Notes for BSF
WE ARE MADE IN THE IMAGE OF GOD (Matthew 22:15-22)
In another attempt to trap Jesus, the Pharisees threw another trick question to Jesus.
Matthew 22:17
Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?
Taxes was collected for Cesar. The taxes were a great deal of stress for the poor; it unreasonably demanded the poor to continue to give all their earnings to the government. The rich, on the other hand, enjoyed the riches they gained from taxing all the people. Worse, fellow Israelites (including the Pharisees) nurtured political relationships with the Romans through taxation so that they could gain riches on the suffering of their own.
If Jesus had agreed that it was right to pay taxes, He would basically condone continued economical oppression of the poor. However, if Jesus rejected the payment of taxes, He would have openly rebelled against the Roman government, giving the Pharisees the perfect political reason to reject and condemn Jesus.
As always, Jesus knew what they were up to, and his response rose a level above theirs.
Matthew 22:21
Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.
The coins were made in Caesar's image, and so, Jesus told us to give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar. This was exactly what the Pharisees wanted to hear. However, Jesus added, we are made in God's image, and so, give to God what belongs to God. That is, our souls belong to God. This ought to greatly shame the Pharisees, who prided themselves in being the most devout and authoritative figures on God. If their souls truly belonged to God, they wouldn't be taking advantage of their own kind by striking political deals with the Roman government. They wouldn't feed on the poor; instead, they would take great care of the poor.
In one sentence, Jesus admonished the Pharisees. Jesus came not for the money, not for the worldly possessions. Jesus came for us, to cleanse and save our souls.
GOD IS THE GOD OF LIVING (Matthew 22:23-33)
If Jesus had agreed that it was right to pay taxes, He would basically condone continued economical oppression of the poor. However, if Jesus rejected the payment of taxes, He would have openly rebelled against the Roman government, giving the Pharisees the perfect political reason to reject and condemn Jesus.
As always, Jesus knew what they were up to, and his response rose a level above theirs.
Matthew 22:21
Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.
The coins were made in Caesar's image, and so, Jesus told us to give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar. This was exactly what the Pharisees wanted to hear. However, Jesus added, we are made in God's image, and so, give to God what belongs to God. That is, our souls belong to God. This ought to greatly shame the Pharisees, who prided themselves in being the most devout and authoritative figures on God. If their souls truly belonged to God, they wouldn't be taking advantage of their own kind by striking political deals with the Roman government. They wouldn't feed on the poor; instead, they would take great care of the poor.
In one sentence, Jesus admonished the Pharisees. Jesus came not for the money, not for the worldly possessions. Jesus came for us, to cleanse and save our souls.
GOD IS THE GOD OF LIVING (Matthew 22:23-33)
In the attempt to discredit Jesus, the Sadducees tried to trap Jesus in the issue of resurrection.
Matthew 22:29
You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God.
When we make assumptions not based on facts or knowledge, we risk reaching erroneous conclusions. The Sadducees here made this mistake. They assumed there was no resurrection, despite the Scripture making it clear that there is. And because they did not base their assumptions on learned facts, they reached the wrong conclusions -- Worse, they used those conclusions as self-righteous rationale to justify their actions. This was why Jesus admonished them, that they thought they knew what they were talking about when in fact they didn't. God is the God of the living, not of the dead. If we wish to understand complicated issues, we must first take the time to learn the basics.
Matthew 22:29
You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God.
When we make assumptions not based on facts or knowledge, we risk reaching erroneous conclusions. The Sadducees here made this mistake. They assumed there was no resurrection, despite the Scripture making it clear that there is. And because they did not base their assumptions on learned facts, they reached the wrong conclusions -- Worse, they used those conclusions as self-righteous rationale to justify their actions. This was why Jesus admonished them, that they thought they knew what they were talking about when in fact they didn't. God is the God of the living, not of the dead. If we wish to understand complicated issues, we must first take the time to learn the basics.
LOVE GOD WITH ALL OUR SOUL (Matthew 22:34-40)
Jesus teaches us that the most important commandment to keep is to love God with all our soul. He followed it up with a second most important commandment, and that is to love our neighbors as ourselves. Clearly, either case, it all surrounds love.
