20160321 Monday, March 21 2016
Matthew 22: The Two Super Commandments

by Wayne Blank
See also 1 Year Holy Bible Reading Plan

"Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great Commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself"

The English-language word "super" originated from a Latin word, of the same spelling, that meant over, or above. The antichrist (as it later made itself when it created its own version of "Christianity"; see Constantine's Crusades In History And Prophecy) Roman Empire was the first "superpower" i.e. they were the first to use their Latin word "super" to describe their aggressive imperial rule over other nations (there were of course many "superpowers" that rose and collapsed before and after Rome - the one inevitable factor that all man-made "superpowers" have in common is that they eventually fall, either by military defeat from without, or self-destructive moral depravity and corruption from within; see also The Empires Of Bible History And Prophecy and the Fact Finder question below).

The word "super" itself is the basis for other English-language words, such as supreme, superior and summit. There are of course other words that mean "super," most-importantly for our purposes here, those in the Hebrew and Greek of the Scriptures. As we will read, the LORD (see The Identity Of The LORD God and The LORD God Our Saviour) declared two "super" Commandments over all of the other Commandments (as we will get to, the Ten Commandments are based upon the "two Greatest Commandments") and principles of Truth. In fact, everything that the Messiah taught was from the "two Greatest Commandments."

The Messiah's parable (see The Meaning Of Parables) of the wedding feast is a prophecy of the coming Kingdom of God (see What Gospel Did Jesus Preach?). Those who violate the first of the "super" Commandments ("Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind," as explained by the Messiah further below) will not be in the Kingdom of God (see The Patriotism Prophecy).

"22:1 And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said, 22:2 The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, 22:3 And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come.

22:4 Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage.

22:5 But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise: 22:6 And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them. 22:7 But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.

22:8 Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. 22:9 Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage. 22:10 So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests.

22:11 And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: 22:12 And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.

22:13 Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

22:14 For many are called, but few are chosen." (Matthew 22:1-14 KJV)

The Pharisees made themselves subservient to the Roman Empire, the first "super" power (as we explained above) - they obeyed "almighty Rome" more than they truly obeyed Almighty God (although not all were as gutless and unpatriotic in tolerating being ruled by an invader - any invader can be defeated by intelligent, ruthless and merciless defenders of a homeland; as well, ironically, it was the reason that a murderer was released in place of the Messiah - see Why Did They Want A Murderer Released Instead Of Jesus?).

So then, when the Pharisees couldn't cause the Messiah to sin in matters of the Holy Scriptures, they attempted to trap Him politically with the infamous question about paying taxes to "Caesar." The illustration shows two different denarius coins - with both of the Roman emperors who reigned during the lifetime of the Messiah, Caesar Augustus and Tiberius Caesar (see A History Of Jerusalem: Pompey And The Caesars). A coin, identical to one or the other of those shown, was what Jesus was using in the Scriptures below.

"22:15 Then went the Pharisees, and took counsel how they might entangle him in his talk. 22:16 And they sent out unto him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man: for thou regardest not the person of men. 22:17 Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not?

22:18 But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites? 22:19 Shew me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a penny. 22:20 And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription?

22:21 They say unto him, Caesar's.

Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's.

22:22 When they had heard these words, they marvelled, and left him, and went their way." (Matthew 22:15-22 KJV)

Despite being the "religious authorities," the Sadducees and Pharisees disagreed between themselves in matters of the Holy Scriptures e.g. the Sadducees did not believe what the Holy Scriptures plainly say about the resurrection (see Why Did The Sadducees Fear The Messiah?). From that denial, they concocted their question about marriage in the Kingdom of God.

"22:23 The same day came to him the Sadducees, which say that there is no resurrection, and asked him, 22:24 Saying, Master, Moses said, If a man die, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother. 22:25 Now there were with us seven brethren: and the first, when he had married a wife, deceased, and, having no issue, left his wife unto his brother: 22:26 Likewise the second also, and the third, unto the seventh. 22:27 And last of all the woman died also. 22:28 Therefore in the resurrection whose wife shall she be of the seven? for they all had her.

22:29 Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God. 22:30 For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven. 22:31 But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying, 22:32 I am 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.

22:33 And when the multitude heard this, they were astonished at his doctrine." (Matthew 22:23-33 KJV)

Then a lawyer (i.e. a scribe) "asked him a question, tempting him." It was by means of the answer to that question that the Messiah declared the two "super" Commandments, under which all of the Commandments are classified i.e. the First to Fourth of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-11) are under "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind" and the Fifth to the Tenth Commandments (Exodus 20:12-17) are summed up by "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." Everything is based upon the two "super" commandments: "On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."

"22:34 But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together. 22:35 Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, 22:36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law?

22:37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 22:38 This is the first and great commandment. 22:39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 22:40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." (Matthew 22:34-40 KJV)

No matter how many times or how many ways that the Messiah spoke the Truth to them, they just wouldn't, couldn't, hear Him - yet (for the reason, again see The Meaning Of Parables).

"22:41 While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, 22:42 Saying, What think ye of Christ? whose son is he?

They say unto him, The Son of David.

22:43 He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying,

22:44 The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool?

22:45 If David then call him Lord, how is he his son?

22:46 And no man was able to answer him a word, neither durst any man from that day forth ask him any more questions." (Matthew 22:41-46 KJV)

Fact Finder: What always happens to a nation that replaces God's Law with their own self-righteous "laws"?
See What Happens To A Nation When God's Law Is Forsaken? and Iniquity In History And Prophecy; also Is Iniquity Liberal Or Conservative?