1And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said, 2The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son,
This chapter continues the dialog that took place between Jesus and the Jewish religious leaders after His entry into Jerusalem and cleansing of the temple. Verse 1 says that Jesus “spake unto them again.” He’s still speaking to the chief priests and Pharisees that He was speaking to at the end of the previous chapter (see 21:45-46).
In that chapter (chapter 21), He gave two parables, both about a man who had a vineyard. Now, in chapter 22, Jesus gives a parable about a man who was a king and who prepared a wedding celebration for his son. In these three parables God is both the vineyard owner and the king. In 21:43, Jesus compared the stewardship of God’s vineyard to the stewardship of the kingdom of God. In chapter 22, Jesus now compares the kingdom of heaven to a wedding feast.
3and sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come. 4Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage. 5But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise: 6and the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them.
These verses focus on the invitation and plea of the king and the response of those who were invited. The king sent messengers to call the invitees to come, but those invited did not want to come. The king then sent more messengers with a description of the good things He had prepared for the feast. But still, the invitees rejected the king’s invitation as unimportant and went away to tend to their own interests instead. Some of those invited even mistreated and killed the king’s messengers.
7But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.
With this verse we understand that the location in this parable is the city of Jerusalem. The invitees are the people of Israel, and the messengers are the prophets up until and including John the Baptist (Matthew 11:12-13). The king in the parable is God the Father. The wedding celebration is that of His Son Jesus. The beginning of the wedding celebration pictures the establishment of the kingdom of heaven. Thus, the wedding feast will begin at Christ’s return. The bride is not yet identified, probably because the church had not yet been fully revealed.
Because Israel refused God’s offer to them of place and priority at the wedding feast, God would bring judgment on them and on their city. In this verse, Jesus foretold the destruction of Jerusalem by the armies of Rome that would take place in 70 A.D. The forbearance of the king in the parable was long, but the judgment is stated succinctly. The judgment will be swift and complete.
8Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. 9Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage. 10So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests.
After the rejection of His invitation by the first group of invitees, the king sent servants to go beyond the streets of that city and to call any and everyone they found to come to the wedding feast. The king’s servants did that and brought in people, without regard for whether the people were bad or good. The wedding hall was now filled with guests.
11And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: 12and he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. 13Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
In this parable only one person is rejected by the king. The king’s servants had gathered people who were both bad and good, but this man was not rejected because he was bad. He was rejected because he had no wedding garment.
In Isaiah 61:10 we find these words:
“I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.”
Isaiah was speaking of the future salvation of Israel. In the future, believing Israel will be clothed with “garments of salvation;” they will be clothed with “the robe of righteousness.” The robe of righteousness is the garment which every person must receive in order to be accepted in the kingdom of heaven. The king asked the person with no wedding garment, “how camest thou in hither...?” This person had not entered rightly. Probably each wedding guest was given a special garment for the occasion as they entered the wedding hall. Perhaps this man slipped in while others were getting their wedding garments. Or perhaps he tried to enter by another way. But the king quickly recognized that this person had not entered rightly. The king commanded that the servants bind him hand and foot, remove him, and cast him into outer darkness. The description that follows takes Jesus’ listeners beyond the parable to the reality of God’s judgment: “there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
14For many are called, but few are chosen.
In this parable two groups of people were called to come to the wedding feast that the king had prepared for his son. After the first call went out, the king told his messengers that those invitees were not worthy. The king obviously had really wanted them to come; they showed unworthiness by refusing his invitation. At the second call, many were gathered for the feast, both bad and good. After all of them were present, the king cast out a man who had no wedding garment. This man was not cast out because he was bad. He was cast out because he had not received the robe of righteousness that the king offered.
Jesus said, “For many are called, but few are chosen.” The many who called include both the first group who refused the king’s invitation and the second group who were gathered by the king’s messengers. The chosen are those who responded to the king’s call to come and entered the wedding hall in the way that the king had made provision for them to enter. The calling in this parable is an invitation. It is not the same as the effectual call of God described in Romans 8:30.
The words, “For many are called, but few are chosen,” are also found in Matthew 20:16 in the majority of the Greek manuscripts. There Jesus spoke these words concerning the parable of the workers in the vineyard. The parable of the wedding feast in Matthew 22 helps us to understand that earlier reference in Matthew 20. The first group of workers in Matthew 20 represented Israel; the later groups represented people from the other nations. The first invitees in Matthew 22 represent Israel; the later invitees represent people from the other nations. The first group of workers in Matthew 20 became last. Jesus’ criticism of them is now further explained in chapter 22. It is not enough to be people who have a religious heritage. It is also not acceptable to “work for God” with the thought that God’s blessing can be earned or deserved. The first workers in Matthew 20 became the last. The vineyard owner gave them only what they deserved. At the judgment, no one will be found worthy of heaven because of their work. Matthew 22 tells us that what God requires is a willingness to answer His free invitation and the humility to recognize our need for Him to cover us with His righteousness.
