Ethical Question About David’s Son
April 5, 2019
Commentary
When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they asked Him an ethical question about the Law (vv. 34-35). They said, “Master which is the great commandment in the law” (v. 36)? This was not a new question for the scribes and Pharisees as they had been debating it for many years. They had documented 613 commandments in the law and had divided them into “heavy” (important) and “light” (unimportant). To them a person needed to major on the “heavy commandments” and not worry about the trivial ones. Of course, this is contrary to Scripture “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet fails in one point, he is guilty of all” (James 2:10).
Jesus answered by quoting from the old testament (vv. 37-40). He began by saying to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, strength, possessions and service (Deut. 6:5). Then he went on to say that love for God cannot be divorced from love for one’s neighbor (Lev. 19:18). In other words, one should not view the law in a legal way. The real concern of the law and the prophets is not some external show of conduct that we may put on for others to see but one’s inner spiritual condition. Love for God and love for all those made in His image form the backbone of everything God says to us in His Word. So Paul can say, “love is the fulfillment of the law” (Rom. 13:10).
While the Pharisees were still standing around Jesus had a personal question for them about the Messiah (v. 41). “What think ye of Christ? Whose son is He?” They answered quickly by saying He was “the son of David” (v. 42). Jesus then quoted (Psa. 110:1) in which David referred to the Messiah as the Lord (vv. 43-45). In other words, if David called this Son “Lord” He certainly must be more than a human son. This silenced all of His opponents (v. 46).
Application
How do I think I would have personally answered the question? “What think ye of Christ?” How would have my answer been any different than that of the Pharisees?
Matthew 22:34– 46 (NET)
34 Now when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they assembled together. 35 And one of them, an expert in religious law, asked him a question to test him: 36 “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” 37 Jesus said to him, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 The second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.”
41 While the Pharisees were assembled, Jesus asked them a question: 42 “What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?” They said, “The son of David.” 43 He said to them, “How then does David by the Spirit call him ‘Lord,’ saying,
44 ‘The Lord said to my lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet”’?
45 If David then calls him ‘Lord,’ how can he be his son?” 46 No one was able to answer him a word, and from that day on no one dared to question him any longer.