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Explanation for:
Matthew
22
:
15
Then the Pharisees going, consulted among themselves how to insnare him in his speech.
12
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{"arr":[{"author-name":"Jerome of Stridon","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88dcd3432c6dd41375498_Jerome%20of%20Stridon.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":4,"exegesis-text":"Not long before that period, during the reign of Augustus Caesar, the Romans had taken control of Judea, and as a census was conducted throughout the empire, the people of Judea were subjected to taxation. This incited significant outrage among the populace, as some argued that taxes should be paid for the sake of security and peace, claiming that the Romans were acting in defense of all. However, the Pharisees, who viewed themselves as the keepers of justice, contended that the people of God—those who honored their tithes, presented their firstfruits, and adhered to all the commandments of the law—should not be obligated to abide by human regulations."},{"author-name":"John Chrysostom","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88ea76859f9f8e2ffd3ee_John%20Chrysostom.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":4,"exegesis-text":"When is the moment referred to as \\"Then\\"? It is the time when the heart must be profoundly broken, when one must marvel at the incarnation of God, when fear of the impending judgment may arise, and when, reflecting on what has already been fulfilled, one learns to trust in what is yet to be realized. The words of the Redeemer were evidently substantiated by the occurrences themselves. Indeed, tax collectors and sinners were transformed by faith, while prophets and the righteous faced persecution and death. Aware of this, the Pharisees ought to have recognized the truth of their foretold demise and engaged in belief and contemplation. Yet, their animosity persisted, causing them continued anguish, which only intensified. Unable to apprehend Jesus due to their fear of the crowds, they opted for a different tactic, seeking to endanger Him by falsely accusing Him of violating public laws."},{"author-name":"Anonymous Commentary (Opus Imperfectum)","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":4,"exegesis-text":"Truth often disrupts malevolent designs but does not amend them. This principle notably applies to individuals who sin deliberately rather than out of ignorance. For instance, the chief priests were unable to intimidate the Lord when they inquired, \\"By what authority do you do these things, and who gave you this authority?\\" (Matthew 21:28). However, when the significance of His parables baffled them, they rendered their own condemnation by declaring, \\"These wicked men will be put to an evil death\\" (Matthew 21:41). The absence of testimonies against them suggests that their own consciences drove them to make such a statement. Yet, it was not the dread of sin that gripped their hearts, nor was it the prospect of liberation from sin that restrained them. So what was it? The Pharisees subsequently gathered to conspire against Him, attempting to ensnare Him with His own words. Just as one might attempt to dam a stream only to have the water forge a new path, the malevolence of these individuals, thwarted in one avenue, sought an alternative outlet."},{"author-name":"Theophylact of Bulgaria","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8989296bafed9104677d7_Theophylact%20of%20Bulgaria.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":11,"exegesis-text":"Given the deceitful motives of the Pharisees, Luke refers to those dispatched by the evangelist as ‘evil individuals,’ a term that literally translates from Greek as those lying in wait, because they were sent to ensnare Christ."},{"author-name":"Euthymios Zigabenos","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":11,"exegesis-text":"The Pharisees gathered together and plotted, proposing, “Let us ensnare Him with a clever remark!” Nothing that had been communicated had impacted their hearts; consumed by jealousy, they resorted to cunning strategies. Unable to apprehend Jesus because of the crowd, as previously noted, they sought to entrap Him with a challenging question."},{"author-name":"Michail (Lusin)","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c89550c567e172d15b3055_Michail%20(Lusin).png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"When their hearts should be most contrite, marveling at God's mercy and fearing the impending judgment, they should reflect on what has been achieved and trust in what is yet to come. Nevertheless, this awareness does not quell the malice of the Pharisees; instead, it torments them even more. Unable to seize Jesus due to their fear of the crowd, they resorted to a different strategy. They met to conspire, seeking to ensnare Him in His words, looking for some statement that they could use to accuse Him and bring about His ruin."