Matthew 22: The King and His Law (3)

Pray Psalm 19.12-14.
Who can understand his errors?
Cleanse me from secret faults.
Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins;
Let them not have dominion over me.
Then I shall be blameless,
And I shall be innocent of great transgression.
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight,
O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer.

Sing Psalm 19.12-14.
(St. Christopher: Beneath the Cross of Jesus)
Who, Lord, can know his errors? O keep sin far from me!
Let evil rule not in my soul that I may blameless be.
O let my thoughts, let all my words, before Your glorious sight
Be pleasing to You, gracious Lord, acceptable and right!

Read Matthew 22.1-29; meditate on verses 23-29.

Prepare.
1. What challenge did the Sadducees put to Jesus?

2. How did Jesus begin to respond?

Meditate.
This passage is high on my list of favorite Scriptures. It is fraught with irony, humor, sound reason, and unsoftened rebuke. It’s Jesus at His best, when dealing with His adversaries.

The Sadducees, who had a pick-and-choose approach to Scripture (v. 23), came to Jesus to try to trip Him up on what they posited as a Scriptural question. They were convinced that, in trying to answer their little mind game, Jesus would end up looking foolish, and their views about the resurrection would be vindicated.

But foolish is as foolish does, and the Sadducees showed the folly of their views by displaying their ignorance of God’s Word.

The Sadducees posed their challenge as a matter of interpretation. Given Moses’ teaching in Deuteronomy 25.5, and considering the case they outlined here, how does that work out in heaven? Whose wife of the seven brothers will she be?

Here’s their point: The Sadducees didn’t believe in the resurrection, and they were trying to use the Bible to show that the idea is absurd, since, if there was really a heaven, then the brothers and their wife would have to break the Law, and, well, so much for the idea of heaven. Jesus will set them straight, however, as we shall see in our next installment.

For now, He was simply blunt. He told them two things, which we need to take to heart: “You’re wrong.” “You don’t know the Scriptures or the power of God.” From this it follows that the best way to be wrong about a great many things, and to end up looking like a fool in the Presence of God, is to be ignorant of the Scriptures.

The Sadducees knew what they wanted to know about Scripture, and it was enough to establish them in a role of public prominence. They failed to take seriously the whole counsel of God in His Word; and when the Word they sought to manipulate for their own ends showed Himself to be the Word Who does not suffer fools lightly, they showed themselves for the fools they really were.

Reflect.
1. How can you avoid having a pick-and-choose approach to Scripture?

2. Why was Jesus’ response to the Sadducees appropriate?

3. How would you counsel a new believer to make good use of the Bible in following Jesus?

On account of these things, they erred since they did not know the Scriptures. Because they were ignorant of the Scriptures, they denied the power of God, that is, Christ, who is the power of God and the wisdom of God. Jerome (347-420), Commentary on Matthew 3.22.29

Help me, Lord, to stand firm in Your Word today as I…

Pray Psalm 19.1-11.
Thank God for His Word and for His revelation in creation. Commit yourself to Him, to follow His leading throughout the day.

Sing Psalm 19.1-11.
Psalm 19.1-11 (St. Christopher: Beneath the Cross of Jesus)
The heav’ns declare God’s glory, the skies His work proclaim!
From day to day and night by night they shout His glorious Name!
No speech, no words, no voice is heard, yet all across the earth,
the lines of His all-present Word make known His holy worth.

Behold, the sun arises, a bridegroom strong and bright,
rejoicing as he runs his course from morning unto night.
From east to west across the skies his circuit he completes,
and none can hide his sinful eyes or shelter from his heat.

The Law of God is perfect, His testimony sure;
the simple man God’s wisdom learns, the soul receives its cure.
God’s Word is right, and His command is pure, and truth imparts;
He makes our eyes to understand; with joy He fills our hearts.

The fear of God is cleansing, forever shall it last.
His judgments all are true and just, by righteousness held fast.
O seek them more than gold most fine, than honey find them sweet;
be warned by every word and line; be blessed with joy complete.

T. M. Moore

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Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. All quotations from Church Fathers from Ancient Christian Commentary Series, General Editor Thomas C. Oden (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2006). All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter (available by clicking here).