Matthew Chapter 22

What is the meaning of Matthew 22?

The mnemonic device for this chapter is:

“W.E.D – Watch, Examine, Declare!”

• W – Wedding Feast (Jesus continues talking about the Kingdom of God as a parable of the wedding banquet where many are invited, but few are chosen.)
• E – Examinations (The Pharisees and Sadducees try to trap Yeshua with questions about taxes to Caesar, the resurrection and the greatest commandment in the Torah.)
• D – Declaration (Yeshua declares the greatest commandment is love, and silences them with His own question: “Whose Son is the Messiah?”)

Introduction to Matthew 22

Imagine walking into a room where brilliant minds have set the perfect verbal trap for you—a question so cunningly crafted that any answer you give will destroy you. In Matthew 22, Jesus faces not one but three such traps, each laid by different groups of religious experts desperate to discredit Him before the Passover crowds. What follows is a masterclass in divine wisdom that leaves His opponents speechless and the watching crowds astonished.

The chapter opens with a wedding parable that would make anyone uncomfortable—where invited guests murder the king’s messengers, the king destroys their city in retribution, and a poorly dressed guest gets thrown into “outer darkness.” Before you can catch your breath, Jesus is thrust into a rapid-fire series of impossible questions: Should Jews pay taxes to Caesar? Whose wife will a seven-times-widowed woman be in heaven? Which commandment matters most?

With each response, Jesus doesn’t just evade their traps—He reframes the entire conversation to expose what’s really at stake: our relationship with God and with each other. When He finally turns the tables with His own question about the Messiah’s identity, His opponents retreat in silence, unable to answer the one question that matters most. These ancient verbal duels still challenge our deepest assumptions about politics, eternity, love, and the true identity of the One who claims to be both David’s son and David’s Lord.

Context of Matthew 22

This chapter continues the narrative of Yeshua’s final week in Jerusalem, following His triumphant entry and cleansing of the Temple in Matthew 21. The mounting tension between the Messiah and the religious authorities reaches a crescendo as various groups attempt to trap Him with clever questions. The immediate context shows the escalating conflict that will lead to His crucifixion, with the religious leaders becoming increasingly desperate to discredit Him before the crowds who gathered for Passover.

Within the larger narrative of Matthew’s Gospel, this chapter serves as a crucial link between Yeshua’s public ministry and His passion. It demonstrates His divine wisdom and authority while highlighting the tragic irony of the religious leaders’ rejection of God’s invitation to His kingdom. The chapter’s themes of divine sovereignty, human responsibility, and the true nature of God’s law echo throughout Scripture, from the prophets’ warnings to Israel to the apostolic teachings about the nature of God’s kingdom.

Ancient Key Word Study

• γάμους (gamous) – “wedding feast” (v. 2): More than just a celebration, this term in ancient culture represented the culmination of a covenant relationship. The word choice emphasizes the intimacy and joy of God’s intended relationship with His people, drawing on imagery found throughout the prophetic literature.
• ἀνάξιοι (anaxioi) – “unworthy” (v. 8): This term doesn’t merely mean “undeserving” but carries the connotation of those who have demonstrated their unworthiness through their actions and attitudes. The word choice highlights the responsibility of those who reject God’s invitation.
• διδάσκαλε (didaskale) – “teacher” (v. 16): While seemingly respectful, this address from the Pharisees’ disciples carries ironic undertones, as they use it while attempting to trap Yeshua. The term acknowledges His role as a religious instructor while subtly questioning His authority.
• εἰκὼν (eikōn) – “image” (v. 20): This word, used when Yeshua asks about the image on the coin, carries deep theological significance, hearkening back to humanity being created in God’s image (Genesis 1:27). The word choice adds layers of meaning to His response about giving to Caesar.
• ἀνάστασις (anastasis) – “resurrection” (v. 23): This technical term for resurrection was a point of fierce debate between Pharisees and Sadducees. Its use here emphasizes the concrete, physical nature of the resurrection being discussed.
• συνήγαγεν (synēgagen) – “gathered together” (v. 34): This verb carries echoes of God gathering His people throughout the Old Testament, creating an ironic contrast as the Pharisees gather to oppose God’s Messiah.
• κρεμάννυμι (kremannymi) – “hangs” (v. 40): The word choice for how all the Law and Prophets “hang” on the two great commandments suggests both dependence and organic connection, like branches from a tree, rather than mere organizational structure.

Matthew 22 Unique Insights

The parable of the wedding feast contains several layers of meaning that would have resonated deeply with its original Jewish audience. The repeated invitations mirror God’s persistent calling of Israel through the prophets, while the burning of the city (v. 7) would have carried particular weight for Matthew’s audience, likely written after the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 CE. The detail about the man without wedding clothes (vv. 11-13) reflects an ancient Middle Eastern custom where kings provided appropriate garments for wedding guests, making the man’s failure to wear one an act of deliberate dishonor.

The Rabbinical literature provides fascinating parallel discussions about many of the issues raised in this chapter. The Mishnah tractate Sanhedrin contains detailed debates about the resurrection, while various midrashim discuss the balance between religious and civil obligations that emerges in the Caesar’s coin episode. The early church father Origen saw the wedding garment as representing the “putting on of Christ” (Romans 13:14), connecting this parable to Paul’s theology of salvation.

The chapter’s structure itself reveals a sophisticated literary design, with three hostile questions (about taxes, resurrection, and the greatest commandment) followed by Yeshua’s own question about David’s son. This pattern creates a crescendo effect, culminating in the silencing of His opponents and the establishment of His authority.

