Matthew 22 - Difficult questions.

Difficult Questions Matthew 16 March 12, 2023 1 2 3 4 Herodians on Politics: How do you deal with rulers & money? Sadducees on Doctrine: Who will you be married to in heaven? Pharisees on Ethics: What is your biggest Commandment? Jesus question: Whose son is the Messiah? Executive Functions Logical Reasonings Needs to be loved vs. Fear of losing love Needs to be important vs. Fear of losing relevance Needs to survive vs. Fear of dying We have blind spots We cannot appreciate what we cannot perceive Holy Spirit is “the better angels of our nature” Jesus is revealing heavenly truths outside our daily experience Jesus is 1 2 3 4 Herodians on Politics: How do you deal with rulers & money? Sadducees on Doctrine: Who will you be married to in heaven? Pharisees on Ethics: What is your biggest Commandment? Jesus question: Whose son is the Messiah? They sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians. “Teacher,” they said, “we know that you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are. 17 Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay the imperial tax[a] to Caesar or not?” -- Matthew 22 1 2 3 4 Herodians on Politics: How do you deal with rulers & money? Sadducees on Doctrine: Who will you be married to in heaven? Pharisees on Ethics: What is your biggest Commandment? Jesus question: Whose son is the Messiah? “Teacher,” they said, “Moses told us that if a man dies without having children, his brother must marry the widow and raise up offspring for him. 25 Now there were seven brothers among us. The first one married and died, and since he had no children, he left his wife to his brother. 26 The same thing happened to the second and third brother, right on down to the seventh. 27 Finally, the woman died. 28 Now then, at the resurrection, whose wife will she be of the seven, since all of them were married to her?” 24 -- Matthew 22 The question of the one bride and the seven brothers is not a search for the truth. The Sadducees do not expect, indeed, do not want, an answer. They hope to stump Jesus, and thus to “foolish” ideas of a resurrection demonstrate how from the dead are. I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. -- Exodus 3:6 1 2 3 4 Herodians on Politics: How do you deal with rulers & money? Sadducees on Doctrine: Who will you be married to in heaven? Pharisees on Ethics: What is your biggest Commandment? Jesus question: Whose son is the Messiah? Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. 35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’[c] 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[d] 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” 34 -- Matthew 22 Jesus Command to love one another is both Old and New  Moses taught in the Law.... „You shall love your neighbor as yourself“  New in its emphasis, quality of sacrifice & scope Your new relationship with Jesus Christ is Central to practicing Biblical love towards others  If you are lacking in love for a difficult person, pray, “Lord, You know that I am empty and unable to love this person. But, I am in You and You do not lack love, even for the unlovely. Please love this person through me!” Growing in Love for others is a lifelong process  You never arrive at the place where you can say, “I love everyone perfectly now!  “that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment” (Phil. 1:9). 1 2 3 4 Herodians on Politics: How do you deal with rulers & money? Sadducees on Doctrine: Who will you be married to in heaven? Pharisees on Ethics: What is your biggest Commandment? Jesus question: Whose son is the Messiah? “What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is he?” “The son of David,” they replied. 42 He said to them, “How is it then that David, speaking by the Spirit, calls him ‘Lord’? For he says, 43 “‘The Lord said to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet.”’[e] 44 -- Matthew 22 “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you[a ] this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.” 16 -Revelation 22 Are you striving to love God? What are your bias? What are your blind spots? What’s the Bible telling you? What is the Holy Spirit telling you?