The religious leaders try to trap Jesus with questions about paying taxes and marriage after the resurrection and even about the law.
His answers were so challenging and brilliant. They never asked him another question.
#NewTestament #NewTestament1Year #NewYear #Jesus #faith #spirituality #deconstructing #reconstructing #deconstructingchristianity #reconstructingfaith #postchristianworld #postchristian
Matthew 22 Video:
Matthew 22 Notes:
Do you love God, your neighbor, and yourself?
Most of the world is more collectivistic rather than individualistic like the Western world. Collectivistic cultures are also honor and shame cultures. So when Jesus is confronted by the religious leaders in public, they are attempting to dishonor him and shame him. They’re not trying to learn anything. In fact, as you read the New Testament you will notice that the disciples who did want to learn only asked Jesus questions privately.
It’s also important to know that the two religious parties disagreed on some things. The Pharisees believed in a resurrection whereas the Sadducees did not. So not only were they trying to dishonor Jesus publicly. They also were trying to use Jesus to win their argument against each other.
Jesus has made his way to the temple, the place where the religious leaders have ultimate power. Jesus is confronting them. He’s driven out the corrupt money changers and taught in parables about how irreligious people are welcome into His New Kingdom and the religious have rejected and will reject this new Heavenly Kingdom.
In this chapter, they try to trap Jesus with questions about paying taxes and marriage after the resurrection and even about the law.
A few quick takeaways:
- Followers of Jesus pay their taxes
- Our life after death says we will be like angels. We don’t become angels.
- Jesus summarizes all 611 laws of the Hebrew Scriptures with love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength and love your neighbor as yourself.
After this, they no longer tried to dishonor him or shame him. Their intentions became much darker than that.