When we learn how to love God with all our mind, heart, and soul, we would naturally be able to follow the second commandment -- and in fact, gain deeper understanding and appreciation for God's plan and purpose in our lives. Prior to understanding God's love, we would, for example, look at the Laws of Moses and think of them as binding regulations that suffocate our freedom. However, once we understand God's love, we will look at the same laws and comprehend how they are the most logical actions that derive from love.
When we learn how to love God with all our mind, heart, and soul, we would naturally be able to follow the second commandment -- and in fact, gain deeper understanding and appreciation for God's plan and purpose in our lives. Prior to understanding God's love, we would, for example, look at the Laws of Moses and think of them as binding regulations that suffocate our freedom. However, once we understand God's love, we will look at the same laws and comprehend how they are the most logical actions that derive from love.
Many people have differing opinions about God of the Old Testament versus God of the New Testament. While scholars debate, my two cents is that God is love. Since the beginning, God has loved us, even when we may not be the best of all people (Deuteronomy 7:6-11). He continues to loves us and therefore provides for us and protects us – and He most certainly will always deliver on His promises.
JESUS IS A DESCENDANT OF DAVID (Matthew 22:41-23:12)
The Messiah was prophesied to be born of the line of David – which means David, in human age, would be
older, maybe wiser and greater, than the Messiah. This was the thought process of the religious leaders. However, David calls the Messiah, “Lord,” showing that David was in fact ranks below his own descendant. Jesus asked the religious leaders to explain this, and they couldn't.
In the Greek (the original language that the Book of Matthew was written in), a punctuation mark differentiated the nuance of "my lord" and "the lord." The religious leaders tripped on this distinction and could therefore not work out how the Messiah could be a descendant of David and still be David's lord.
I find it interesting that the religious leaders faltered on this understanding. In the previous passage, Jesus stressed that the most important thing to accomplish, if we cannot do anything else, is to love. Love God, love others. LOVE. David called the Messiah THE Lord, because the Messiah is God. David also called the Messiah "my Lord," because he LOVED God -- that was an affectionate term to not just recognized the Messiah as God but that the Messiah was a personable God, one who has a deep and intimate relationship with him. The religious leaders could understand this concept (even though it may appear simple even to some of us). And why not? Could it be because they shared no such love for God? Could it be because they knew not God's love and thus remained blind to the Messiah that came for them and nailed Him to the Cross?
WOE TO THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS (Matthew 23)
These last two chapters show how religious leaders back then had no real interest in loving God or doing God's will -- They were so bad, Jesus condemned them publicly. The religious leaders were powered by their hunger for power and fame, and they used religion as a tool to help them achieve their own selfish goals. God became man so that we may all live. God became man because He loves us and has provided us a way to live in eternity with Him. This has always been the purpose since day one, but unfortunately, religious leaders -- back then and today -- exploit it for their own purposes.
Obviously, not all religious leaders are bad. However, as we seek guidance from such leaders, it helps to remember lessons from these passages:
1) Man is flawed
I am sure everyone who chose the path of ministry started with good intentions. However, somewhere along the way, selfish desires took over and led them down a different path. No one is perfect, other than Jesus. This is why we do not place our trust in anyone other than Jesus -- and why we therefore measure everyone's words against the Bible, the Word of God. We should never just take a pastor's sermon for granted. We should always double check the facts against the Bible. Pastors can be wrong. No one, other than Jesus, is above mistakes. No one is above sinning.
2) God is love
I find it especially important to remember this whenever major disputes break out within the Church. Jesus has made it pretty clear what it takes to follow God -- Love God, love others. It's all about love. Any time we allow ourselves to bicker among each other, from theological debates (such as when the Rapture will take place) to practical living (such as are abortions okay), we simply are not in God's love. I am not saying we should just all let go of our differences and hug it out. I am saying that on the subjects that the Bible has not spelled out (such as when the Rapture will take place), be accepting of speculations; and on the subjects that the Bible is very clear on (such as homosexuality is a sin), we need to approach sensitive topics with love. We want to guide and support each other in truth AND in love. If all we are doing is thumping the truth over people's heads and end up driving everyone away, what good have we done? Be in God's love, always.