Question the Text

• Verses 1-2: Why does Jesus continue with another parable immediately after the harsh conclusion of the previous one? What might this tell us about His urgency to communicate certain truths to His listeners?
• Verse 3: Why would invited guests refuse to come to a royal wedding feast? What social, political, or personal motivations might explain such an unusual response to a king’s invitation?
• Verse 4: Why does the king send a second invitation with more details about the feast rather than immediately punishing those who refused? What does this reveal about God’s patience and multiple opportunities for people to respond to Him?
• Verses 5-6: How do we make sense of the extreme reaction of the invited guests who not only ignore the invitation but mistreat and kill the king’s servants? What might this escalation represent spiritually?
• Verse 7: The king’s violent response seems disproportionate—destroying the city of those who rejected his invitation. How might this be interpreted prophetically regarding Jerusalem’s future? Does this violent imagery challenge our understanding of God’s character?
• Verses 8-10: Why does the king declare the originally invited guests “unworthy” and then invite “both bad and good” from the streets? What does this say about worthiness in God’s kingdom versus human expectations of who deserves inclusion?
• Verses 11-13: What is the significance of the wedding garment, and why would a guest gathered from the streets be expected to have one? Why is the punishment for lacking proper attire so severe—being cast into “outer darkness”?
• Verse 14: How do we reconcile “many are called, but few are chosen” with the inclusive invitation to all? Does this suggest predestination, human responsibility, or something else entirely?
• Verses 15-17: Why do the Pharisees and Herodians—normally political opponents—collaborate against Jesus? What does this unexpected alliance reveal about how perceived threats can unite former enemies?
• Verses 18-22: Why does Jesus use a Roman coin to make His point about taxes rather than simply answering the question directly? What deeper message might He be conveying about material possessions versus spiritual obligations?
• Verses 23-28: The Sadducees present an elaborate scenario about marriage in the resurrection, which they themselves don’t believe in. What motivates such intellectual dishonesty, and how might this reflect ways we sometimes approach spiritual questions with hidden agendas?
• Verses 29-33: Jesus states that the Sadducees “know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God.” How might we also fall into similar traps of limiting our understanding of divine realities based on earthly paradigms?
• Verses 34-40: Why does Jesus combine two separate commandments from different parts of Torah (Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18) as if they’re inseparable? What does this tell us about the nature of true righteousness and reading His Word?
• Verses 41-46: Jesus turns the tables by asking His own question about the Messiah. Why does He reference Psalm 110, where יהוה (Yahweh) speaks to David’s Lord? What paradox is He highlighting about His own identity that silences His critics?

Matthew 22 Connections to Yeshua

This chapter demonstrates Yeshua’s identity as the promised Messiah through multiple layers. The wedding feast parable presents Him as the Son of the King, echoing messianic banquet imagery from Isaiah 25:6-8. His responses to the challenges show His divine wisdom, fulfilling prophecies about the Messiah’s teaching authority (Isaiah 11:2-4).

Most significantly, Yeshua’s question about David’s son (vv. 41-46) masterfully reveals His divine nature while maintaining His human lineage. By quoting Psalm 110:1, He demonstrates how the Messiah must be both David’s son and David’s Lord or Adonai in Hebrew, a paradox resolved only in His unique identity as fully God and fully man. This revelation stands as the climactic answer to the chapter’s sequential challenges, showing that the true understanding of Scripture leads to recognition of His divine authority.

Matthew 22 Scriptural Echoes

This chapter resonates with numerous Old Testament themes and prophecies. The wedding feast parable echoes Isaiah 25:6-8, where יהוה (Yahweh) promises a great banquet for all peoples.

The discussion of resurrection connects to Daniel 12:2 and Ezekiel 37. The greatest commandment combines Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18, showing how love fulfills Torah. Yeshua’s use of Psalm 110 demonstrates how the Old Testament testified to His divine nature centuries before His incarnation.

Matthew 22 Devotional

This chapter challenges us to examine our own response to God’s invitation. Like the wedding feast invitees, we each must decide how we will respond to His gracious call. The religious leaders’ attempts to trap Yeshua remind us to approach Him with genuine hearts rather than trying to fit Him into our preconceptions.

Yeshua’s command to love God and neighbor shows us that true spirituality isn’t about winning theological arguments but about living in loving relationship with God and others. His wisdom in handling hostile questions teaches us to rely on Scripture and seek God’s wisdom when facing challenges to our faith.

Consider this: How do you respond to God’s invitations in your life? Are there areas where you’ve been making excuses like those who refused the wedding feast? How can you better demonstrate love for God and neighbor in practical ways this week?

Did You Know?

• The wedding feast parable reflects ancient Middle Eastern royal wedding customs where refusing an invitation was considered an act of rebellion against the king’s authority.
• The Herodians and Pharisees who questioned Yeshua about taxes were typically bitter enemies, showing how opposition to the Messiah created unlikely alliances.
• The denarius mentioned in the tax question would have been a silver coin worth about a day’s wages for a laborer.
• The Sadducees’ question about marriage and resurrection was likely a well-known riddle they used to argue against resurrection belief.
• The concept of levirate marriage (marriage to a deceased brother’s wife) originated in Deuteronomy 25:5-6 and was still practiced in first-century Judaism.
• The phrase “sit at my right hand” from Psalm 110 was understood as a clear messianic reference in first-century Jewish interpretation.
• The number of commands Yeshua summarized (613 according to Jewish tradition) makes His two-command summary even more remarkable.