Matthew 22:15

13 Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot,¹ take him away, and cast him ^ainto outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

14 ^a“For many are called, but few are chosen.”

The Pharisees: Is It Lawful to Pay Taxes to Caesar?

15 ^aThen the Pharisees went and plotted how they might entangle Him in His talk.

16 And they sent to Him their disciples with the ^aHerodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that You are true, and teach the way of God in truth; nor do You care about anyone, for You do not¹ regard the person of men.

17 Tell us, therefore, what do You think? Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?”

18 But Jesus¹ perceived their wickedness, and said, “Why do you test Me, you hypocrites?

19 Show Me the tax money.” So they brought Him a denarius.

20 And He said to them, “Whose image and inscription is this?”

21 They said to Him, “Caesar’s.” And He said to them, ^a“Render therefore to Caesar the things that are ^bCaesar’s, and to God the things that are ^cGod’s.”

22 When they had heard these words, they marveled, and left Him and went their way.

The Sadducees: What About the Resurrection?

23 ^aThe same day the Sadducees, ^bwho say there is no resurrection, came to Him and asked Him,

24 saying: “Teacher, ^aMoses said that if a man dies, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife and raise up offspring for his brother.

25 Now there were with us seven brothers. The first died after he had married, and having no offspring, left his wife to his brother.

26 Likewise the second also, and the third, even to the seventh.

27 Last of all the woman died also.

28 Therefore, in the resurrection, whose wife of the seven will she be? For they all had her.”

29 Jesus answered and said to them, “You are¹ mistaken, ^anot knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God.

30 For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but ^aare like angels of God in heaven.

31 But concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God, saying,

32 ^a‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.”

33 And when the multitudes heard this, ^athey were astonished at His teaching.

The Scribes: Which Is the First Commandment of All?

34 ^aBut when the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together.

35 Then one of them, ^aa lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying,

36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?”

37 Jesus said to him, ^a“‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’

38 This is the first and great commandment.

39 And the second is like it: ^a‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’

40 ^aOn these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”

Jesus: How Can David Call His Descendant Lord?

41 ^aWhile the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them,

42 saying, “What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?” They said to Him, “The ^aSon of David.”

43 He said to them, “How then does David in the Spirit call Him ‘Lord,’ saying:

44 ‘The^a Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at My right hand,
Till I make Your enemies Your footstool” ’?

45 If David then calls Him ‘Lord,’ how is He his Son?”

46 ^aAnd no one was able to answer Him a word, ^bnor from that day on did anyone dare question Him anymore.

Commentaries:

Forerunner Commentary
What is the Forerunner Commentary?

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What Does Matthew 22:15 Mean?

Matthew 22:15-22

Though people in the world heard what Jesus taught, marveling at it (Matthew 7:28-29), they did not believe what He said. Moreover, He intentionally taught principles in the form of parables so that they would not understand, but His disciples understood because He opened their minds (Matthew 13:10-17). His message, we can conclude, was not directed at the world at all.

When the Pharisees questioned Jesus about paying taxes to Caesar, He replies, “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.” He points out a clear distinction between God's Kingdom and the nations of the world: They have authority here on earth now and should be obeyed, but they were given that authority by God (Romans 13:1). He, then, is the ultimate authority. Though Jesus paid taxes to them (Matthew 17:24-27), His first loyalty was to God. As He said, we should follow Him.

Martin G. Collins
Would Jesus Christ Vote? (Part Two)

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