Holy Tuesday: Matthew 22:15-46
On this Tuesday of Holy Week, we’ll remember the three questions in Matthew’s Gospel that the religious authorities used to try and trick Jesus into saying something incriminating. We’ll also contemplate the question Jesus’ asked that ended the discussion.
Before you begin, get quiet and breathe in the presence of Jesus while exhaling any stress you are carrying in your body.
When you feel ready, read Matthew 22:15-22.
The image on the coin represents a system created by humans, so the ruler of that system should be afforded what is due to him. But it is God’s image that is eternally stamped on the souls of all humans. People belong to God whether they acknowledge it or not, and people are meant to be citizens of God’s shalom kingdom first and foremost.
Take a moment to let the enormity of this idea sink in: you were created in the image of God and your soul bears God’s image. Speak with Jesus about your thoughts and feelings regarding this unalterable truth.
Read Matthew 22:23-33 with all of this in mind.
If they’d been listening, the Sadducees might have understood that the theoretical woman in their sorry excuse for a trap does not belong to any of the theoretical men. She is a person created in the image of God and she belongs to God. The Sadducees study the Scriptures but interpret them through their own lens.
When Jesus speaks of “knowledge” of the Scriptures, he is referring to a personal grasp of truth that transforms thoughts and behaviors. It is not adequate to study or memorize Scripture; we must allow God to shape us to become more like Jesus in the way we see and understand God and the world around us.
Get quiet for a moment and see what God might say to you about this.
When you are ready to move on, read Matthew 22:34-40.
It is possible to know the Scriptures inside and out and remain ignorant. Without an experience of the love of God poured lavishly out on us through Jesus, we cannot fully grasp the truths of Scripture. Love is the lens, love is the highest law, and God is love.
Take a moment to allow the love of God to wash over you and consider the ways that God’s love flows through you to others.
When you are ready to move on, read Matthew 22:41-46.
Jesus is both descended from David and Jesus precedes David. Take a moment to meditate on the words of the Apostle Paul regarding the divinity of Jesus:
“…for through him God created everything
in the heavenly realms and on earth.
He made the things we can see
and the things we can’t see—
such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world.
Everything was created through him and for him.” – Colossians 1:16
What is Jesus saying to you through your time of meditation today?
How will you respond?
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