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Matthew 22:1. Jesus, continuing to speak to them in parables, said: Matthew 22:2. like the kingdom of heaven to the man king, who held a wedding feast for his son Matthew 22:3. and he sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast; and didn't want to come. Matthew 22:4. Again he sent other slaves, saying: Tell those who are invited: behold, I have prepared my dinner, my bullocks and what is fattened, slaughtered, and everything is ready; come to the wedding feast. Matthew 22:5. But they, despising this, went, some to their field, and some to their trade; Matthew 22:6. the others, seizing his slaves, insulted and killed them. Matthew 22:7. Hearing about this, the king became angry and, sending his troops, destroyed their killers and burned their city. Like the parable of the vineyard, this parable also depicts the unbelief of the Jews, only the first parable speaks of the death of Christ, and this one speaks of the joy of marriage, that is, the resurrection. In addition, the more serious sins of the Jews are exposed here than in the first parable. There, when they were asked for fruit, they killed those who demanded it, but here they commit murder when they are invited to a feast. God is likened to a man-king: He is not as He is, but as He is in relation to us. When we, as people subject to human infirmities, die, God appears to us as a man; when we become godlike, then God stands in the host of gods; finally, if we live like animals, then God turns out to be a tiger, leopard or lion for us. God creates a wedding feast for His Son, combining Him with every good-looking soul. The groom is Christ; the bride is both the church and every soul. The slaves sent first were Moses and the saints of his day; The Jews did not believe them, but they grieved God in the desert for forty years and did not want to accept the word of God and spiritual joy. Then other slave prophets were sent, but the Jews killed some of them, like Isaiah, and humiliated others, like Jeremiah, who was thrown into a dirty ditch. The more moderate ones refused the call, and some went to their field, that is, they plunged into a carnal, voluptuous life, for for everyone the field is his body; others retired to their trade, that is, they turned away to a selfish life, for merchants are the most selfish people. Thus, the parable shows that people move away from the spiritual wedding feast, that is, union with Christ and spiritual pleasure, most of all because of the following two passions: either because of voluptuousness, or because of covetousness. The spiritual feast is called dinner here, but in other places it is called supper. It is a supper, for this wedding feast was fully revealed in recent times, towards the evening, that is, towards the end of the centuries, but at the same time it is also a dinner, because the mystery was proclaimed before, although not so openly. "The bulls and the fatten" denotes the Old and New Testaments. The Old is signified by bulls, since animal sacrifices were made in it, and the New is signified by the provision of grain, for now we offer bread on the altar; they can be called a grain offering, since they are made from flour. Thus, God calls us to partake of the blessings of both the Old and New Testaments. When you see someone clearly interpreting the word of God to his listeners, know that he is giving spiritual bread and feeding the souls of the simple with it. Here you will ask: how is the command given to “call those who are called” - if they are called, then why else call them? But know that each of us is called by nature to goodness, called by reason, by our innate mentor. But God also sends external teachers, so that with an external word they can call those who are already called by nature. The king sent his army, that is, the Romans, destroyed the rebellious Jews, and burned their city Jerusalem, as the historian Joseph accurately narrates. Matthew 22:8. Then he says to his servants: The wedding feast is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy; Matthew 22:9. So go to the crossroads and invite everyone you find to the wedding feast. Matthew 22:10. And those slaves, going out onto the roads, gathered everyone they found, both evil and good; and the wedding feast was filled with those reclining. When the first slaves, Moses and the prophets, did not convince the Jews, then God sent other slaves, the apostles, who called the pagans who had previously walked in false paths, were scattered, wandering along various paths of teachings, and were at crossroads, that is, in complete ignorance and doubt. They disagreed with each other; they were not on the right path, but at crossroads, that is, roundabout paths; these are false teachings that the pagans proclaimed. Some thought this was right, others thought something else. It’s even better to understand it this way: the path is everyone’s way of life, and crossroads or deviations from the path are teachings. The pagans, following the wrong path, that is, leading a shameful life, came to wicked teachings; they invented vile gods, patrons of passions. The apostles, having left Jerusalem to the pagans, gathered everyone: both evil and good, that is, both filled with all sorts of vices, and more moderate ones, who are called “good” in comparison with the first. Matthew 22:11. The king, going in to look at those reclining, saw a man there, not dressed in wedding clothes, Matthew 22:12. and says to him: friend! How did you come here not wearing wedding clothes? He was silent. Matthew 22:13. Then the king said to the servants: Having tied his hands and feet, take him and throw him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth; Matthew 22:14. For many are called, but few are chosen. Entry into the wedding feast occurs without distinction: we are all called, good and evil, only by grace. But then life is subject to a test, which the king carries out carefully, and the lives of many turn out to be desecrated. Let us tremble, brothers, when we think that for anyone whose life is not pure, faith is useless. Such a one is not only cast out from the bridal chamber, but