Matthew 22:15-22 - Caesar's

Instead of responding with repentance, the Pharisees responded with further plots to try and trap Jesus. This is a futile response, but we can be little better at times. When the Holy Spirit convicts us of something we usually respond initially by trying to excuse ourselves in some way or other. It is far easier just to repent! It saves a lot of time and bother.

This time they begin with flattery. We too sometimes think that by using the right words we will "get round" God. Look, God sees right into our hearts and knows all our motives, better than we do ourselves. Then they ask Him about paying taxes to the Romans. Now the Jews hated the Roman occupation, so if He said they should pay the tax, He would anger the people. If He said they should not, the Romans would come down on Him like a ton of bricks for usurping their authority.

Jesus knew exactly what their game was. So He points them to the image on the coin, and utters the well known words, "render unto Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's". There are various ways we can look at this. First we need to have proper respect for human authority, and at the same time respect for God's ways. Secondly, maybe there is a reference to Genesis 1 where it says we are made in God's image. We belong to God, we have responsibility to Him. The Pharisees were neglecting this responsibility.

The Pharisees were dumbfounded at Jesus' reply.

Matthew 22:1-14 - Come one, come all

"Jesus told them several other stories to illustrate the Kingdom". It is not explicit who He told them to, whether they are still directed primarily at the religious leaders, or are for the people in general. The nature of the parable would seem to indicate that it the leaders are still the primary target. Whatever the case, the stories illustrate the kingdom of God, ie they illustrate how God's kingdom works, and how it is different from the world's kingdom.

A king had prepared a great feast for his son. So the parable is about the Father and the Son. Jesus is the only way to the Father. The invited guests, despite several attempts, refused to come to the banquet. Just think how different things would have been if the Jews, and the leaders in particular, had accepted Jesus!

So the king did two things. He sent his army to destroy the city. Now this actually happened in AD66-70. In Isaiah we read of Assyria being God's chosen instrument, here the Romans were His chosen instrument.This is a very sobering verse.

Secondly he sent his servants to the highways and byways to invite anyone who would come. This is illustrative of the tax collectors and sinners coming into the kingdom, and of the gospel going out to the Gentiles.

So many people came, but one person is singled out who was not wearing the right clothes. Could this be a reference to Judas?

Matthew 21:33-46 - Here to serve others

Jesus is still addressing the religious leaders here. Earlier on they had asked Him by what authority He was doing and the saying the things He said and did. The truth is that they needed to remind themselves of the authority that they had. 

The parable is well known. A landowner rents his land out to some farmers. When the time came to collect his share of the profits he sent a series of servants, but the tenants beat and killed the servants. Finally he sent his son. The tenants, instead if seeing sense, reasoned that if they killed the son they would be able to keep the land.

The religious leaders knew full well what the landowner would do. Then they realised that Jesus was talking about them. They had been given charge of the temple not to further their own ends, but to serve the Lord and the people. Even knowing the truth, the leaders, instead of repenting, plotted to arrest Jesus, thinking that this would solve the "problem".

All of us need to take heed of this parable. We are all stewards of the things that we have. They are given to us to use to serve the Lord and help others. As I have said before, the authority we have is the authority to serve. We see this clearly in politics, where politicians so often use their power just to keep power, or to feather their own nests. The same pattern happens in all spheres of life, and at all levels.

We are here to serve others.

Matthew 21:28-33 - It is how you finish that counts

There is a common saying "slow obedience is no obedience, is disobedience". Now it is absolutely right that the quicker we obey the better, and here are times when it is imperative that we obey at once without question. However, this parable shows that this is not the whole story.

Two sons are told to go to work in the vineyard. One initially refuses, but then later on does as his father requested. The second said he would go, but then failed to do so.

This is a pattern we often observe in life. When there is a call to do something, initially many will show great enthusiasm, but will actually end up doing very little. Whereas people who seem the most reluctant can end up being the best servants.

This answer is a continuation of Jesus' encounter with the temple authorities. It was a rebuke to them, that although outwardly they seemed to be the obedient ones, they were actually failing to do God's will. Conversely, the prostitutes and tax collectors, people the religious types despised, were responding to the Lord. In fact this is a parable that is analogous to the theology that Paul gives in many of his letters. Those who had the Law gave the impression of being committed to God, but were in fact disobedient. Whereas the Gentile "sinners" were the ones who by believing in Christ were actually the obedient ones.

Matthew 21:23-27 - Questions

The temple authorities were non too pleased about what Jesus was doing, so they sought to undermine His authority. First they wanted to know what authority He had, and who gave it to Him.

As was His practice, Jesus responded by asking them a question. He did this to get to the heart of the matter. So He asked where John's baptism came from, heaven or human origin. Now John had preached repentance, said he was preparing the way for someone greater, and had declared that Jesus was that person.

The temple leaders were in a bind. If they said John's authority came from heaven, then they themselves should have repented, and it meant that they should have believed in Jesus as the one John spoke about. If they said it was purely human, then the people would be against them.

The only way to avoid such dilemmas is to be devoted to God above all, and to be prepared to suffer if necessary. The temple leaders, however, were mere men-pleasers.

So they refused to answer, and Jesus refused to answer them.

Matthew 21:18-22 - Always fruitful

We see more of the supernatural aspect with the cursing of the fig tree. At first this seems a rather capricious act on Jesus' behalf. 

Should the fig tree have bore fruit at this time? The point is that God's people are always meant to produce fruit. Now we should not take this in a condemnatory way. We all go through rough patches when we just don't seem to be getting anywhere. But we should take it in a faith building way. Circumstances, experience, other people, ourselves, will tell us that in various situations it is unreasonable for us to bear fruit, or for good things to happen. We need to reject this. We are citizens of the kingdom of God and are linked in to the power of God. In any and every circumstance it is possible for us to be victorious.

In Romans 8:37 Paul tells us that we are more than conquerors. In Deuteronomy 28:13 it says we are the head and not the tail. Psalm 1:3 says a person who delights in the Lord will always bear fruit. I am not talking about some frothy triumphalism here, but the truth is that we can rise up in all situations. We should always be looking for victory in Christ.

The disciples were amazed at the trees sudden death. Jesus tells them that they should expect to receive answers to prayer. In whatever circumstances we find ourselves just now, we should pray with faith.

Matthew 21:12-17 - Clearing the temple

Jesus enters the temple and clears it. Mark and Luke also record the same incident. John records another temple cleansing incident in John 2:13-17, so Jesus probably cleared the temple twice.

The temple was full of money changers and those selling doves. They were doing this because people came from far and wide, and the traders sold doves so that the worshipers could offer these as a sacrifice. So why did Jesus object to this practice which was there to help them worship God? Well perhaps the trading had become the focus rather than the worship. We need to be very careful that we do not fall into the same trap. 

Immediately after this we see Jesus put into practice the true worship when He heals the sick. The church is to be a supernatural entity. This does not mean we ignore common sense and practicalities, but we should be marked by the presence of God. And when God is present things happen: people are healed, lives are changed.

The children shouted out praise to Jesus when they saw the healings, but the priests were indignant. Jesus quotes from Psalm 8:2. The religious authorities had lost all idea of what worship and life with God was all about.