Image: Love God and Your Neighbor as Yourself, photo taken by Lawrence OP, licensed under: CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 (no changes made). Image location: https://www.flickr.com/photos/paullew/15630997815/in/photostream/
Whose Image Do You Bear? Matthew 22:15-22
What does it mean to give to Caesar what is Caesar’s? What does it mean to give to God what is God’s in light of the first question? How do these relate to each other? Jesus teaches us that we exist in two kingdoms and that we are able to do the actions required of both, until the kingdom of man demands us to break God’s law. In these two kingdoms, we live out the callings that God the Father has given us, knowing his grace in baptism, and the life of Christ in us through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
Image: Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Are You a Wicked Guest? Matthew 22:1-14
The wedding feast of the king’s son is ready! All who were invited are to come! Yet, they rejected the final invitation and the king destroyed them and brought in others to celebrate. Amongst them was one without proper wedding attire and he was cast out.
What does this all mean? It reminds us that we are to make ourselves ready in light of the invitation of the King to the final wedding feast of the bridegroom, when all is made right and we are renewed. We know that it is coming and we are to be making preparations for that final call, depending upon the Father’s work in us through the Holy Spirit.
Image: Brunswick Monogrammist, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Messiah and the Lord that Fulfills, Matthew 22:34-46
In this final confrontation with the Pharisees before his trial and crucifixion, Jesus answers a final question about the greatest commandment. He then quickly turns the tables on his questioners with a question about how the Messiah can be both the son of David and his Lord. How are these two moments connected? What does this mean for us who are unable to keep the commandments?
Image: Jesus with the Pharisees, by Jacques Callot, public domain. Image location: https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.33324.html
For Caesar or for God? Matthew 22:15-22
When Jesus is asked about paying taxes, he carefully turns the tables on his questioners. “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s.” What do we make of this response? How does it apply to us today? How did Jesus fulfill even this command through his death and resurrection? Father Jeremiah examines Matthew 22:15-22 and helps us to see these things.
Image: Denarius featuring emperor Marcus Aurelius, Rasiel at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons location: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Marcus_Aurelius_Denarius2.jpg
The Wedding Feast of Salvation, Matthew 22:1-14, Isaiah 25:1-9
In the Bible, feasting and especially wedding feasts are a sign of the Kingdom of God and salvation being given to God’s people. Jesus reminds us that all has been prepared and accomplished and thus all is a gift for us when we are called to join him. Yet, when we fall, we must not remain speechless before the King, but should respond with confession that we might ever be changed and transformed by the King.
Image: Charlemange at Dinner, Talbot Master, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons