Latter-day Saint Seminar Volume 3, Number 20 June 9, 1999 ________________________________________________________________________ Table of Contents ________________________________________________________________________ GD20 - Matthew 21-23; John 12:1-8 Article 1 - Comments, by Alan D. Eastman adeastm@ppco.com ________________________________________________________________________ Comments, by Alan D. Eastman ________________________________________________________________________ Lesson 20 - Matthew 21-23, John 12:1-8 Woe unto you...hypocrites OVERVIEW - This lesson treats the first three days of Passion Week (i.e., the 6th, 5th, and 4th days before Passover), including Jesus' entry into Jerusalem (Palm Sunday). He raises the level of challenge to the scribes and Pharisees and adds the Sadducees to the list of his enemies. He is deliberately goading them, setting them up to carry out his mission, pointing out their hypocrisy. Basically, in this lesson, the Savior succeeds in getting everybody mad at him except for the common people. John 12:1-8 treats Mary anointing the Savior with spikenard and gives a clue to Judas Iscariot's character. Matthew Chapter 21 treats the Savior's entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday (v 1-11), the barren fig tree (v 18-19), the second cleansing of the temple (v 12-16), a discourse on faith and prayer (v 20-22), the Pharisees' challenge to his authority (v 23-27), and the parables of the Two Sons (v 28-32) and the Wicked Husbandmen (v 33-46.) Chapter 22 contains the parable of the Marriage of the King's Son (v 1-14), paying tribute to Caesar (v 15-22), marriage after the resurrection (v 23-33), the great commandment in the Law (v 34-40), and the Savior's question of the Pharisees, "what think ye of Christ?" In Chapter 23, the Savior warns the multitude, in the strongest terms, against the scribes and Pharisees (v 1-36) and laments over Jerusalem (v 37-39.) Obviously, there is far too much here for a single lesson, so use the background information to support your lesson plan. The manual suggests we talk about hypocrisy. The scriptural passages here suggest that we might contrast the hypocrisy of the scribes and Pharisees with true faith, then examine our own lives and behavior to see how well we comply with the two great commandments in the Law. RESOURCES - The LDS-Gems New Testament archive has a wonderful discussion of the meanings of the word hypocrite, considering the original Greek hupokrites. You can find it at http://www.lds-gems.com/archive/nt/ In Talmage's Jesus the Christ, the lesson is treated in Chapters 29-31. The New Testament Video Presentations videotape, 4-New Testament Customs, Segment 2, "Phylacteries" contains information on phylacteries and garment borders which helps explain Matthew 23:5. There are many pictures in the typical LDS meetinghouse library which are appropriate, including these: Old New Subject OQ173 62173 Jesus entering Jerusalem on Palm Sunday OQ163 Jesus cleansing the temple OQ168 Mary anointing Jesus' feet with her hair OQ296 Jesus discussing giving tribute to Caesar Jesus considering Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives TIME - 6, 5, and 4 days before Passover; the days before and after Palm Sunday. PLACE - At the beginning, he leaves Ephraim (probably in the hill country northeast of Jerusalem, John 11:54) and goes to Bethany, about two miles southeast of Jerusalem (Matt. 21:17). That day's events are described in John 12:1-8. The next morning, Jesus visits the Mount of Olives (Matt. 21:1-5), which is East of and opposite Jerusalem. Later that day is the triumphal entry into Jerusalem, Matt. 21:6-16. Jesus then returns to Bethany for the night, returning the next morning to Jerusalem, seeing the sterile fig tree (Matt. 21:18-22) on the way. He preaches in the temple (Matt. 21:23 through the end of Matthew 24.) AUDIENCE - Generally, this events in this lesson happen in front of the large crowds of people who gather in Jerusalem for the Passover. Jesus is making his challenge to the scribes and Pharisees in the most visible place in Jewish society. PARALLEL PASSAGES - The passage in John is paralleled by Matthew 26:6-13 and Mark 14:3-9. Matthew 21-23 is paralleled by Mark 11-12. Luke 19-20, but also Luke 10:25-37, 11:37-54, 13:34-35, 14:1-24, 18:9-14, and 21:1-4 parallel Matthew 21-23. It is especially important to refer to those parallel passages, as the Inspired Version contains a number of significant changes in the parallel passages which explain and clarify what is going on in the Gospel of Matthew. Comments on John 12:1-8 This day constitutes the last Sabbath in the Savior's earthly life. He chooses to spend it in the home of Lazarus and his sisters. This was probably the Savior's closest approach to an earthly home; for him who had 'not place to lay his head,' this home appears