RSV ~ Matthew 22 Notes
Mt 22:1-14 | ISB Notes
The parable of the Marriage Feast is an allegory of salvation history culminating in Jesus. The king is God (22:2) who prepares a heavenly banquet for his son (22:2). The servants are OT prophets (22:3) called to summon Israel (22:3). Because some of the invited guests ignored the prophets and others killed them (22:6; 23:37), God will destroy their city, Jerusalem (22:7), and send other servants as apostles (22:8) to invite Gentiles, bad and good (22:10), to the celebration. Those lacking proper attire are cast into the darkness of eternal punishment (22:14). The parable highlights Godās impartial treatment of all who are calledāJews and Gentiles. He rewards and punishes on the basis of oneās acceptance or rejection of his call (cf.Ā Rom 2:6-11) (CCC 546, 796).
Mt 22:2 | ISB Notes
marriage feast: An image of rejoicing and communion with God.
ā¢ The background is probably Is 25:6-9, where the salvation of Godās people is portrayed as a joyful banquet.
Its fulfillment takes shape at two levels: (1) Present Liturgical. The Holy Eucharist is Christās banquet of sacramental food and drink (cf.Ā Jn 6:53-58; 1 Cor 10:16; Rev 19:9). (2) Future Eschatological. Ultimate communion with Christ takes place in heaven with the unending union of God and his saints.
Mt 22:11 | ISB Notes
no wedding garment: A symbol of righteous deeds that accompany faith (Rev 19:7-8). These deeds are outlined in Matthew as almsgiving (6:2-4), prayer (6:5-15), fasting (6:16-18), and works of mercy (25:34-40).
Mt 22:15-22 | ISB Notes
The collaboration of the Pharisees and Herodiansā representing opposite political viewsāreveals the extreme measures taken to eliminate Jesus (cf.Ā 12:14; 26:4). Their strategy was to trap him: if Jesus opposed the tax, the Herodians could charge him with treason for instigating a tax revolt against Rome. If Jesus approved of it, the Pharisees would charge him as unfaithful to Judaism and its hopes of national independence.
Mt 22:16 | ISB Notes
their disciples: Jewish nationalists opposed to Romeās occupation and rule over Palestine.
See topical essay: Who Are the Pharisees? at Mk 2.
Herodians: Supporters of Roman rule, sympathetic to the Herodian dynasty. See notes on Mt 2:1 and 2:22.
Mt 22:19 | ISB Notes
a coin: A ādenariusā stamped with a profile portrait of Tiberius Caesar, the Roman Emperor (A.D. 14-37). This tax was especially offensive to the Jews, who knew that God forbade the fashioning of graven images in the likeness of any created thing (Ex 20:4).
Mt 22:21 | ISB Notes
Caesarās ā¦ Godās: Jesus evades the intended trap (22:17) with a subtle and riddle-like response. His words have several implications. (1) At one level, Jesus plays on the word ālikenessā (literally, āimageā). Caesarās coins could be given back to him in taxes without religious compromise; after all, he minted the coins with his own image and they were his rightful property. (2) More important, everyone has the duty of giving himselfācreated in the āimageā of God (Gen 1:27)āback to God. Jesus implies that this higher duty is incumbent even upon Caesar. (3) Jesusā response turns his adversariesā trap back on themselves. He hints that taxation is the result of their own sinsāhad Israel been giving God his due, they would not have been subjected to the yoke of Roman rule. (4) In the end, Jesus affirms the propriety of fulfilling civil duties while emphasizing our primary duty of serving God (cf.Ā Rom 13:1-7; 1 Pet 2:1317; CCC 2242).
Mt 22:23 | ISB Notes
Sadducees: Priestly aristocrats centered mostly in Jerusalem.
See topical essay: Who Are the Sadducees? at Mk 12.
there is no resurrection: A denial at odds with mainstream Judaism (cf.Ā Acts 23:8). Their apparent acceptance of the doctrine in 22:28 is only a facade; they hope to stump Jesus with an unanswerable question.
Mt 22:24 | ISB Notes
If a man dies: A hypothetical scenario based on the levirate law of Deut 25:5-6. If a married man dies childless, this law requires one of his brothers to marry the widow and so produce offspring for his brother (cf.Ā Gen 38:6-8). The seven husbands mentioned (22:26) may allude to the situation in Tob 7:11.
Mt 22:30 | ISB Notes
like angels: Against the Sadducees, Jesus affirms the resurrection (cf.Ā Jn 5:28-29). The event will signal the end of earthly marriage and its purposes (1)to beget children and (2) help spouses advance toward holiness. Life in heaven will no longer require populating the Church and sanctifying spouses. Rather, the righteous will live as angels, who beget no offspring and worship God continually (cf.Ā Is 6:2-3; Rev 5:11, 12).
Mt 22:32 | ISB Notes
Abraham ā¦ Isaac ā¦ Jacob: The Sadducees lack faith in Godās power and thus misinterpret Scripture. At another level, Jesusā controversy with the Sadducees may also involve the canon of the Bible. The Sadducees accepted only the five books of Moses (Gen-Deut) as Sacred Scripture and rejected the full authority of the OT prophets. Jesus appears aware of this, since he could have cited several passages from the prophets that speak clearly of the resurrection (Is 26:19; Ezek 37:1-14; Dan 12:2). Instead, he tailors his response to the Sadducees by strategically citing one of the books of Moses (Ex 3:6).
ā¢ In context, God revealed himself to Moses in the burning bush as the God of the long-deceased patriarchs (Ex 3:1-6).
Jesus draws two conclusions from the text: (1) Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are still alive with God; (2) their ongoing presence with God is the decisive precondition for their resurrection in the future (CCC 581).
Mt 22:40 | ISB Notes
these two commandments: The 613 commands of the Mosaic Law are distilled into two prescriptions: love God (Deut 6:5) and your neighbor (Lev 19:18). These summarize the spirit of the entire OT (law and the prophets). According also to Paul, love is the greatest theological virtue (1 Cor 13:13) and fulfills Godās moral Law (Rom 13:8-10; CCC 182224).
Mt 22:45 | ISB Notes
calls him Lord: Jesusā question concerns the meaning of Ps 110:1. The Pharisees (22:42) assume it mentions the Messiah, but their understanding of the verse is partial and inadequate.
ā¢ Psalm 110 is an enthronement psalm that was probably used at coronation ceremonies for Davidic kings. In context, David addresses his son as āmy Lordā (22:44), a title more appropriate for oneās superior. This implies that the expected Messiah would be greater than David himself, a crucial point missed by the Pharisees (cf.Ā Acts 2:34-36). As Messiah, Jesus is the son of David (1:1) and yet greater than David as the Son of God (3:17; 16:16; 17:5) (CCC 439, 447). See note on Mt 1:17.