.jpg)
God's Plan, Your Part
Discover God's plan for your life with this daily Bible reading podcast.
Ryan and Jenny Zook lead a valuable daily devotional bible study with historical background, theology, and practical applications. This year we will be covering the whole New Testament, one chapter at a time.
This podcast brings the word of God to life. Whether starting from the first episode or just jumping in, this is an inspiring and enlightening way to deepen your understanding of scripture. We delve into a different passage daily and share how its teachings can impact your daily life. Start listening right now.
To support the podcast, click HERE.
God's Plan, Your Part
Matthew 22 | The Wedding Feast and the Mastery of Divine Wisdom
Ever wondered what it truly means to be 'clothed' for a heavenly banquet? Grab your earbuds and tune in as we unravel the Parable of the Wedding Feast from Matthew 22, exposing the timeless truths hidden within. We dissect the poignant tale where many are called but few are chosen, and dive into the significance of the wedding garments—symbols of the transformative readiness required for God's kingdom. The passage serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of rejecting the divine invite, a narrative that echoes through the ages and invites self-reflection.
As we navigate the heated exchanges between Jesus and the religious elite of his day, you'll witness the intellectual chess game that unfolds. The Pharisees, Sadducees, and Herodians throw their trickiest questions at Jesus—on taxes, the resurrection, and more. Yet, with every move, Jesus counters with responses that leave his adversaries perplexed, showcasing a mastery of the law that still speaks volumes today. This segment of our episode is a mental sparring match that will leave you appreciating the intricate dance between divine wisdom and human curiosity.
Finally, we dissect Jesus' heart-hitting teachings on love and identity, two pillars that uphold the greatest commandments and messianic prophecy. As we ponder the Christ being both David's son and Lord, we invite you to consider the depth of Jesus' scriptural insights that left his contemporaries speechless. Join us as we delve into these profound concepts, and don't forget to share your thoughts with us via social media or email. This episode is a feast for the mind and spirit, and we're here to serve it up with clarity and reflection.
In Matthew 22, Jesus shares the parable of the wedding feast, likening the kingdom of heaven to a banquet where the initially invited guests refuse to attend. He also navigates through tricky questions posed by the Pharisees regarding paying taxes to Caesar and the resurrection, demonstrating his wisdom and authority. Furthermore, Jesus identifies the greatest commandment as loving God with all one's heart and loving one's neighbor as oneself, summarizing the essence of the Law and the Prophets. Lastly, Jesus challenges the Pharisees' understanding of the Messiah's identity, warning his disciples against the hypocrisy of the religious leaders. Overall, Matthew 22 emphasizes the importance of humility, obedience, and genuine faith in God's kingdom.
We use Logos Bible Software for our show prep.
Get 5 Free Digital Books and 10% Off- HERE.
Get the Logos 10 Fundamentals for Just $50- HERE.
Check out Ryan's other podcast, God's Whole Story.
Ryan works for Men of Iron, an organization committed to changing a culture one man at a time. If you'd like to get involved, click HERE.
Instagram | Facebook | TikTok
YouTube | Rumble | Medium
Contact us at godsplanyourpart@gmail.com
Thanks so much for listening to the show. We'll See you tomorrow.
-Ryan and Jenny
Hey everyone, welcome to God's Plan, your part, year two, where this year we're reading through and studying the entire New Testament, one chapter at a time. Thanks again for joining us in discovering God's plan and your part in it. Today we are hit with some more parables about a wedding feast. Jesus is going to be confronted by multiple groups of people and asked very, very challenging questions that Jesus is able to just whip back with an answer quicker than they anticipated. So today we're reading chapter 22 of Matthew and, like I said, we're opening up with this parable of the wedding feast, which is what caught my attention probably the most out of the entire chapter. So we get this idea of, like this wedding feast, where all of these people are invited to come to this grand feast. This feast is compared to the kingdom of God and there are many who are invited but nobody shows up and we kind of move into this weird segue of the opposite of what you would expect from somebody who has been invited to something really amazing.