to have been the place where he was most at ease. v 3 - Spikenard is made from an aromatic herb native to India, but common in the Middle East. A pound of such ointment is an extravagant amount to use, as a few drops would suffice for most purposes up to and including anointing a king. The only exception would be the anointing of a dead person as a token of respect and to delay the perception of bodily decay. A pound of spikenard would represent nearly a year's wages for an ordinary laborer; verse 5 gives the price as 300 pence, and one penny was a typical day's wage. v 4-6 - Judas carried the funds for the disciples. John is careful to point out that Judas' concern was not for the poor, but for the money. Was Judas a thief, as John accuses? We do not know. v 7-8 - The IV clarifies the Savior's response, but it is necessary to consider both Mark and John to get the complete story: KJV IV --- -- John 12:7 Then said Jesus, John 12:7 Then said Jesus, Let her alone Let her alone Against the day of my burying Hath she kept this for she hath preserved this ointment until now, that she might anoint me in token of my burial. Mark 14:7 For ye have the poor Ye have the poor with you always, and with you always and whensoever ye will and whensoever ye will ye may do them good; ye may do them good but me ye have not always but me ye have not always. 8 For verily she has come beforehand to anoint my body to the burying 8 She hath done what she could; She has done what she could; and this which she had done unto me shall be had in remembrance in generations to come, wheresoever my gospel shall be preached. she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying. Comments on Matthew 21 v 1-11 - The triumphal entry into Jerusalem; also described in Mark 11:1-11, Luke 19:29-40, and John 12:12-19. v 2 - Matthew says that the disciples took an ass with her colt; the IV corrects the verse to include only the colt, putting the verse in accord with the accounts in Mark, Luke, and John. v 4-5 - Matthew shows the entry as the fulfillment of Zechariah 9:9. John, on the other hand, notes that people were interested in seeing Jesus because they had heard of the raising of Lazarus. v 8 - The spreading of garments and tree branches (palm branches, given the Mediterranean climate of Jerusalem, hence Palm Sunday) was usually accorded only to conquerors and/or royalty. Jesus shows no reluctance to accept that role. It is interesting that the Romans, usually quick to send troops from the Antonia Fortress, to quell any hint of an uprising, left Jesus alone. Apparently a king riding on an ass and heralded by a crowd with palm fronds instead of weapons was not very threatening to them. The Pharisees, on the other hand, were more than a little nervous about the possibility of provoking a Roman response. Note that Luke 19:39 shows the Pharisees asking the Savior to quiet the people and thus not disturb the Romans. Jesus' answer (Luke 19:40) that the very stones would then proclaim him King must have been more than a little disquieting. v 9-11 - Note that the crowd seems to acknowledge Jesus a prophet only. However, that they called him the Son of David was evidence to the Pharisees that the people considered him the Messiah, as the Son of David is another of the Messiah's titles. Note that in the IV version of Mark 11:11, Jesus enters the Temple, looks around 'upon all things,' then blesses the disciples before returning to Bethany for the night. v 12-17 (cf Mark 11:15-19, Luke 19:45-48) - The next morning (Monday), Jesus again cleanses the Temple (the first time was described in John 2:14-17); he also heals the blind and the lame, and is acclaimed by the people as the Son of David (i.e., the Messiah.) When the Pharisees rebuke him for allowing the people to so label him, Jesus cites Psalms 8:2 and likens the people to babes who speak truth despite their lack of learning. v18-19 (cf Mark 11:12-14) - Chronologically, these two verses probably precede v 12-16, since the Savior and his party saw the fig tree on the way into the city from Bethany. Ordinarily, fig blossoms appear well before the leaves, so that when the leaves appear, the fruit is almost ripe. The Savior and the disciples there expected to find fruit to eat on their way. The fig tree incident was probably inserted as a type of the hypocritical Pharisees. Talmage in Jesus the Christ uses it as a symbol of the Judaism of the Savior's day - outwardly flourishing, but ultimately fruitless. v 20-22 (cf Mark 11:20-26) - The next morning, the fig tree which the Savior had cursed has withered away. Jesus uses the occasion to teach about the power of faith. Note the IV rendering of the parallel passage in Mark 11:24: KJV IV --- -- ...what things soever ye desire, ...whatsoever things ye desire, when ye pray, when ye pray, believe that ye shall receive them believe that ye shall