also sent into the fire. Who is this one who wears defiled clothing? This is the one who has not put on the clothing of mercy, kindness and brotherly love. There are many who, deluding themselves with vain hopes, think of receiving the Kingdom of Heaven and, thinking highly of themselves, count themselves among the elect. By interrogating the unworthy, the Lord shows, firstly, that He is philanthropic and fair, and secondly, that we should not condemn anyone, even if someone has obviously sinned, unless he is openly exposed in court. Further, the Lord says to the servants, the punishing angels: “bind his hands and feet,” that is, the soul’s ability to act. In the present century we can act and act one way or another, but in the future our spiritual powers will be bound, and we will not be able to do any good to atone for sins; “Then there will be gnashing of teeth” - this is fruitless repentance. “Many are called,” that is, God calls many, or rather, all, but “a few are chosen,” those who are saved, those worthy of election from God. Calling depends on God, but whether we become chosen or not is our business. With these words, the Lord lets the Jews know that a parable was told about them: they were called, but not chosen, as disobedient. Matthew 22:15. Then the Pharisees went and consulted how to catch Him in words. Matthew 22:16. And they sent their disciples to Him with the Herodians, Since the Pharisees do this with cunning intent, the Evangelist Luke calls those sent “evil people” (literally from Greek - sitting in ambush), because they were sent to catch Christ. Herodians are either Herod's warriors or people who considered Herod to be the promised Messiah. When the prince of Judas became impoverished and Herod ascended the throne, others thought that he was the Messiah. It is with such people that the Pharisees' disciples unite to ensnare Christ. This is how they enter into conversation with Him. saying: Teacher! we know that You are just, and You teach truly the way of God, and do not care about pleasing anyone, for You do not look at any person; Matthew 22:17. So tell us: what do you think? Is it permissible to give tribute to Caesar or not? Matthew 22:18. But Jesus, seeing their wickedness, said: Why are you tempting Me, you hypocrites? Matthew 22:19. show Me the coin with which the tax is paid. They brought Him a denarius. Matthew 22:20. And he says to them: whose image and inscription is this? Matthew 22:21. They say to Him: Caesar's. Then he says to them, “Render therefore the things that are Caesar’s to Caesar, and the things that are God’s to God.” Matthew 22:22. Hearing this, they were surprised and, leaving Him, went away. Thinking to flatter and soften Him with praise, they speak insinuatingly, in the hope that He, succumbing to their words, will say “they should not give taxes,” and on this basis they will seize Him as a rebel, inciting the people against Caesar. That is why they brought with them the Herodians, devoted to the royal power. They say: “You do not look at any face,” that is, you will not say anything to please Pilate or Herod. So, tell us: should we be tributaries to people and give them taxes, just as we give the didrachm to God, or should we pay only to God? They said this, as it was said, for the following purpose: if He says: “You should not pay tribute to Caesar,” He will be captured and killed, as a supporter of Judas and Theudas, who rebelled against making sacrifices in the name of Caesar. But Jesus, based on the image of Caesar on the coin, admonishes them: what bears the image of Caesar and what, therefore, belongs to him, must be given to Caesar. In general, this means the following: in external matters relating to bodily life, one must obey the kings, and in internal, spiritual matters - to God. It can be understood this way: each of us must give to the demon, this Caesar of the underworld, what belongs to him. For example, you are angry: anger is from Caesar, that is, from the evil one; direct your anger at the true culprit; in other words: be angry and be at enmity with the devil. In this way you will give God’s things to God: you will fulfill His command. Another understanding: we are dual - we consist of body and soul: to the body, like Caesar, we must give food and clothing, and to the more elevated in us - the soul, what corresponds to it. Matthew 22:23. That day the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Him and asked Him: Matthew 22:24. Teacher! Moses said: If a man dies without having children, let his brother take his wife for himself and restore seed to his brother; Matthew 22:25. We had seven brothers; the first, having married, died and, having no children, left his wife to his brother; Matthew 22:26. likewise the second and the third, even up to the seventh. Matthew 22:27. After all, the wife also died; Matthew 22:28. So, in the resurrection, which of the seven will she be the wife of? for everyone had it. After the Pharisees and Herodians were brought into silence, the Lord was also tempted by the Sadducees. The teaching of this sect was this: the Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection, nor in spirits, nor in angels, being opponents of the Pharisees. This time they invented an event that did not actually happen. In fact, let us assume that two brothers, having married such and such a woman one after another, died. Could it be that the third, taught by the experience of his predecessors, would not come to his senses and refuse marriage? The Sadducees invent this, hoping to put Christ in difficulty and refute the doctrine of the resurrection, and they present Moses as a supporter of their invention. They said that there were precisely “seven” brothers, in order to ridicule the mystery of the resurrection more offensively. Now, they say, which of them will have the wife? One could, of course, answer them this way: foolish Sadducees! of course, to the first husband, if the marriage had remained valid during the resurrection, since other husbands are not real legal spouses, but only substitutes. Matthew 22:29. Jesus answered and said to them, “You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures or the power of God, Matthew 22:30. for in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but remain as the Angels of God in heaven. Matthew 22:31. And regarding the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what God said to you: Matthew 22:32. Am I the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living. Matthew 22:33. And when the people heard, they marveled at His teaching. The Savior shows both that there will be a resurrection and that it will not be as crudely carnal as they imagined, but sublime and spiritual. Why, he says, are you mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures or the power of God? If you understood the meaning of Scripture, you would understand that God is not the God of the dead, but of the living. And if you knew the power of God, then it would be clear to you that God can arrange a way of life for people after the resurrection, similar to the life of angels. The Sadducees tried, on the basis of Moses, to overthrow the dogma of the resurrection; The Savior, on the basis of Moses, admonishes them. It is said: “I am the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob”; The meaning of these words is this: God is not the God of those who do not exist, no, He is the God of the living, continuing their existence. He did not say, “I was,” but says, “I am”; although the forefathers died, they continue to live in the hope of resurrection. You will ask: how is it said in another place that He possesses the living and the dead? Know that in the above words the dead are called those who are about to come to life. And here, objecting to the teaching of the Sadducees that the soul does not have immortality and is completely destroyed, the Lord says that God is not the God of the dead, that is, as it seems to you, those who have completely disappeared, but the God of the living, that is, those who have an immortal soul and will one day be resurrected, although now they are dead in body. Matthew 22:34. And the Pharisees, hearing that He had silenced the Sadducees, gathered together. Matthew 22:35. And one of them, a lawyer, tempting Him, asked, saying: Matthew 22:36. Teacher! What is the greatest commandment in the law? Matthew 22:37. Jesus said to him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind: Matthew 22:38. this is the first and greatest commandment; Matthew 22:39. the second is similar to it: love your neighbor as yourself. Matthew 22:40. All the law and the prophets are based on these two commandments. The tempter approaches Christ due to excessive envy. When the Pharisees saw that the Sadducees were put to shame, and the people glorified the Lord for his wisdom, the Pharisees approached with the goal of tempting whether Christ would add something to the first commandment in the form of correcting the law in order to find a reason to accuse Him. The Lord, exposing the malice of the tempters, who came not out of desire to learn, but out of enmity, envy and competition, shows that love is the top of the commandments. He instructs that one must love God not partly, but in such a way as to surrender oneself completely to God. We distinguish three different sides in the human soul: vegetative, animating and rational. Firstly, a person grows, feeds and gives birth to those like himself: in this he is similar to plants; since man is excited and has lusts, he has in common with animals; and because he thinks, he is called rational. And here it is necessary to notice precisely these three parts: “thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy soul” - this is the plant side of man, since plants are in their kind animate; “with all your heart” - here the animal side of man is indicated; “and with all your thoughts” – here is the rational part. So, one must love God with all the soul; this means: one must surrender to Him with all sides and powers of the soul. This is the first great commandment, instructing us in piety. The second, similar to it, prescribes justice to people. There are two paths to destruction: bad teaching and a corrupt life, in accordance with this, so that we do not deviate into wicked teachings, we are commanded to love God, and in order not to fall into a corrupt life, we must love our neighbor. He who loves his neighbor fulfills all the commandments; he who fulfills the commandments loves God, so that these two commandments are united, support each other and contain all the other commandments. Who, loving God and neighbor, will steal, commit evil, kill, commit adultery or commit fornication? This lawyer first came with the goal of tempting, and then, as a result of Christ’s answer, coming to his senses, he received Christ’s praise, as Saint Mark says: “Jesus, seeing that he answered wisely, said to him: you are not far from the Kingdom of God” (Mark 12:34). Matthew 22:41. When the Pharisees had gathered, Jesus asked them: Matthew 22:42. what do you think about Christ? whose son is he? They say to him: Davidov. Matthew 22:43. He says to them: how is it that David, by inspiration, calls Him Lord when he says: Matthew 22:44. The Lord said to my Lord, Sit thou at My right hand, until I make Your enemies Your footstool? Matthew 22:45. So if David calls Him Lord, how can He be his son? Matthew 22:46. And no one could answer Him a word; and from that day no one dared to ask Him. Since the Messiah was considered a simple man, the Lord refutes such an opinion. From David’s prophecy He reveals the truth that He is the Lord: He reveals to them His Divinity. The Pharisees said that Christ would be the son of David, that is, a simple man. But the Lord objects: “how does David call Him Lord?” - and not just calls Him Lord, but “by inspiration,” that is, by the gracious gift of the Spirit, having received a revelation about Him. With these words, the Lord does not deny that He is the Son of David, but reveals that He is not a simple man descended from the seed of David. This is how the Lord asks so that the Pharisees would either admit that they do not know, ask Him and recognize Him, or, having truly confessed, believe, or, finally, not finding an answer, leave in shame and would no longer dare to ask Him.