Speaker 2:This parable is teaching essentially the same concept as the prior parable, so when you read this in context, you can compare the two stories to each other and they actually make a lot more sense. Like it's a lot less confusing, I think, when you read them in context.
Speaker 1:So what's interesting about this parable is that, like I was saying at the beginning, it is compared to the kingdom of God and it is, honestly, I used to always read this and be like what is he talking about with this wedding feast?
Speaker 1:Like all these people are invited, but they're like terrible people. I guess they're like awful guests, but when you think about it in light of God's kingdom, first and foremost, those who are invited are the Jews, okay, and that is like the parallel here with those who were invited first that rejected and just never came. So those who did not come ended up going into, like the king's house and the king's, I guess, his property, found their servants and treated them shamefully, as you see in verse five. They killed, they stole and because of that this king severely punished them and after that happened the king says, okay, just go out and find whoever. So then we get to this kind of like. We're in this like immediate circle of what would, I would assume, be like the Jewish people who Jesus came to minister to first, and when he and other prophets were neglected and abused and killed, the circle extends to Gentiles, that's how I'm seeing it, that's probably the most jarring thing about this story.
Speaker 2:It's like the king is just inviting people to his wedding feast and their reaction is to kill the messengers.
Speaker 2:Like it's like what I thought, like I thought it was enough just to be like no, I don't feel like going. But actually they're like oh, and we're gonna murder you. Like it's just like what, and that should be like One of the biggest signals that something much deeper is going on here. And that's how you can look back to the prior context, the prior parable, the parable of the tenants. What happened to them? They killed the messengers. So now we have two stories with a similar principle like a person in authority is Inviting people to care for something in this case it's a wedding feast in the last story was a vineyard, and the messengers just constantly get killed.
Speaker 2:Just like oh man, that's crazy, and you're totally on the right track. Like the, the Intended audience is the Jewish people, who have been chosen by God from the very beginning of creation, like God chose Abraham for no apparent reason. Abraham was promised that his descendants would be a blessing to all nations, and here we have Abraham's descendants Just being like nah forget it. I don't want it well.
Speaker 1:And then we get into verse 10 and it says after those people were found, after they were brought, it says both good and bad. So what is interesting about that to me is like this invitation extends to all yes, and.
Speaker 1:Right after it says like the house was, for the wedding hall was full of all of these guests. But the king came in in verse 11 and looked around to find a man who had no wedding garments. So if you read in our Bible in the footnotes it mentions that like everybody was invited to this, but like wedding clothing was still expected. So it kind of gives me this visual of although all are welcome in the kingdom of God, you can't continue on with what you had before. You have to come in Ready for what is being offered. So you can't just like in our, in our own faith walks, you can't just continue living in sin once you have like agreed to be a part of this thing. So wearing those pop proper garments Was 100% the expectation.
Speaker 1:So the king, seeing this, is like disgusted. Just like when God sees us, he's disgusted with our sin if we refuse to get rid of it, or even just like kind of walk blindly Saying that we're a part of something that clearly requires us to to offer Our sin to God and just ask for forgiveness. At the end of this the king basically says do away with him, send him out into the outer darkness when there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth and if you have tracked with us long enough, you know that that weeping and gnashing of teeth is a place without God, which ultimately would be in Complete separation from God in hell.
Speaker 2:Jesus is actually Replying or like ending the story with the exact language, that weeping and gnashing of teeth? That comes from Matthew, chapter 8 verse. Where is it 12, verse 12, where the centurion comes to Jesus he's not a Jew asking for Jesus to heal his servant. And Jesus basically says like there are gonna be. I'll just give you the exact quote so that I don't get it wrong. I Tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at the table with Abraham, isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. So basically he's saying like just because you're Jewish, just because you assume that Abraham is your ancestor, that doesn't mean you get in. And what's really compelling about this banquet Like this, this wedding feast parable, jenny, I think you like spoke really well to it.