receive and ye shall have them. and ye shall have whatsoever ye ask. It is necessary to ask, not just believe. Remember the healing of Bartimaeus (Lesson 19) - he did not just believe, but asked as well. v 21-27 (cf Mark 11:27-33, Luke 20:1-8) - The Temple leadership (i.e., 'chief priests') challenge Jesus' authority to preach. Though any Jewish man had the right, by long custom, to discuss the Scriptures within the Temple precincts, the chief priests in Jesus' day jealously guarded their privileges, and wished to assure the primacy of their spin on the doctrine. The questions asked the Savior in v 23 ' by what authority doest thou these things? And who gave thee this authority?' were both clearly non-scriptural, and perfectly consistent with the leadership's efforts to be the only approved source of doctrine. Rather than answer their questions directly, the Savior simply asks them the source of John the Baptist's authority to preach and baptize. The could give no meaningful reply without abandoning their own position and validating the Savior's. v 28-32 - The parable of the Two Sons. Rather than meekly going away, as he had in the past, the Savior used this opportunity to like the temple leaders to the son who was called, accepted the call, and did not in the end obey his father. v 33-41 (cf Mark 21:1-9, Luke 20:9-16) - Going even further, the Savior now tells the parable of the Wicked Husbandmen; this time he likens the Jewish leaders not just to the slothful son of the previous parable, but to deliberate murderers who commit lèse majesté by killing the prince. Note the IV rendering of v 33, which inserts the following before the start of the verse in the KJV: For he that believed not John concerning me cannot believe me, except he first repent. And except ye repent, the preaching of John shall condemn you in the day of judgment. An again, hear another parable, for unto you that believe not, I speak in parables that your unrighteousness may be rewarded unto you. v 42-46 (cf Mark 12:10-20, Luke 20:17-19) - Still speaking to the temple leaders (and presumably in the presence of the Passover crowd), the Savior cites Psalms 118:22, with clear reference to himself (v 42) and uses the graphic image of a heavy millstone to express the futility of fighting against him. This time (for once) the chief priests and Pharisees understood that Jesus was talking about them. The IV adds to the end of v 45: And they said among themselves, Shall this man think that he alone can spoil this great kingdom? And they were angry with him. The Savior then took the occasion to explain in greater detail to his disciples, as recorded in the IV, which appends the following to the end of v 46: And now his disciples came to him, and Jesus said unto them, Marvel ye at the words of the parable which I spake unto them? Verily, I say unto you, I am the stone, and those wicked ones reject me. I am the head of the corner. These Jews shall fall upon me, and shall be broken. And the kingdom of God shall be taken from them, and shall be given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof; (meaning the Gentiles.) Wherefore, on whomsoever this stone shall fall, it shall grind him to powder. And when the Lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, he will destroy those miserable, wicked men, and will let again his vineyard unto other husbandmen, even in the last days, who shall render him the fruits in their seasons. And then understood they the parable which he spake unto them, that the Gentiles should be destroyed also, when the Lord should descend out of heaven to reign in his vineyard, which is the earth and the inhabitants thereof. Comments on Matthew 22 v 1-14 - The parable of the Wedding of the King's Son. According to the IV rendering of v 1, the Savior turns to the people again, and relates this parable. The meaning is relatively straightforward. The Jews in the Savior's audience would have recognized the wedding feast as a prelude to the Day of the Lord, as described in Zephaniah 1:7-8. But what is the significance of the wedding garment (v 12-14)? Elder McConkie suggests that, following the imagery of John in Rev. 19:7-9, the guest who accepted the invitation and joined with the others had joined the Church, but had not put on the robe of righteousness. He had truly been called, but not chosen; significantly for the discussion in the next chapter, he was living hypocritically. It seems that 'choosing' in this context is largely self-selection: the Lord is always calling us, but we ourselves can choose either to acknowledge or to ignore that call. Note that this parable is frankly prophetic with respect to Jerusalem. Within 40 years, the city was destroyed (cf v 7). v 15-22 (cf Mark 12:13-17 Luke 20:20-26) - The sections describes the next of the chief priests' attempts to trap the Savior. They send (v16) both