In the Greek (the original language that the Book of Matthew was written in), a punctuation mark differentiated the nuance of "my lord" and "the lord." The religious leaders tripped on this distinction and could therefore not work out how the Messiah could be a descendant of David and still be David's lord.
I find it interesting that the religious leaders faltered on this understanding. In the previous passage, Jesus stressed that the most important thing to accomplish, if we cannot do anything else, is to love. Love God, love others. LOVE. David called the Messiah THE Lord, because the Messiah is God. David also called the Messiah "my Lord," because he LOVED God -- that was an affectionate term to not just recognized the Messiah as God but that the Messiah was a personable God, one who has a deep and intimate relationship with him. The religious leaders could understand this concept (even though it may appear simple even to some of us). And why not? Could it be because they shared no such love for God? Could it be because they knew not God's love and thus remained blind to the Messiah that came for them and nailed Him to the Cross?
WOE TO THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS (Matthew 23)
These last two chapters show how religious leaders back then had no real interest in loving God or doing God's will -- They were so bad, Jesus condemned them publicly. The religious leaders were powered by their hunger for power and fame, and they used religion as a tool to help them achieve their own selfish goals. God became man so that we may all live. God became man because He loves us and has provided us a way to live in eternity with Him. This has always been the purpose since day one, but unfortunately, religious leaders -- back then and today -- exploit it for their own purposes.
Obviously, not all religious leaders are bad. However, as we seek guidance from such leaders, it helps to remember lessons from these passages:
1) Man is flawed
I am sure everyone who chose the path of ministry started with good intentions. However, somewhere along the way, selfish desires took over and led them down a different path. No one is perfect, other than Jesus. This is why we do not place our trust in anyone other than Jesus -- and why we therefore measure everyone's words against the Bible, the Word of God. We should never just take a pastor's sermon for granted. We should always double check the facts against the Bible. Pastors can be wrong. No one, other than Jesus, is above mistakes. No one is above sinning.
2) God is love
I find it especially important to remember this whenever major disputes break out within the Church. Jesus has made it pretty clear what it takes to follow God -- Love God, love others. It's all about love. Any time we allow ourselves to bicker among each other, from theological debates (such as when the Rapture will take place) to practical living (such as are abortions okay), we simply are not in God's love. I am not saying we should just all let go of our differences and hug it out. I am saying that on the subjects that the Bible has not spelled out (such as when the Rapture will take place), be accepting of speculations; and on the subjects that the Bible is very clear on (such as homosexuality is a sin), we need to approach sensitive topics with love. We want to guide and support each other in truth AND in love. If all we are doing is thumping the truth over people's heads and end up driving everyone away, what good have we done? Be in God's love, always.
Woes of the religious leaders (Matthew 23:1-36)
1. They shut up the kingdom of heaven against men
We should, instead, first secure our own eternal life in Jesus, and then, bring that truth to our friends and family so that they too may secure their eternal life in Jesus. Woe to us if we ever become the stumbling block in others' path to Christ!
2. The devoured widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers
We should, instead, do good because it is in our heart to do good. Do good because we have the love of God flowing within us. Do good because we know the good that we do glorifies God.
3. They worked hard to win a soul, only to turn that soul into twice as much a son of hell as themselves
These are some serious and heavy condemnations that Jesus laid on the religious leaders. From Jesus' standpoint, the religious leaders only appear to be doing good works. Unfortunately, at the end of the day, the work is corrupted, sinking them further in sin. Spread the Gospel to bring people to God. We are not to manipulate God’s Word for our own selfish purposes. We are not to manipulate God’s Word so that others would follow us. This was what the religious leaders did. They used God’s Words for their own personal gain. We must be careful that we do not fall into that same trap. When we spread the Gospel, we bring others to the glory of God. We do NOT bring others to our own glory.
These are some serious and heavy condemnations that Jesus laid on the religious leaders. From Jesus' standpoint, the religious leaders only appear to be doing good works. Unfortunately, at the end of the day, the work is corrupted, sinking them further in sin. Spread the Gospel to bring people to God. We are not to manipulate God’s Word for our own selfish purposes. We are not to manipulate God’s Word so that others would follow us. This was what the religious leaders did. They used God’s Words for their own personal gain. We must be careful that we do not fall into that same trap. When we spread the Gospel, we bring others to the glory of God. We do NOT bring others to our own glory.