Speaker 2:Like everyone is welcome, but there are still Expectations. So, yes, everyone can come in, but they must meet the expectations and if they don't, they come under judgment. That's not a new teaching. That's not a wild thing that Jesus pulls out of his hat out of nowhere. Jesus has consistently been teaching everyone is welcome, but you must meet the standard so then how?
Speaker 1:I guess I'm just gonna throw you a really hard one here, because I it really baffles me, and when I read this verse it's just kind of like oh, I don't really like it, but it is what it is. So verse 14 then ends the entire parable, for many are called, but few are chosen.
Speaker 2:That word chosen is like yeah people don't love this, but the the thing is that God has chosen from the very beginning who his elect are. Now, I don't I'm not an expert in this by any means, but I'm not uncomfortable with the idea that God chooses people for salvation. I think when you think about every major biblical character, biblical story, tell me one person who chose to follow God.
Speaker 2:You will you will really struggle coming up with one person who chose of their own volition to follow God. You can think of many, many, many people who were chosen by God. Now, the hitch with this is we have no idea who is chosen and who is not. So we should not be acting like we understand how this works or who this is, but we believe that God is like the ruler of the universe. We believe that everything belongs to him. We believe that he has authority over all things. I'm not sure why we struggle with believing that he knows who's chosen and who's not. The the hitch is we have no idea who it is, and we should live our lives Extending the same grace, mercy, long-suffering nature that God extends to us. We should be forgiving to others as Jesus has forgiven us. And I think, like what's interesting is, a lot of times this stuff is self-evident. So what gets the king's attention? This guy is not wearing the proper wedding garment. You get the idea that, like pretty much everyone that's there, is wearing the correct garment.
Speaker 1:So he either was aware of it and just decided, no, I'm not doing. I'm just not doing it or was just like blissfully Ignorant, or whatever.
Speaker 2:Okay, so okay, so to speak, to that, if you go to a party and you are underdressed, how long does it take you to notice that?
Speaker 1:You can probably speak to that one.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, it happens to me all the time Actually have some great stories about that we could do on a bonus episode that are quite embarrassing. But you know immediately, okay, and this is just a parable. We don't want to drill down in and discover things that actually aren't there, but you know when you're not fit for the occasion. So I don't think it's wrong to say like, what's up with this guy, how did he not know? Again, I want to be careful not to drill and mine out things that we're making up, but it is clear that this, this person, has not met the expectations and because they have not met the expectations, they come under judgment, just as the people who rejected him outright come under judgment, like there's many people who didn't even choose to try to come and and jesus is saying like they were rejected as well.
Speaker 1:So then we move into the rest of the chapter, which you had actually spoken to really well, ryan. You said these three instances that we see that we're talking about Giving to caesar. What is caesar's asking about? Marriage after the resurrection, or marriage and remarriage, and then this great commandment, basically, loving your neighbor as yourself. So he is bombarded with questions by three of these Varian groups who are just trying to get him in these final moments.
Speaker 2:I think to close out this chapter, primarily the thing you need to notice is that Jesus is confronted by the Pharisees in a coordinated fashion, he's confronted by the Sadducees in a coordinated fashion and the Herodians are kind of thrown in as like extra credit.
Speaker 2:But they're, they're confronting him in a coordinated fashion. Everybody who hates Jesus is coming against him. You'll notice that it's called out in verse 16. The, the Pharisees and the Herodians are saying you do not care. They're saying this about Jesus you do not care about anyone's opinion, for you are not swayed by appearances. So Jesus was known as somebody who was, I think, fairly confrontational and fairly upfront. Again, I love calling this out every chance I can. Like this like wimpy, loving Jesus that just willingly gets run over all the time, like that he does not exist. That's not a real Jesus.
Speaker 2:The, the people who opposed Jesus, knew that he did not mind preaching the truth In the face of like tons of opposition. And here we get kind of the final public Opposition, because it says is at the end of chapter 22 and verse 46, and no one was able to answer him a word. Nor, from that day, did anyone dare ask him any more questions. Like this whole campaign of trying to fool him or trick him or mislead him. They totally gave it up.
Speaker 2:And now it's like total, like what's cloaking daggers? Like in the back rooms trying to figure out how to kill this guy because they hate him and they hate him because he preaches the truth and it endangers their lofty position that's built on lies. And so just to walk through the stories quickly, you need to remember that these people do not actually care about the answers. So if you look at the stories is like well, they came with like a really genuine no, like their motivations are all Often to catch him like lawyers, like lawyers that are trying to x yz, they don't actually care about the truth or what it is.
Speaker 1:I just want to trap you in something and, like God, love you all you lawyers. But I'm thinking like Ridiculous or like politicians like that kind of thing where it's like I don't really care what the truth is, I just want to catch you in something so I can use it later.
Speaker 2:And Jesus is brilliant, like even with their like just Wanted opposition, he's still like okay, I'm gonna answer it this way, because of course he's God, like he can handle this. So the first thing is like should we pay taxes or not? If he says that they shouldn't pay taxes, he's now an enemy of the Romans. If he says they should pay taxes there, he's now like encouraging Jewish opposition. So the Jews will hate him or the Romans will hate him. It seems like a win-win for those who hate Jesus and.
Speaker 2:Jesus is like well, who's on that coin? It's Caesar, so give it back to him give to God.
Speaker 2:What's God's give to Caesar? With Caesar's, it's like, wow, that's brilliant. Of course it is. The Sadducees are like, hey, this guy died and his wife had to marry his brother, and then she had to marry basically five or six of his brothers. Who's, uh, who's gonna be her husband in the resurrection? Well, the Sadducees don't even believe in the resurrection. So this is like totally unfair from the beginning and Jesus is like forget it, you guys don't. Well, how does he refute them? You are wrong because you neither know the scriptures nor the power of God. He doesn't address this, this silly scenario.
Speaker 2:It's like this crazy hypothetical it's just like no, I'm not doing that. You guys are wrong. You don't believe what God says. And he says essentially like God is the God of the living, basically endorsing the fact that there is a resurrection. He's going to endorse that in a big way in like five or six days, when he himself rises from the dead. Then finally they come and they try to ask him what is the great commandment? And basically he just quotes Deuteronomy. Like it drives me crazy where people act like Jesus came up with this like brilliant new way of Understanding the what God wants from us, and he doesn't like. He just quotes Deuteronomy. Like we we have such a poor Understanding of the Old Testament. We think that when Jesus says this, he's saying it for the first time. He's actually just quoting the memory verse that they all know.
Speaker 2:Like it's like it's like the, which is even more effective because that's, oh, 100% aware of it's something they've been saying over and over and over, and they were, they were taught to repeat those passages Over and over and over. It's basically like Jesus quoting John 3, 16, and people be like oh yeah, I do know that one. And so this is where they just like abandoned this entire thing and they're like okay, we need to figure out some other way to get this guy.
Speaker 1:Crazy, crazy thing. Then, at the very end here, after he's been faced with all of these questions from all of these various groups, what is interesting, we end the chapter with Jesus asking a question of them. Now. So all this questioning, and Jesus is just kind of like, okay, well, what do you think about the Christ? Who's son is he? So the Pharisees are just like, well, yeah, of course he's the son of David.
Speaker 1:And shortly after he says this little, or he quotes this part of the Old Testament then, if David is calling him Lord, how is he the son? So it's just, it's clever to me how he is getting bombarded with all these questions and something that all of these men should have had, like down to a T, should have been able to explain themselves, can't even explain this one, what seems to be very simple thing, these scriptures. They would have memorized, the things that they would have known. How is it then that, if that is the case, that David is calling him Lord, lord, and then hilarious nobody decides to ask him any more questions? It's over, it's like lawyer.
