46

No one could say a word in reply, and from that day on no one dared to ask him any more questions

B. Think:

1. What had been happening up to then? (v.15-35)

2. So what changed now?

3. How did that bring it all to an end?

C. Comment:

The Pharisees had been sending people to challenge and test Jesus, to try to catch him out. Now it is Jesus' turn to ask challenging questions. He knew the Pharisees expected a coming Messiah (or Christ) and he knew what they believed about him, so he decides to challenge their thinking.

He asks about the origin of the Christ. They, predictably, declare he comes from the household or family of David. Hmm, says Jesus, a small problem! David referred to the Christ as “Lord”. In Psa 110:1 (an accepted inspired writing, part of the canon of the Old Testament), David had God (THE Lord) speaking to the Messiah (MY Lord), instructing him to sit beside Him until all God's enemies were dealt with.

So if David referred to the Messiah as “my Lord” he couldn't be simply referring to someone from his own family. The Messiah had to be a figure who was far greater than a simple human being from the family of David. Now Jesus knew (and the Pharisees knew) that many people were heralding him as the Messiah. This was therefore, a claim to something much greater than being a human deliverer, and the Pharisees could not argue against that. It simply made them more angry, and more determined to kill him.

D. Application:

1. Jesus is more than mere man; he is the Son of God. Worship him.

2. It is Jesus' divinity which challenges men.

RECAP: "Challenges" - Matthew 22

SUMMARY :

In this second group of 6 studies we have seen :

- Jesus continuing to teach in the temple precincts

- Jesus telling the parable of the Wedding Banquet

- The Pharisees seeking to trap Jesus over paying taxes

- The Sadducees trying to trap Jesus over the resurrection

- A legal expert trying to trap Jesus over the Law

- Jesus answering all their questions with great wisdom

- Jesus asking about the prophetic Mesiah.

COMMENT :

The pace of conflict is starting to hot up. Jesus' teaching through his parables have been stinging the religious leaders with the truth. The go to him and confront him with ‘tricky questions' but every time he comes up with answers that avoid conflict or declare truth. The pressure is on to discredit him – and they are failing! It's a stupid thing to try and trip up the Son of God. Don't even think of trying it!

LESSONS?

1. Coming to God means complete surrender

2. Coming to God is all of grace

3. We are to pay taxes and give to God

4. God is the God of resurrection, the God of now

5. Love is at the heart of the Law and fulfils all other laws

6. Jesus is the Messiah, now seated at God's right hand.

PRAY :

Lord you called me and I came. Now I surrender afresh this day to you. I receive the wonder of being a child of yours, called to celebrate with you in the wonder of your love.

PART 3 : " Woes! " Matthew, chapter 23

In the next Part Jesus comes back on those religious groups who have been pestering him, with strong denunciations. These are the words of a prophet in their midst, strongly declaring the truth, strongly revealing unrighteousness. These will be Jesus' last words from the temple precincts. He has come to his temple and has spoken!