Matthew 22:15-22, 34-40
“Honor”
Let’s read Matthew 22:15-22
15 Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap him in his words. 16 They sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians. “Teacher,” they said, “we know that you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are. 17 Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not?” 18 But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, “You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me? 19 Show me the coin used for paying the tax.” They brought him a denarius, 20 and he asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?” 21 “Caesar’s,” they replied. Then he said to them, “So give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” 22 When they heard this, they were amazed. So they left him and went away.
To help us understand who “They” were I share something I read.
“Herodians were a party of the Jews who supported the Roman-backed Herodian dynasty. The Herodians were not a religious party, like the Pharisees, but a political party, consisting of Sadducees. By contrast, the Pharisees hated Roman rule and the Herodian influence. Herod himself wanted Jesus dead (Luke 13:31), and the Pharisees were already plotting to kill Him as well (John 11:53). So they joined efforts to seek their common goal. The fact that these groups would conspire together to entrap Jesus reveals how seriously both groups viewed Him as a threat.
Jesus had just told the people about the Parable of the Wedding Banquet which symbolizes God’s offer of salvation to all people through faith in Jesus Christ the Son. It also symbolizes the fact that some people will reject the offer of salvation for various reason and the fact that some people believed they could get into heaven by their own works.
Because Jesus had said this, the Pharisees wanted to trap Jesus with His own Words, so they asked the question, “Is it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not?”
They believed Jesus’ answer would offend the Jewish people by supporting Rome or violate Roman law by opposing to pay the tax. Either way it would be a losing effort by Jesus. But Jesus knew their evil intent was to trap Him so He showed them that He was the One in control by His answer.
So why didn’t Jesus condemn the Roman government that was oppressing the Jewish people?
I read this, He may have avoided direct condemnation to prevent giving authorities a legitimate excuse for his execution, focusing instead on his broader message. His ministry focused on spiritual transformation and challenging the religious, rather than political, structures of his time.
Read what it says written in Romans 13:1 Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.
Had Jesus challenged the Roman authorities it would have started a political revolution. How could Jesus submit to Governing Authorities and start an uprising at the same time? That would make Jesus a liar.
The religious leaders had already said that Jesus was a man of integrity and that He taught the way of God in accordance with the truth.
Jesus mission was a Spiritual one, that’s why He challenged the religious leaders instead.
Jesus answer of “So give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s” directs us to fulfill our obligation to both man and God.
Which leads us right into the next part of our lesson
Let’s read Matthew 22:34-40
34 Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. 35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
In verse thirty four it says, Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together.
To understand what this means we have to look at the scriptures between our lesson verses.
The Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, challenged Jesus about the resurrection. In which Jesus said to them, you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God and that He was not the God of the dead but of the living. When the crowds heard this, they were astonished at his teaching.
So far we have seen the disciples of the Pharisees along with the Herodians challenge Jesus authority. Then the Sadducees challenged Him and now we see an expert in the law came to test Jesus.
I read that this was no ordinary man. He had studied the Scriptures in their best schools and they had hoped that this lawyer would be able to trip Jesus up. So he came at Jesus with his best question…………
“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
I share this; Jewish tradition holds that God gave the Israelites 613 commandments. This total consists of 365 negative commandments ("do not do") and 248 positive commandments ("do this"), commonly categorized into laws, testimonies, and decrees. Many of these laws were specific to the Temple period, gender, or agricultural life in Israel. The 613 commandments are often seen as "broad categories" rather than just a list, with the Ten Commandments acting as the central foundation.
I also read that Jewish scholars often debated how to rank commands of the law but had been unable to agree. In asking Jesus to choose one great commandment, they hoped to trap Jesus into showing a disregard for the other laws.
So how did Jesus answer?
“‘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.
Remember, the person asking this question is an “EXPERT” in the law, should he be surprised by this answer?
I share this written in the first part of the Ten Commandments in Deuteronomy 5
You shall have no other gods before me, “You shall not make for yourself an image, You shall not bow down to them or worship them, I, the Lord your God will show love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments, “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God.
These commandments are about our relationship with the Lord our God.
Read Deuteronomy 6:5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.
Jesus said next ……….And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
The second half of the Ten Commandments is about our relationship with one another.
Now read Leviticus 19:18 “‘Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.
Jesus went on to say……………..All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
I think it can be explained this way………..1 Corinthians 13:1-3 If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
Jesus brings ever law down to one simple word……LOVE.
We read in John 13:34-35 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
If we really want to “Honor” God…………… we will truely love one another.