Matthew 22: The Hypocrisy of the Jewish Elite - An Indictment of Judaism by the Editor of Matthew
Matthew 22: The Hypocrisy of the Jewish Elite - An Indictment of Judaism by the Editor of Matthew
13 "Then the king told the attendants, 'Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'"
21 "Caesar's," they replied. Then he said to them, "So give back to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's."
32 "'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."
36 "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?"
45 If then David calls him 'Lord,' how can he be his son?
Chapter 22 is shrouded in two types of atmospheres: one of a corporate job interview and the other of an indictment. It seems Jesus is undergoing a stressful interview at the hands of corporate Judaism. In the first section (verses 1-14), Jesus knows exactly who holds the power. As the saying goes, "Know the enemy and know yourself; in a hundred battles, you will never be in peril." The king, a metaphor for the kingdom of heaven, holds the exclusive right to hire, as well as to reward or punish. He can invite whomever he chooses to the banquet, or he can invite everyone. Jesus speaks of the unique authority of the kingdom of heaven. How pleased must the interviewers have been to hear such respectfully articulated words? Jesus starts the interview well.
Chapter 22 serves as an indictment of Judaism by the editor of Matthew, unfolding doctrinal disputes like a drama due to his attack on Judaism. The editor is infinitely generous to Gentiles and the weak but strict and aggressively emphasizes law adherence to the privileged class (Pharisees, Sadducees, elders, priests). Through the questions of the interviewers (the Jewish elite), their faith and reasoning are exposed, while Jesus’ responses present the correct Yahweh faith, that is, the vision of Judaism. Why does the editor, who from the beginning through chapter 21 rejected quid pro quo in God's grace, suddenly introduce a nuance of give-and-take in the first section dealing with selection and salvation? The editor emphasizes God’s boundless grace when the subjects are Gentiles and the weak. However, when combative, the editor’s targets for attack are the Pharisees, Sadducees, the elders of the people, and the priests. This explains the unfamiliarity in chapter 22’s first section.
The pressure interview begins with the issue of taxes (verses 15-22). As always, Mammon has never failed to take first place in reality. They immediately put Jesus between a rock and a hard place, forcing him to choose between God and Caesar. No matter which card he picks, safety is not guaranteed. To the interviewers demanding he choose one card, Jesus picks both. Now, the reason for presenting both cards must be plausible. Haven’t you, the interviewers, also held both cards? At the time, the interviewers, regarding the tax issue, held both the God and Caesar cards. Though they should have only held the God card in faith, they paid their taxes with Roman currency bearing the image of Caesar. Jesus chose the interviewers' choice. What wisdom in his response! Jesus handles himself neither outshining nor falling behind the interviewers.
The interviewers are not easy to please. They have not conducted pressure interviews just once or twice. They brought up the issue of marriage at the resurrection, a Jewish societal custom, questioning the afterlife (verses 23-33). “You talk about the resurrection, but won’t there be issues between spouses in the resurrection?” It seems Jesus is cornered once again. The world of the resurrection transcends blood relations and kinship. Jesus cites angels, recognized by the interviewers, as an example. In the afterlife, relationships like those of angels will unfold. Do not worry, for the distortions brought about by temporality will be corrected in the world of eternity. Jesus briefly reveals the resetting of new relationships. The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (verse 32). The new relationship connects God and each creature on a one-to-one basis. The relationships among creatures will be reset within their relationship with God, resembling the postmodern proposal of inter-subjectivity.
Finally, a senior interviewer steps forward. A high-ranking official politely asked, “What do you think is the core of the Law?” (verses 34-40) He wants to see if the candidate has real skills, not just witty retorts. The high-ranking official’s question is not something that can be answered by merely studying the Law in the synagogue. He is asking if Jesus, a man from rural Galilee, knows the Law well enough to join corporate Judaism. Jesus summarizes the Law and the Prophets in a nutshell: love for God and love for one’s neighbor. Perhaps the high-ranking official checked Jesus’ name.
Finally, the interviewers allowed Jesus to speak freely. Though it seems to relieve the pressure of the interview, it could be a moment of downfall for the interviewee. Jesus caused a stir. “You pride yourselves on being descendants of David, right? And you think the Messiah is David’s descendant, right? Then why don’t you believe in him if David himself called the Messiah 'Lord'?” Jesus exposes the interviewers’ contradiction by raising the issue of the Messiah's temporality. For the privileged class, the Messiah is someone who has yet to come, not someone who has already arrived. Jesus, seizing the sword from the interviewer, did he get hired in corporate Judaism? Or did a group of senior executives, finding Jesus’ behavior extraordinary, offer him a special recruitment?