Speaker 2:Yep, it's over, he's done. Like I said, they're going to try to figure out how to get him some other way.
Speaker 2:And this is the final week of Jesus' life and so we are definitely winding down here.
Speaker 2:The your part for today, I think, is pay attention to this wedding feast thing, because it is really important that we represent that everyone is welcome, everyone is welcome, but you cannot forget the second part, that you must meet expectations. And if there is a false teaching out there, this like universalism, where, like everybody makes it because God is so loving, that is a false teaching that is everywhere in our world. We need to fight like that, like crazy, because it is not true, and we need to understand that, yes, everyone is welcome to the feast, like everyone who accepts the invitation is welcome to come, but they must meet the expectations and if they fail to meet the expectations, they come under judgment. It is not our hope that they come under judgment. We do not find joy in the fact that people come under judgment. We hope that everyone turns from their sin and finds repentance. So keep that in mind and let's represent Christ well in our day today. We'll be back again tomorrow with Matthew 22. We'll see you then.
Speaker 1:Thanks for joining today's episode of God's Plan your Part, as always. Please consider partnering with us, as we are a listener-supported podcast that we hope to continue to grow, with support from listeners just like you.
Speaker 2:We've made it super easy to partner with us, and you can support us by following the link in our show notes or our description. You can support us with as little as $3 a month.
Speaker 1:Every little bit of this helps so much, and we're so thankful for your support. With that in mind, here's today's reading.
Speaker 2:Matthew 22. And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come. Again. He sent other servants saying Tell those who are invited See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast. But they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business, while the rest seized. His servants, treated them shamefully and killed them. The king was angry and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. Then he said to his servants the wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy. Go, therefore, to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find. And those servants went out into the roads and gathered all those whom he found both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests. But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there was a man who had no wedding garment. And he said to him Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment and he was speechless. Then the king said to the attendants Bind him hand and foot and cast him into outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, for many are called but few are chosen. Then the Pharisees went and plotted how to entangle him in his words and they sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians, saying Teacher, we know that you are true and teach the way of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone's opinion, for you are not swayed by appearances. Tell us then what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not? But Jesus, aware of their malice, said why put me to the test, you hypocrites? Show me the coin for the tax. And they brought him a denarius. And Jesus said to them Whose likeness and inscription is this? They said Caesars. Then he said to them Therefore, render to Caesar the things that are Caesars and to God the things that are gods. When they heard it, they marveled and they left him and went away.
Speaker 2:The same day Sadducees came to him who say that there is no resurrection, and they asked him a question. Saying Teacher, moses said if a man dies having no children, his brother must marry the widow and raise up offspring for his brother. Now, there were seven brothers among us. The first married and died and, having no offspring, left his wife to his brother, so to the second and third, down to the seventh. After them all the woman died. In the resurrection, therefore, of the seven, whose wife will she be? For they all had her, but Jesus answered them.
Speaker 2:You are wrong because you know neither the scriptures nor the power of God, for in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. And as for the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was said to you by God? I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. He is not the God of the dead but of the living. And when the crowd heard it, they were astonished at his teaching.
Speaker 2:But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together and one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law? And he said to him you shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment and a second is like it you shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets. Now, while the Pharisees were gathered together, jesus asked them a question Saying what do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he? They said to him the son of David. He said to them how is it then that David in the Spirit calls him Lord? Saying the Lord said to my Lord sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet. If, then, david calls him Lord, how is he his son? And no one was able to answer him a word, nor, from that day, did anyone dare to ask him any more questions.
Speaker 2:Thank you so much for listening to today's episode of God's Plan your Part. Don't forget you can find us on just about every social media platform and YouTube. Let us know what you thought of today's episode and if you have any questions, go ahead and post them there. You can also reach out to us directly at God'splanyourpartatgmailcom, as always. If you don't have a Bible or if you'd like to use the one that we use, reach out to us via email and we'll be happy to send one to you.
