The passage of Matthew 22:14,
"For many are called, but few are chosen."

It is a serious passage, isn't it?
Although many people come to church, when it comes time to confess their faith,
they often leave the church by ones and twos.

It is the sad reality that there are people who go away from Jesus.

However, on the other hand, this is one of the passages in which we feel the importance of being "chosen."

In chapter 22,
the Pharisees, the Herodians, and the Sadducees...
who want to take the Word of Jesus out of context and think about nothing but how to bring about Jesus's ruin, had been doing a lot of thinking and asked Him questions.

Look at verses 15 and 16!
Can you see that they chose some of the Pharisees and the Herodians and tried to trap him with His own words?

The ideas of cowards are all cowardly. And those with bad spirituality flock together. Oh, it is frightening and disgusting.
This is one of the characteristics of Satan.

Since Judea in those days was a tributary of Rome, the Pharisees and the Herodians differed in their political stance in relation to Rome, but they joined together in order to bring down Jesus.

The Pharisees were nationalists, and the extremists among them even wanted political independence.
Therefore, they were unenthusiastic about the rule of Rome.
And, they were never pleased with paying tax to the Roman emperor.

On the other hand,
The Herodians were pro-Romans group.
While receiving benefits from Rome by obeying the rule of Rome, they tried to secure their positions and material prosperity in Judea.
Therefore, they approved of paying taxes to Rome.

If the Lord Jesus said it was good to pay tax, the Pharisees would criticize Him and accuse Him as unpatriotic before the public.

And if the Lord Jesus said it was not good to pay tax, the Herodians would send Him to the Roman government as an antipolitical man and a rebel. In either case, they plotted to bring down the Lord Jesus.

To this Satanic conspiracy, the Lord Jesus said,
"Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's."

This was surely an overwhelming victory.

In verse 22, it is written that "when they had heard these words, they marveled, and left Him and went their way."

Satan went away.
Do you recall Matthew 4:11?

"Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him."
...this scene...

When we always seek God first and think of God first, we can give a sweet answer,
filled with God's wisdom, even when we are asked a malicious question.
Let us pray every day to be filled with God's wisdom!!

And let us keep praying to be filled with the things of God and to be filled with the Holy Spirit.

Then, the Lord Jesus was deluged with other satanic questions.

That is absolutely the same in our case. Satan attacks us by all possible means.

Let us look at verse 23.
Here, the Sadducees appear. These are people who do not believe in the resurrection.

The Sadducees are a sect based around the priest family descendants of Zadok who was appointed as chief priest at the time of King Solomon. You see, don't you?
They were very proud of themselves, being descended from such a grand line.

In terms of their religious position, they were the oldest sect in Judaism.
They especially emphasized the oldest part of the Torah and in political standpoint, they were willing to compromise by accepting reality.
As long as Roman army maintained the political peace and allowed them to continue to worship at the temple, and their financial needs are provided through the money dedicated to the temple, they were satisfied and happy.

Theologically, the Sadducees were the old school (conservative).
Socially, they were realistic.
And they said there was no resurrection.

In Japan during the war, Shinto household altars and photographs of the Emperor were set up in some churches...

History may always repeat itself...
It is no wonder there are many Christians who say "I can understand the Pharisees rather than the Sadducees," isn't it?!

The Pharisees were a reform group opposed to the conservative Sadducees.
They had respect for strict observance of the Law rather than temple worship, and did not accept the political attitude of compromise towards Rome.
The schema can be described like Sadducees (priests) versus Pharisees (scribes).

To the question of the Sadducees, the Lord Jesus answered in verse 29;
"You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God."

Therefore, you can understand what is said in verse 34, can't you?

"But when the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together."

In chapter 22, the arguments of the people with different positions were laid in the questions put to the Lord Jesus from both parties. Their intention to try to find out how Jesus will reply to these questions are revealed here.

Surely, what is in the heart comes out of the mouth.

And the Lord Jesus taught us the most important commandment.

In verse 37, it is written that

"You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind."

In verse 41, it was the Lord Jesus' turn to ask the Pharisees a question.
And as a result, in verse 46, it is written that
"And no one was able to answer Him a word, nor from that day on did anyone dare question Him anymore."

When we serve God and love God wholeheartedly, Satan goes away from us.

Let us love the Lord, and obey Him this week, too.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　