Matthew 22

A Matter of The Law

/ Tim A. / Leave a comment

But when the Pharisees had heard that He had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together.  Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked Him a question, tempting Him, and saying,  “Master, which is the great commandment in the law?”  Jesus said unto him,
“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.  This is the first and great commandment.  And the second is like unto it, ‘Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.’   On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”
Matthew 22:34-40

Jesus has just silenced the argument of the resurrection.  The Sadducees were non spiritual.  It seems they believed in God in their own weird way, yet did not believe in angels, miracles, and other like things.  They had asked Jesus a question which is absurd anyway, and Jesus answered with “You do err, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God”  (Matthew 22:29).  He pointed out to them that God is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  The God of the living, meaning that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were still alive and God would someday raise them up from their graves.

This lawyer asked Jesus the question, “Master, which is the great commandment in the law?”  Jesus answered using a shorter version of the first four of the Ten Commandments, then told him of the second, and it was a shorter version of the final six of the Ten.

There are some who think that God’s Law no longer matters, however they put themselves in peril, because Jesus warns us in the fifth chapter of Matthew that to teach others to break the law, as well, will be the least in the kingdom of heaven (see Matthew 5:17-20).

For those who believe in Jesus, have trusted Him, and confessed His name these laws have been put into our hearts.  It is the way the Christian, the Christ follower.  With it written in our hearts, to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength; and to love our neighbor as we love ourselves is the way we live.

Why then is their strife in many churches over what carpet we are going to get for the floor?  What are we going to do with our pastor, “He preaches too long”?  One commandment Jesus gave those of us who follow Jesus is this, “Love one another”  (John 13:34; 15:12, 17).  The love Jesus has for His own is beyond human understanding, because He loved us so much that He died a horrible, yet marvelous death on that old cross.

So why should we still need the Law of God?  It is in our hearts to live by it.  It is also needed to remind us that we were unable to live it on our own, and to use the Law so the Holy Spirit draws others to Christ Jesus.

You Shall Be His Witness

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All the commandments which I command thee this day shall ye observe to do, that ye may live, and multiply, and go in and possess the land which the LORD sware unto your fathers.  And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep His commandments, or no.  And He humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that He might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.
Deuteronomy 8:1-3

On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.
Matthew 22:40

And he said, “The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldest know His will, and see that Just One, and shouldest hear the voice of His mouth.  For thou shalt be His witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard…”
Acts 22:14-15

The Wedding is Ready

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And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said,
“The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, and sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come.
Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, ‘Tell them which are bidden, ‘Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage.’ But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise: and the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them. But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.
Then saith he to his servants, ‘The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage.’ So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests. And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: and he saith unto him, ‘Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless.
Then said the king to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
For many are called, but few are chosen.”                                   Matthew 22:1-14

I share with you the writing thoughts of F. B. Meyer…

THE PENALTY OF SLIGHTING THE INVITATION
We have here a continuation of our Lord’s teaching on that last great day in the Temple. This day seems to have begun with Mat_21:23, and it continued to Mat_25:46. What wonder that His strength was prematurely exhausted, and that He succumbed so soon under the anguish of His cross!
In this parable He describes His union with His people under the symbolism of marriage. This must have suggested the allusions of Eph_5:23-32, where the Apostle tells us that Christ loved the Church as His bride; and of Rom_7:1-4, where He encourages us to believe that we may be married to Him who was raised from the dead. We can never forget Rev_21:2; Rev_21:9. Messenger after messenger was sent to the Hebrew people, but as they would not come, the Church was called from the highways and byways of the world to occupy the vacant space. But let us see to it that we are clothed in the spotless robe of His righteousness, in which alone we can stand in the searching light of eternity.  FROM eSword

Be sure you are dressed for the Wedding with the garment of the Righteousness of Jesus Christ.

The Error of Not Knowing the Scriptures, Nor the Power of God

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The same day came to Him the Sadducees, which say that there is no resurrection, and asked Him, saying, “Master, Moses said, ‘If a man die, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother.’ Now there were with us seven brethren: and the first, when he had married a wife, deceased, and, having no issue, left his wife unto his brother: likewise the second also, and the third, unto the seventh. And last of all the woman died also. Therefore in the resurrection whose wife shall she be of the seven? For they all had her.”
Jesus answered and said unto them,
“Ye do err, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God. For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven. But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?’ God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.”
And when the multitude heard this, they were astonished at His doctrine.  Matthew 22:23-33

Monday Prayer January 11, 2021

/ Tim A. / Leave a comment

He that is void of wisdom despiseth his neighbour: but a man of understanding holdeth his peace. Proverbs 11:12
“The LORD said unto my Lord, ‘Sit Thou on My right hand, till I make Thine enemies Thy footstool?'”  Matthew 22:44 (Psalm 110:1) Matthew 22:42-45

Father, I praise You because of Your beauty, grace, mercy and power. I worship You because You are worthy of worship and no other is. I adore You because You are worthy of adoration because You are powerful to save all who will come to You; and because You are the Creator.

I pray that I will respect my neighbor and do for him/her as I would like them to do to me; that I will love them as I love myself. May I, when I see a neighbor in need, always jump in and be a servant or helper in meeting their needs; no matter how they may have treated me.

Lord God Almighty, I do recognize Jesus as the Incarnate God; Your holy only begotten Son; and that by Him and through Him all things were made and without Him was not anything made that was made. He is my Lord and my Savior. He is my salvation and my peace. In Him I have life and without Him there is no life.

I pray that others, my family, my friends; all my neighbors; will call on that name that is above every name, believing on Him and will be delivered from eternal death. Amen.

Words Of Jesus; Son Of God, God The Son – 080120

/ Tim A. / Leave a comment

“The same day came to Him the Sadducees, which say that there is no resurrection, and asked Him, saying,
‘Master, Moses said, If a man die, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother. Now there were with us seven brethren: and the first, when he had married a wife, deceased, and, having no issue, left his wife unto his brother: likewise the second also, and the third, unto the seventh. And last of all the woman died also.
Therefore in the resurrection whose wife shall she be of the seven? For they all had her.’
Jesus answered and said unto them,
‘Ye do err, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God. For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven. But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.’
And when the multitude heard this, they were astonished at His doctrine.”   Matthew 22:23-33