15Then went the Pharisees, and took counsel how they might entangle him in his talk. 16And they sent out unto him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man: for thou regardest not the person of men. 17Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not?
Both the question and the questioners were carefully chosen in an effort to trap Jesus in His words. The Pharisees were Jewish conservatives and were opposed to the Roman occupation of Israel. The Herodians were Jews who took the side of Rome, probably out of fear and in hope of personal gain. Now these two unlikely allies joined against Jesus. Luke tells us that the chief priests and scribes formed this plot so they might deliver him unto the power and authority of the governor (Luke 20:20).
The questioners asked Jesus whether or not it was proper according to the Law of Moses for an Israelite to pay the personal tax that Caesar demanded. If Jesus said, “yes,” the Pharisees would say that He was approving of the Roman occupation of Israel. If He said, “no,” the Herodians would say that He was an insurrectionist against the Roman government.
18But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites? 19Shew me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a penny. 20And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? 21They say unto him, Caesar's.
The word translated “penny” here and in the parable of the workers in the vineyard in 20:1-16 is the word “denarius.” The parable of the workers makes clear that it was a coin in common use in Israel. Both Jesus and the questioners already knew what the coin looked like. Jesus’ asking to be shown a denarius was probably to add emphasis to the answer that He was about to give. He asked the Herodians and the disciples of the Pharisees whose was the image and superscription on the coin. They said that it was Caesar’s.
Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's. 22When they had heard these words, they marvelled, and left him, and went their way.
Jesus’ answer raised several unspoken questions: (1) Does Caesar’s image on your money mean that the money belongs to him? (2) Don’t all things belong to God? (3) Why is Caesar’s image on the coinage of Israel? (4) If Israel had given all things to God, would Israel be under Roman domination?
In conversation with Peter in Matthew 17:25-26 (see notes there), Jesus implied that He Himself was the rightful king of Israel and thus that Israel was not legitimately liable to a personal tax from another king. Yet, Jesus did provide for Peter to pay the tax.
It is probably also significant that this dialog between Jesus and his questioners occurs in the context of His cleansing of the temple in 21:12-17. Because Caesar’s image was on the coinage, Roman coins would likely have been thought to be in violation of God’s commandment to make no graven image (Exodus 20:4). So, the moneychangers in the temple would, for a fee, change the Roman coins to other money that could be used to buy a sacrifice. The same Pharisees and Herodians who were questioning Jesus may have been among those who were pocketing the profit in Roman currency in the temple while appearing to give God what was holy. Jesus’ word that they should render to Caesar the things of Caesar and to God the things that are God’s would have succinctly indicted them in their hypocrisy. Also, they could not answer Him back; neither the Pharisees nor the Herodians could admit, “We don’t know what belongs to Caesar and what belongs to God.” But, in fact, that was the case.
23The same day came to him the Sadducees, which say that there is no resurrection, and asked him, 24saying, Master, Moses said, If a man die, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother. 25Now there were with us seven brethren: and the first, when he had married a wife, deceased, and, having no issue, left his wife unto his brother: 26likewise the second also, and the third, unto the seventh. 27And last of all the woman died also. 28Therefore in the resurrection whose wife shall she be of the seven? for they all had her.
The sect of the Sadducees included the Jewish high priest and those who were with him (see Acts 5:17). According to Acts 23:8, the Sadducees ...say that there is no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit.... They did not believe in an afterlife, and they did not believe in the existence of angels. The Sadducees who came to question Jesus were referring to a law found in Deuteronomy 25:5-6:
If brethren dwell together, and one of them die, and have no child, the wife of the dead shall not marry without unto a stranger: her husband's brother shall go in unto her, and take her to him to wife, and perform the duty of an husband's brother unto her. And it shall be, that the firstborn which she beareth shall succeed in the name of his brother which is dead, that his name be not put out of Israel.
These verses begin with the words, “If brethren dwell together....” The condition in this law is one where brothers live together, probably on family property. If one of the brothers dies, what happens to his part of the inheritance? This law addressed that issue. The Sadducees took the situation in the law to an extreme in hope of proving that there is no resurrection of the dead.
29Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God. 30For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven.
Jesus said that the Sadducees were wrong because they did not know the Scriptures and did not know the power of God. The Old Testament Scriptures do teach the resurrection of the dead (see, for example, Job 19:25-27; 21:30; Psalm 17:15; 49:15; Isaiah 26:19; Daniel 12:2). God has the power to raise the dead, and He will.