Pharisees and Herodians 'to catch him in his words.' The significance here is that the Pharisees and Herodians were usually bitter political enemies. The Pharisees favored a theocratic government (run by themselves, of course!), while the Herodians wanted a kingdom with the Herods on the throne. Both parties schemed and plotted with the Romans and against each other - except in the case of Jesus, whom both feared and hated enough that they overcame their usual antipathies to work together to discredit him. If Jesus said it was lawful to pay tribute, the Pharisees could claim that he advocated placing the hated and blasphemous Roman state above the Law. On the other hand, if he said that it was illegal to pay taxes, the Herodians could claim that he was in violation of the law of the land. Either way, in their estimation, Jesus was trapped in a no-win situation. Jesus neatly sidestepped their trap. The penny (v 19) was probably a Roman denarius; at that time, it would have featured the likeness of Tiberius or possibly even Augustus on the obverse side, together with an abbreviation for the imperial title. There was a maxim at that time that the person who could cause his name and image to be stamped on a coin was the owner of the coin. Howard W. Hunter, in General Conference in April 1968 noted that the Savior's answer defines the jurisdictions of heaven and earth in our lives. Temporal things belong to the temporal sovereign who name and images are stamped on money, and "the image of God stamped on the heart and soul of a man denotes that all [his] facilities and powers belong to God and should be employed in His service..." v 23-34 (cf Mark 12:18-27, Luke 20:27-38) - Later that day, the Sadducees took their shot at the Savior. They did not believe in resurrection or afterlife and therefore asked the Savior how a specific and unlikely instance of the law of the levirate would be applied. Some have used v 30 to argue against the LDS concept of eternal marriage; we do not have time or space here to discuss that in the appropriate depth. However, you may wish to refer to D&C 132 or to McConkie's Doctrinal New Testament Commentary for more information. The important things here, in the context of the Savior in the Temple, are 1) he told the Sadducees they erred, and knew neither the scriptures nor the power of God. In citing Gen. 32:9 (v32), Jesus demolished the Sadducees argument against life after death by this syllogism: 1) according to the Law, God is the God of the dead Patriarchs, but 2) God is not the God of the dead, but of the living only. Therefore, the 'dead' Patriarchs must be alive, even after their death. This reasoning astonished the crowd and silenced the Sadducees. v 35-40 (cf Mark 12:28-31, Luke 10:25-37) - We have already discussed this subject (see notes to Lesson 14.) Note, however, that the two 'great commandments' are already in the Law; Jesus is not breaking new ground here, but simply emphasizing what the Pharisees had forgotten in their excessive zeal for detail. For the record, the first commandment can be found at Deuteronomy 6:5, the second at Leviticus 19:18. (Why those references are not right in the footnote on p 1227 of the LDS edition of the KJV is a mystery to me!) v 40 - Remember that the Jews referred to the entirety of what we now call the Old Testament as the Law and the Prophets. v 41-46 - Having thus dealt with all that the Pharisees and Sadducees threw at him, the Savior now turned the tables and questioned them, asking them "what think ye of Christ?" He might well ask us the same question. The Pharisees answered that the Messiah would be known as the Son of David. The Savior then pointed out that David referred to the Messiah as Lord; how then could he be David's son? This attack on Jesus' part silenced the Pharisees for good; their attacks on the Savior from here on out would be in actions, not words. v 44 - The quotation is of Psalms 110:1. The unspoken implication is that God and the Messiah are on the same level - that is, the Messiah is also God. Comments on Matthew 23 v 1-36 (cf Mark 12:38-40, Luke 20:45-47) - Jesus castigates the scribes and Pharisees for their hypocrisy. The IV adds sting and clarification to Matthew's account. The short paper from the LDS-Gems list (referenced above) is an excellent discussion of the meaning and manifestations of hypocrisy. v 2 - '...the scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat", By this, the Savior was referring to Moses' position as supervisor of the Temple and its ordinances. The scribes and Pharisees, in addition to ruling the Temple, also attempted to be, like Moses, the temporal rulers of Israel (at least, as far as the Romans would permit.) v 3 - Note the differences in the IV: KJV IV --- -- All therefore whatsoever All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, they bid you