![]() The Pharisees and Herodians are brought together, in this instance, by their opposition to Jesus. That puts them in conflict with the Pharisees, whose relationship with Herod is less comfortable and who share the general resentment against the tax. Their name implies that they support King Herod and his alliance with the Romans. They are mentioned only here and in Mark 3:6 and 12:13-and nowhere in secular literature. It is a good tactical move on the part of the Pharisees, but cowardly. If they fail to get the best of Jesus-not likely given their excellent question-the Pharisees will not be personally embarrassed. If these disciples-amateurs-can get the best of Jesus, their junior status will enhance their victory. The Pharisees send their disciples to question Jesus. We can imagine them raising, refining, and discarding questions until they find one for which there is no answer. They know Jesus to be a formidable opponent, and want to avoid an unsuccessful confrontation. “ Then the Pharisees went and took counsel how they might entrap him in his talk” (v. 17 Tell us therefore, what do you think? Is it lawful to pay (Greek: doumai-to give) taxes to Caesar (Greek: Kaisari-Caesar), or not?” 16 They sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are honest (Greek: alethes-true, honest), and teach the way of God in truth, no matter whom you teach, for you aren’t partial (Greek: ou gar blepeis eis prosopon anthropon-you do not look into the face of men) to anyone. IS IT LAWFUL TO PAY TAXES TO CAESAR?ġ5 Then the Pharisees went and took counsel how they might entrap him in his talk. It calls us to review and to renew our commitment to God. While this text can be helpful in that regard, its main point has to do with people who claim religious authority but who do not obey God-people whom Jesus identifies as hypocrites (22:18). Which is the greatest commandment?Īfter Jesus deals with these three questions, he will denounce the scribes and Pharisees (23:1-36).Ĭhristians have sometimes turned to 22:1-14 to address issues of church and state. Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not? Our Gospel lesson is the first of three questions with which the Jewish leadership attempts to discredit Jesus. Their goal is to destroy Jesus’ influence, either by discrediting him in the presence of the crowds or by causing him to make a misstep that will get him in trouble with the Romans. ![]() Now the Pharisees resume their counter-attack, begun in 21:23-27. ![]() They tested him to no avail in 16:1 and 19:3. Pharisees have been conspiring to destroy Jesus since Matthew 12:14. After the first two parables, “the chief priests and the Pharisees… realized that he was speaking about them, and “when they sought to seize him, they feared the multitudes” (21:45-46). The chief priests and elders responded by challenging his authority (21:23-27), and he responded with a series of parables that continued his attack (21:28-32 21:33-46 22:1-14). He cleansed the temple (21:12-17) and cursed the unproductive fig tree (21:18-22). THE CONTEXTĪfter his triumphal entry into Jerusalem (21:1-11), Jesus attacked those for whom religion was a vested interest. (Bible study) Matthew 22:15-22 EXEGESIS: MATTHEW 21-23.
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