Jesus explained to the Sadducees that there is no marriage after this life. He said that in the resurrection people will be like angels. He did not say that people would be angels – just that they would be like angels in not being married. Jesus probably made this reference to angels to imply that the Sadducees were also wrong not to believe in angels.
31But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying, 32I 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. 33And when the multitude heard this, they were astonished at his doctrine.
The Sadducees began their question with the words, “Moses said...,” but in all their narrative, they never mentioned God. In Jesus’ answer to them in verses 29-34, he spoke of God eight times. He said that the Saducees did not know the power of God. Mark 12:26 confirms that the quote Jesus referred to was from Exodus 3:6, where God spoke to Moses from the burning bush. In that quote, God did not use the past tense. He did not say that He was the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, though all three of the patriarchs had already died. God said that He is their God. Thus, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were and are still living, even though they have died physically. Jesus thus affirmed that there will be a resurrection because physical death is not the end of a person’s existence.
34But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together. 35Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, 36Master, which is the great commandment in the law? 37Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38This is the first and great commandment. 39And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
This time the Pharisees came with a question. One of them who was expert in knowledge of the Mosaic Law asked Jesus which of the commandments in the Law was the most important. Since the Pharisees were testing Jesus, they probably had thought about what He might say. For example, if He said that the commandment to keep the Sabbath was the most important, they would likely have again attacked Him for healing the man with the withered hand on a Sabbath day (12:9-14).
Jesus answered the Pharisees by quoting from Deuteronomy 6:4-5:
“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: and thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.”
Mark records that Jesus said, “The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.”
Thus, when Jesus quoted Deuteronomy 6:5, He added the words, “and with all thy mind.” He thus stated that a person’s heart, soul, and strength include that person’s mind. Jesus was probably telling the Pharisees that their knowledge of the Scriptures was motivated more by intellectual pride than by love for God.
Then Jesus went beyond the Pharisees’ question to also tell them the second greatest commandment, this time quoting from Leviticus 19:18: “Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself....” Jesus’ coupling of these two commandments is a statement of the truth expressed in I John 4:20: If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
Jesus implied that the essence of the whole Law and of the message of the prophets is dependent on the criteria stated in these two commandments.
But why was the Law given in the first place? Paul wrote, Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God (Romans 3:19). The Law was given to stop anyone from saying that they are innocent before God. But if the whole of the Law was written to show that we have sinned, how much more the two commandments which underpin the rest? The two commandments that Jesus stated are absolute. No person except Jesus can say that they have loved God with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength. No person except Jesus has loved their neighbor as themselves. All of us need forgiveness. All of us need a Savior.
41While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, 42saying, What think ye of Christ? Whose son is he? They say unto him, The son of David. 43He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying, 44The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool? 45If David then call him Lord, how is he his son? 46And no man was able to answer him a word, neither durst any man from that day forth ask him any more questions.
This time Jesus was the One who asked a question. He asked the Pharisees, “What think ye of Christ?” Then He narrowed His question and asked specifically: “Whose son is he?” Jesus knew what the Pharisees would say because the whole of the nation of Israel expected the Messiah to come from the line of David. This expectation of the nation was correct. For example, the prophet Jeremiah said,
Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. (Jeremiah 23:5-6)
We also read in Psalm 89:2-3,
I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn unto David my servant, Thy seed will I establish for ever, and build up thy throne to all generations.
So, when the Pharisees answered Jesus’ question by saying, “The son of David,” they weren’t wrong. They just weren’t completely right.
Jesus referred them to Psalm 110, a psalm penned by David under the direction of the Holy Spirit. In that Psalm, David wrote, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool. The next verse of that psalm says, The LORD shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies. The Pharisees knew that Psalm 110 was a conversation between the LORD (Yahweh) and the Messiah. Jesus pointed out to them that David, who wrote the psalm, called the Messiah “my Lord” (Hebrew: “Adoni”). Jesus asked the Pharisees how the Messiah could be David’s son if David called the Messiah his Lord.
The Pharisees could not answer Jesus’ question because they did not understand that the Messiah would be the eternal Son of God born as a man in the line of David. Jesus Himself clearly states this fact in Revelation 22:16; He said, “I am the root and the offspring of David....” Jesus is both before David and after David. David was made through the work of the Son of God, and the Son of God entered the world as a descendant of David.
Today also, if people were asked, “What think ye of Christ,” there would be many partly correct answers. But the essential issue is in Jesus’ second question: “Whose son is he?” No one can really know Jesus until they recognize that He was not just a man. We can only call Him “my Lord,” as David did, when we recognize that He is the Son of God.
Note: All Scriptures are quoted from the King James Version of the Bible.