New Testament Commentary - Matthew 22

by Don R. Hender

Scriptural Text [& Editorial]	Commentary & Explanation	Footnotes ~ References ~ JST
CHAPTER 22 Jesus give the parable of the marriage of the king's son—Pay tribute to Caesar and to God— Worldly marriages endure in this life only—First commandments: Love the Lord—What think ye of Christ?
1 AND Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said, 2 The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which ^amade a ^bmarriage for his son^a, 3 And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and ^athey would not come.	2^a a certain king, which made a marriage for his son God the Eternal Father of Spirits selected and anointed his beloved Firstborn Son, His Heir, to be the Messiah of the Everlasting Covenant. And that Covenant between God and man might well be likened unto a covenant of marriage, Christ being the bridegroom and those partakers of the covenant ordinances which are of his chruch constitutes the bride. The Jews would have been well versed in the Covenant of Abraham and would have easily seen the representation of it concering the promised 'seed' of the Covenant, that being the promised Messiah to come.	1^a D&C 128:20; 2^a Mark 9:2 (2-13); Luke 9:29 (28-36); John 1:14; 2 Pet. 1:16 (16-19); TG Jesus Christ, Glory of;
4 Again, 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. 5 But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise: 6 And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them. 7 But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.		1^a D&C 128:20; 2^a Mark 9:2 (2-13); Luke 9:29 (28-36); John 1:14; 2 Pet. 1:16 (16-19); TG Jesus Christ, Glory of;
8 Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. 9 Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage. 10 So those servants went out into the highways, and ^agathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests.		1^a D&C 128:20; 2^a Mark 9:2 (2-13); Luke 9:29 (28-36); John 1:14; 2 Pet. 1:16 (16-19); TG Jesus Christ, Glory of;
11 ¶ And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding ^agarment: 12 And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. 13 Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into ^aouter darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 14 For many are ^acalled, but few are ^bchosen.
15 ¶ Then went the Pharisees, and took counsel how they might ^aentangle him in his talk. 16 And 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, ^aneither carest thou for any man: for thou ^bregardest not the person of men. 17 Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it ^alawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not? 18 But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why ^atempt ye me, ye hypocrites? 19 Shew me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a penny. 20 And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? 21 They say unto him, Caesar's. Then saith he unto them, ^aRender therefore unto ^bCaesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's. 22 When they had heard these words, they marvelled, and left him, and went their way.
23 ¶ The same day came to him the ^aSadducees, which say that there is no resurrection, and asked him, 24 Saying, Master, Moses said, If a man die, having no children, his ^abrother shall ^bmarry his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother. 25 Now 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: 26 Likewise the second also, and the third, unto the seventh. 27 And last of all the woman died also. 28 Therefore in the resurrection whose wife shall she be of the seven? for they all had her.
29 Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the ^ascriptures, nor the ^bpower of God. 30 For in the ^aresurrection they neither ^bmarry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the ^cangels of God in heaven. 31 But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying, 32 I am the ^aGod of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living. 33 And when the multitude heard this, they were astonished at his doctrine.
34 ¶ But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together. 35 Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, ^atempting him, and saying, 36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law? 37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt ^alove the Lord thy God with all thy ^bheart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy ^cmind. 38 This is the first and great ^acommandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt ^alove thy neighbour as thyself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the ^alaw and the prophets.
41 ¶ While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, 42 Saying, What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The Son of ^aDavid. 43 He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying, 44 The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool? 45 If David then call him Lord, how is he his son? 46 And no man was able to answer him a word, neither ^adurst any man from that day forth ask him any more questions.