On Line Bible Study - For the week September 8 - 14, 2008
Matthew 22:34-46 34 Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. 35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question:
36 "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" 37 Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."
41 While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, 42 "What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?"
"The son of David," they replied.
43 He said to them, "How is it then that David, speaking by the Spirit, calls him 'Lord'? For he says,
44 " 'The Lord said to my Lord:
"Sit at my right hand
until I put your enemies
under your feet." ' 45 If then David calls him 'Lord,' how can he be his son?" 46 No one could say a word in reply, and from that day on no one dared to ask him any more questions.
Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.
The "Great Commandments" - one having to do with piety, the other having to do with virtue (Nolland). Is one possible without the other? Authentic love for God has to play itself out as authentic love for others. Love for God keeps our actions pure - not for self-gain, but because of God's amazing grace - that's why we love. And love for neighbor keeps our religion relevant. Ask any mom who is changing diapers, any spouse who is sacrificing for the other - "love of neighbor" is not always easy, but it's what keeps our spirituality honest.
The tests have come fast and furious in this chapter. Is it lawful to pay taxes? Is there a resurrection? What is the greatest commandment? One after another these questions have come at Jesus, and they with the explicit intent in the case of the taxes and greatest commandment to test - read trap - Jesus.
The chapter will conclude with still another question - this one coming from Jesus - Whose son is the Christ?
It may be that Jesus is looking to open the eyes of the Pharisees on two fronts:
1. Whose "son" is the Christ? David's is the kingdom to be emulated by the Messiah, and this "anointed one" is referred to as the "Son of David". But, given the quote from Psalm 110:1 - The Lord says to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand . . .", with the assumption that David is the author of the Psalm, and given the common interpretation of "lord" in messianic terms, "Christ" must be ever so much more than David's son.
2. The messianic project must be ever so much other than a reconstitution of the Davidic kingdom. More than just subjecting Israel's enemies, there has to be something else going on. And indeed there is!
The New Testament will understand the ministry of Jesus as reaching far beyond the boundaries of Israel. This is a "project" that has cosmic - and eternal - implications. The Pharisees were not at all turned on to this fact; and neither were the disciples - not yet.
The Gospel of Matthew is becoming more intense, more pointed - moving now with greater focus on the what he believes to be the purpose for Jesus' having come. There will be no more face-off's with the Pharisees until Jesus is arrested. They will work their schemes behind the scenes from here on. But Jesus is not finished with them. Chapter 23 is first a warning against the Pharisees, and then a scathing condemnation of them. We will cover the entire chapter in our next lesson.
36 "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" 37 Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."
41 While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, 42 "What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?"
"The son of David," they replied.
43 He said to them, "How is it then that David, speaking by the Spirit, calls him 'Lord'? For he says,
44 " 'The Lord said to my Lord:
"Sit at my right hand
until I put your enemies
under your feet." ' 45 If then David calls him 'Lord,' how can he be his son?" 46 No one could say a word in reply, and from that day on no one dared to ask him any more questions.
Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.
The "Great Commandments" - one having to do with piety, the other having to do with virtue (Nolland). Is one possible without the other? Authentic love for God has to play itself out as authentic love for others. Love for God keeps our actions pure - not for self-gain, but because of God's amazing grace - that's why we love. And love for neighbor keeps our religion relevant. Ask any mom who is changing diapers, any spouse who is sacrificing for the other - "love of neighbor" is not always easy, but it's what keeps our spirituality honest.
The tests have come fast and furious in this chapter. Is it lawful to pay taxes? Is there a resurrection? What is the greatest commandment? One after another these questions have come at Jesus, and they with the explicit intent in the case of the taxes and greatest commandment to test - read trap - Jesus.
The chapter will conclude with still another question - this one coming from Jesus - Whose son is the Christ?
It may be that Jesus is looking to open the eyes of the Pharisees on two fronts:
1. Whose "son" is the Christ? David's is the kingdom to be emulated by the Messiah, and this "anointed one" is referred to as the "Son of David". But, given the quote from Psalm 110:1 - The Lord says to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand . . .", with the assumption that David is the author of the Psalm, and given the common interpretation of "lord" in messianic terms, "Christ" must be ever so much more than David's son.
2. The messianic project must be ever so much other than a reconstitution of the Davidic kingdom. More than just subjecting Israel's enemies, there has to be something else going on. And indeed there is!
The New Testament will understand the ministry of Jesus as reaching far beyond the boundaries of Israel. This is a "project" that has cosmic - and eternal - implications. The Pharisees were not at all turned on to this fact; and neither were the disciples - not yet.
The Gospel of Matthew is becoming more intense, more pointed - moving now with greater focus on the what he believes to be the purpose for Jesus' having come. There will be no more face-off's with the Pharisees until Jesus is arrested. They will work their schemes behind the scenes from here on. But Jesus is not finished with them. Chapter 23 is first a warning against the Pharisees, and then a scathing condemnation of them. We will cover the entire chapter in our next lesson.
posted by Mark D at 8:17 AM
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