observe, that observe and do they will make you observe and do; for they are ministers of the law, and they make themselves your judges; but do not ye after their works; but do not ye after their works; for they say, and do not. for they say, and do not. The Savior makes very clear that the Pharisees require of others some things which they are not themselves willing to do. This is hypocrisy in its purest and most malignant form. v 5 - Phylacteries were little leather cases containing several verses of scriptures. They were worn on the forearm and on the forehead of devout Jews. According to the Law, Jewish men were required to have a blue thread at the corners of their overgarment. Part of the hypocrisy of the scribes and Pharisees was to make these reminders of the Law and the Lord into showy and obvious adornments of their persons. v 7 - the IV inserts the translation '(which is master)' after the end of this verse. v 8-10 - Note the IV: But be not ye called Rabbi, for one is your Master, which is Christ; and all ye are brethren. And call no one your creator upon the earth, or your heavenly Father; for one is you creator and heavenly Father, even he who is in heaven. Neither be ye called masters; for one is your Master, even he whom your heavenly Father sent, which is Christ, For he hath sent him among you that ye might have life. v 12 - The IV says "abased of him" and "exalted of him," emphasizing that the Savior is the one who does the abasing and exalting, not ourselves. v 14 - The IV says "punishment," not "damnation." v 15 - The IV renders this: "...ye make him twofold more the child of hell than he was before, like unto yourselves." v 24 - The IV renders this verse: Ye blind guides, who strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel; who make yourselves appear unto men that ye would not commit the least sin, and yet ye yourselves transgress the whole law. v 31-32 - The IV reads : Wherefore ye are witnesses unto yourselves of your own wickedness, and ye are the children of them who killed the prophets. And will fill up the measure then of your fathers, for ye yourselves kill the prophets like unto your fathers. v 37 - Jesus adds to the condemnation of the chief priests, and makes the transition to weeping over Jerusalem. Compare the KJV and IV: KJV IV --- -- Ye bear testimony against your fathers Ye bear testimony against your fathers when ye, yourselves, are partakers when ye, yourselves, are partakers of the same wickedness. of the same wickedness. Behold your fathers did it Behold your fathers did it through ignorance, but ye do not; through ignorance, but ye do not; wherefore, their sins shall be wherefore, their sins shall be upon your heads. upon your heads. Then Jesus began to weep over Jerusalem, Then Jesus began to weep over Jerusalem, Saying O Jerusalem, Jerusalem O Jerusalem, Jerusalem thou that killest ye who will kill the prophets the prophets, and stonest them and will stone them which are sent unto thee, who are sent unto you, how often would I have gathered how often would I have gathered thy children together your children together even as a hen gathereth even as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings, her chickens under her wings, and ye would not. And ye would not. 38 Behold, your house is 38 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. Left unto you desolate. 39 For I say unto you, 39 For I say unto you, that ye shall not see me henceforth, ye shall not see me henceforth, and know that I am he of whom and know that I am he of whom it is written by the prophets till ye shall say, until ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh Blessed is he who cometh in the name of the Lord. in the name of the Lord in the clouds of heaven, and all the holy angels with him. Then understood his disciples that he should come again on the earth, after that he was glorified and crowned on the right hand of God. Note that v 38 is frankly prophetic with respect to Jerusalem: within 40 years, the city was destroyed, and 'your house' (i.e., the Temple) was left desolate and abandoned by the Jews, not to be rebuilt until the Last Days. ________________________________________________________________________ Next Assignment: JS-Matthew 1 [Matthew 24] ________________________________________________________________________ A note to readers: LDS Seminar Digest [LDSS-D] is a summary of posts made to LDS Seminar, an open forum for discussion on upcoming Gospel Doctrine lessons. LDS Seminar [LDSS] posts are open to exegesis, textual analysis, historical issues, and life applications. Submissions to LDSS will not be edited for content, but not all submissions will be automatically included in LDSS-D. LDSS-D is a one way list, subscribers cannot post to LDSS-D. If you wish to post you must join LDSS. 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