},{"author-name":"Abbot Panteleimon about the Trinity","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"From the moment the high priest Caiaphas made his unintentional prophecy that it was preferable for one to perish for the people, it seems that not a single day has gone by without the members of the Sanhedrin convening to deliberate on how to ensnare and eliminate Jesus by any means possible. The Pharisees did not shy away from forming an alliance even with the Herodians, the supporters of King Herod, whom they despised; their animosity towards our Lord ran that deep! THEN, as St. Matthew notes, \\"when it was most essential to be broken in heart, to be astonished at the humanity of God, to be terrified at the future judgment, and, looking at what had already been accomplished, to believe what was yet to come\\" (St. John Chrysostom), the PHARISEES WENT AND ASSEMBLED HOW TO CONDEMN HIM IN WORDS, so that they could hand Him over to the authority and might of the governor. They resorted to one of the most perilous and deviously crafted schemes. Aware of the candidness with which Jesus expressed His thoughts, they plotted to pose a question to Him publicly, believing that He would have to respond with either a yes or a no, thus placing Him in jeopardy, whether from the people or from the Romans."},{"author-name":"Gladkow B.I.","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88bf0ceef8c96e09a6521_Gladkow%20B.I..png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"The disgraced members of the Sanhedrin appeared to exit the temple, yet as they distanced themselves from Jesus and the surrounding crowd, they paused to deliberate: What course of action should they take in this scenario? Resorting to overt force was unthinkable, as the people would defend Him; however, inaction was also not an option. Thus, they resolved to enlist unscrupulous individuals who, while feigning righteousness, would attempt to ensnare Him with a careless statement against the authorities, so they could swiftly hand Him over to Pilate, the representative of Caesar's authority."},{"author-name":"Lopuchin A.P.","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c891400ee1341634d2276d_Lopuchin%20A.P..png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"This parable, straightforward in its significance and intent, incited increasing anger among the Jewish leaders and Pharisees. Their rage became so intense that they were on the verge of seizing Him immediately. However, their reluctance was tempered by fear of the crowds, allowing Him to retreat safely to a place of refuge. That very night, or perhaps the following morning, His adversaries convened once more—now seemingly meeting almost every day—to deliberate on how to entrap Him in His words. Their goal was to extract a statement from Him that would provide grounds to charge Him with insurrection and hand Him over to Roman authorities."},{"author-name":"Paul Matwejewski","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8969f5be0d592d5a10576_Paul%20Matwejewski.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"Throughout history, many recognized Christ as the Messiah, for no one before Him had carried out such miraculous deeds: He walked upon the waters, expelled evil spirits, restored sight to the blind and mobility to the lame, and even brought the dead back to life. Yet, the Jewish elders and members of the Sanhedrin, steeped in resentment, denied Jesus Christ as the Savior of humanity and in their malice, resolved to have Him executed, despite finding no fault in Him. Avoiding violent confrontation with the Savior due to fears of stirring public unrest, His adversaries devised a cunning scheme to ensnare Him with words to hand Him over to the authorities and the governor’s power. At the core of this plot were the Pharisees, who meticulously upheld the Mosaic Law. They sought every strategy to fulfill their intent, even uniting with their foes, the supporters of Herod Antipas, the Galilean ruler. The Herodians constituted a distinct faction and shared similar views with the Sadducees. Their primary goal was to preserve favorable ties with the Roman authorities, even at the expense of deeply held national beliefs. Given that the Sadducees were not particularly attached to these beliefs either, the Herodians viewed them as allies, which only fueled the Pharisees’ disdain for both groups. The Pharisees, as staunch defenders of the Law and Jewish identity, detested the changes that the Sadducees and their followers embraced but chose to cozy up to their enemies to leverage their influence against the Lord. They dispatched their disciples alongside the Herodians to engage the Divine Master, cloaked in feigned humility and sincerity, to pose a question that had yet to be adequately addressed. This inquiry was timely and seemed equally plausible and perilous. The Jews, stripped of their sovereignty, were compelled to pay taxes to the Romans, a grievance they struggled to accept. Led by the Pharisees, the populace believed that tribute to foreign rulers contradicted the spirit of the Mosaic Law, maintaining that only taxes for religious purposes were mandatory for a true Israelite. In contrast, the followers of Herod and some Sadducees, driven by necessity, deemed it lawful to pay taxes to a foreign government. Deceptively presenting themselves with compliments, the scheming hypocrites approached the Savior with an appearance of respect, saying: “Teacher, we know that you are true and teach the way of God in truth, and you do not care about anyone’s opinion, for you are not swayed by appearances. Tell us, then, what do you think? Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” What a betrayal! As St. John Chrysostom pointed out, they did not ask for what was good or beneficial according to the Law, but rather sought to trap Him in a contradiction to the supreme authority. The flattery with which the Pharisees’ disciples addressed Jesus implied they anticipated a negative reply, presuming that He, claiming to be the Messiah, would not wish to undermine the hopes of people yearning for liberation from foreign oppression. Despite His proclamation of a heavenly and spiritual kingdom, the people still expected worldly blessings from the Messiah, chiefly the restoration of their autonomy. A negative response, particularly in the presence of the Herodians, would have provided the Pharisees with the perfect opportunity to accuse the Savior before the Roman governor, portraying Him as a threat to Roman power and a disruptor of public order—especially dangerous when persuading the people to accept foreign subjugation. They would have rushed to Pilate, to Herod, and even to Rome, proclaiming, “This Man claims there is no need to pay taxes to you. You protect us from robbers, construct bridges, roads, and palaces, and what does He say?” and would have swiftly sought to arrest Him. Conversely, had the Lord affirmed the question posed to Him, the Pharisees would not have been at a loss: They could claim that He did not care for the Jewish people, wishing them to remain in bondage, laboring for their conquerors while surrendering the majority of their income to oppressors. The populace would likely have simmered with rage upon hearing the revered Teacher publicly endorse the Roman authorities while legitimizing tribute to them, inciting a potential backlash against the Lord that His enemies would have eagerly sought. Lastly, if the Savior had refused to dignify the wicked inquiry with a response, the Pharisees could have exploited His silence to undermine His prophetic status among the people."},{"author-name":"Bogolepow D.P.","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"The high priests and Pharisees, embarrassed by the Lord's teachings, sought to apprehend Jesus Christ and put Him on trial, yet they feared the very crowds that supported Him, who anticipated His role as the Messiah. Therefore, the adversaries of Christ attempted to entrap Him with His words in front of the people, aiming to undermine their reverence for Him and find grounds to accuse Him as a criminal (Luke 20:26). They approached Him with a provocative inquiry, questioning, \\"Is it lawful for us, God's chosen people, to give taxes to Caesar or not?\\" The challenge of this question lay in the fact that if Jesus replied negatively, He would be seen as rebelling against Roman authority; conversely, a positive answer would alienate the people, who, influenced by the Pharisees, believed they were meant to serve only the one true God, viewing their allegiance as incompatible with obedience to a foreign, pagan ruler. Jesus' response encapsulated the truth that both allegiances can coexist. It is necessary to give back to the earthly authority a portion of what is earned through its protection, while simultaneously adhering faithfully to the commandments of God."},{"author-name":"Alexander Gorsky","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8884037c1e1c51e1332e2_Alexander%20Gorsky.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"The entire dialogue, rich in parables, offered not merely doctrine but a profound understanding that remains hidden to all but the Lord. It served as a vivid illustration of the curse placed upon the fig tree and arose from the very encounter of the Lord in Jerusalem. The conversation was initiated by the provocative inquiry from the Sanhedrin, \\"By what authority do You do this?\\" Unable to elicit a favorable response concerning the Lord's reprimand from a religious perspective, the Pharisees shifted their focus to different inquiries—this time from a political angle."}]}
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