4. They were spiritually blind, seeing only the materialistic
Do not place our faith in meaningless objects. Gold (or money or stocks or houses or etc.) may appear to be extremely valuable, but it is only valuable when the society as a whole defines it as valuable. If the society one day decides gold has no value, we can have a ton of gold, and it wouldn’t buy us a piece of bread. God, however, sanctifies all things. Even the most worthless of all things, if sanctified by God, becomes the most precious object in the world. Case in point, us. This is what He has done for us. As sinners, we are of no value. However, because we are now sanctified in His name, we are His precious heirs. Put our faith in God, the Creator of all things.
5. They focused on works, not the love of God
Do not follow traditions just for the sake of following traditions or out of superstition. The heart of God is to love all people. It is not about fulfilling duties or accomplishing tasks. We should focus on spreading God’s love – in justice, in mercy, in faith. When we focus on God’s love, what we need to do under certain circumstances becomes very clear. Worshiping God is never about fulfilling tasks. It is always about being in the presence of God’s love and then spreading that love out. Tithing, for example, is never about money. It's always been about what we willing give in the name of the Lord.
Do not follow traditions just for the sake of following traditions or out of superstition. The heart of God is to love all people. It is not about fulfilling duties or accomplishing tasks. We should focus on spreading God’s love – in justice, in mercy, in faith. When we focus on God’s love, what we need to do under certain circumstances becomes very clear. Worshiping God is never about fulfilling tasks. It is always about being in the presence of God’s love and then spreading that love out. Tithing, for example, is never about money. It's always been about what we willing give in the name of the Lord.
6. They focused on purity of their external but failed to recognize the corruption of their own heart
We should, instead, focus on our insides, on righting our heart with God. When our mind, body, and soul are devoted to God, our actions will naturally reflect our true relationship with God. If we’re rotten on the inside, then it doesn’t matter how much we clean ourselves up on the outside. We would still be corrupted.
We should, instead, focus on our insides, on righting our heart with God. When our mind, body, and soul are devoted to God, our actions will naturally reflect our true relationship with God. If we’re rotten on the inside, then it doesn’t matter how much we clean ourselves up on the outside. We would still be corrupted.
7. They were self-righteous, thinking they would never commit the sins of their fathers
Ironically, they committed exactly the same sins of their fathers! We should, instead, reflect humbly. Do not blame others for our own sins, and do not ignore the sins in our own lives. Each one of us make our own decisions. Sure, our actions may be influenced by others, by our environment – but, at the end of the day, we still make the choices we make ourselves. Nobody forced us to walk this way or to choose this lifestyle. We did. It is extremely arrogant and irresponsible to blame others for the life choices we have made. We need to face the fact that we are ultimately responsible for all the choices we have made, and if we know some of them to be wrong, we need to stand before God and repent. Repentance is the first step toward being cleansed by God! If we refuse to take full responsibility for our sinful actions, we resist God’s cleansing. And if we resist cleansing, how can we ever become clean?
Israel will one day pray for the return of the Lord (Matthew 23:37-39; cf. Zechariah 12:10, Romans 11:26-27, Philippians 2:9-11)
The Israelites will remain blind, as a nation, to the arrival of the Messiah until the end of days. Indeed, Israel as a nation today continues to reject Jesus as their Messiah. However, as the End of Days approaches, the environment will become so anti-Semitic, the Israelites, as a nation, will pray and look to the Messiah, praying desperately for His coming, allowing their corporate blindness be lifted. This will then bring forth the 2nd Coming of Christ.
Despite the cliche, it is really all about love
Until we understand how great God's love is for us, we will not fully understand the work He has done to redeem us, we will not be able to let go of our pride, and we will not be able to effectively do His work.Jesus summed up Christianity in two commandments: 1) Love God; 2) love our neighbors as ourselves.
The above sounds like a simple summary, but it is quite difficult to follow faithfully. If it were easy, all of us would be perfect and amazing! As we continue our walk with Jesus, we must keep these two commandments close to our hearts. We must continue to try and understand just what it means to love God with ALL of our heart -- and then, what it means to love our neighbors as ourselves. As long as we remain focused on these two commandments, we will not fall far from walking firmly with Jesus.
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