For many are called, but few are chosen

This is another well known parable about the king who threw a wedding party for his sons and invited people to come. These people rejected the invitation and even killed some of the messengers. The king destroyed them then invited any stranger from the street. The first group of invited people represents God's chosen people Israel who (mostly, but not all) rejected Messiah and faced the consequences. There is a curious part to the story that among the second group who were strangers, one of the guest went in without the wedding garment. When the king saw this, He tied the man up and cast him into darkness. The question is why God invites all Gentiles, as this passage suggest, and cast some who seemed to be not worthy? We can speculate here that the Gentile who was cast out represent those who come in among God's people, but have not really accepted Messiah or repented; otherwise he would be wearing the pure clean robe given by Jesus.

The Pharisees plotted against Jesus by sending their disciples to trap Jesus with questions about paying taxes. Jesus, who saw through their intentions, rebuked and answered them to pay back what belongs to Caesar. They were speechless.

Next came the Sadducees who did not believe in the resurrection, but may be trying to trap Jesus with a question about the resurrection. They ask the case of a woman who had married seven brothers successively after each brother died. They asked that when the woman died, whose wife will she be in heaven. Jesus response was that there is no marriage in heaven and told them that resurrection is scriptural. The Sadducees were speechless too.

The Pharisees tried again by asking one of them who was a lawyer asked which is the greatest commandment. Jesus answered directly, not rebuking, perhaps to teach others too about this important teaching that Love God and Love your Neighbour is the two great commandments which support the rest. Then Jesus turned on the Pharisees by trapping them about the question why did David called the Messiah, who is his descendant, his Lord. Perhaps the Pharisees failed to see that the Messiah had to be divine, hence they were stuck at the question and left.





Matthew 22
The Parable of the Wedding Feast

1 And Jesus answered and spoke to them again by parables and said: 2 “The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son, 3 and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come. 4 Again, he sent out other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fatted cattle are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding.”’ 5 But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business. 6 And the rest seized his servants, treated them spitefully, and killed them. 7 But when the king heard about it, he was furious. And he sent out his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. 8 Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. 9 Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding.’ 10 So those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good. And the wedding hall was filled with guests.

11 “But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment. 12 So he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. 13 Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and[a] cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

14 “For many are called, but few are chosen.”

The Pharisees: Is It Lawful to Pay Taxes to Caesar?

15 Then the Pharisees went and plotted how they might entangle Him in His talk. 16 And they sent to Him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that You are true, and teach the way of God in truth; nor do You care about anyone, for You do not regard the person of men. 17 Tell us, therefore, what do You think? Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?”

18 But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, “Why do you test Me, you hypocrites? 19 Show Me the tax money.”

So they brought Him a denarius.

20 And He said to them, “Whose image and inscription is this?”

21 They said to Him, “Caesar’s.”

And He said to them, “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” 22 When they had heard these words, they marveled, and left Him and went their way.

The Sadducees: What About the Resurrection?

23 The same day the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Him and asked Him, 24 saying: “Teacher, Moses said that if a man dies, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife and raise up offspring for his brother. 25 Now there were with us seven brothers. The first died after he had married, and having no offspring, left his wife to his brother. 26 Likewise the second also, and the third, even to the seventh. 27 Last of all the woman died also. 28 Therefore, in the resurrection, whose wife of the seven will she be? For they all had her.”

29 Jesus answered and said to them, “You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God. 30 For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels of God[b] in heaven. 31 But concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God, saying, 32 ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’?[c] God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.” 33 And when the multitudes heard this, they were astonished at His teaching.

The Scribes: Which Is the First Commandment of All?

34 But when the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. 35 Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, 36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?”

37 Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’[d] 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’[e] 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”

Jesus: How Can David Call His Descendant Lord?

41 While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, 42 saying, “What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?”

They said to Him, “The Son of David.”

43 He said to them, “How then does David in the Spirit call Him ‘Lord,’ saying:

44 ‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at My right hand,
Till I make Your enemies Your footstool”’?[f]
45 If David then calls Him ‘Lord,’ how is He his Son?” 46 And no one was able to answer Him a word, nor from that day on did anyone dare question Him anymore.

Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?

Any one of the many of the things Jesus said and did, is enough for more than one sermon or a serious discussion in itself. So in this blog, many of the events will be described briefly only in the interest of time and space, except for a few perhaps.

Jesus cleansed a leper by saying that He is willing, and command the leper to be cleansed. He told the leper to keep it a secret. Next is the centurion's request to heal his servant. The centurion's faith in Jesus is so strong that He believed Jesus did not have to be in his house for the healing to work, even though Jesus was willing to be there physically. Jesus used the centurion's extraordinary faith as a teaching point for his followers. He also mentioned that the sons of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob will be cast into outer darkness - perhaps meaning that biological descendency from the patriarchs is not enough, instead faith is the key requirement into the kingdom of heaven.

Jesus went on to heal Peter's mother in law and also many of the sick and demon-possessed that was brought to Him. Jesus asked some of the people to follow Him to the other side, one person mentioned he had to bury his father first. Jesus said following Him was more important.

Jesus and His disciples were on a boat when a great storm raged and tossed the boat. Jesus slept while the disciples panicked. They woke Jesus and Jesus commanded the storm to stop. This displayed to them Jesus authority and command over nature and creation.

Jesus landed on the other side of the sea in the region called Gergesenes where two demon-possessed men met him. They recognized Jesus as the Son of God, and begged to be cast out into the pigs. Perhaps they thought being in the pigs would be better than whatever else Jesus could have done to them. When they were cast into the pigs, the pigs ran over the cliff. The residents heard about this but instead of thanking Jesus they asked Him to leave.


Prophecies fulfilled: Isaiah 53:4 " He Himself took our infirmities And bore our sicknesses"



Matthew 8
Jesus Cleanses a Leper

1 When He had come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed Him. 2 And behold, a leper came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.”

3 Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed.

4 And Jesus said to him, “See that you tell no one; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”

Jesus Heals a Centurion’s Servant

5 Now when Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, pleading with Him, 6 saying, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented.”

7 And Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.”

8 The centurion answered and said, “Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed. 9 For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

10 When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, “Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel! 11 And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. 12 But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” 13 Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you.” And his servant was healed that same hour.

Peter’s Mother-in-Law Healed

14 Now when Jesus had come into Peter’s house, He saw his wife’s mother lying sick with a fever. 15 So He touched her hand, and the fever left her. And she arose and served them.[a]

Many Healed in the Evening

16 When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick, 17 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying:

“He Himself took our infirmities
And bore our sicknesses.”[b]


The Cost of Discipleship

18 And when Jesus saw great multitudes about Him, He gave a command to depart to the other side. 19 Then a certain scribe came and said to Him, “Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go.”

20 And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”

21 Then another of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.”

22 But Jesus said to him, “Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”



Wind and Wave Obey Jesus

23 Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him. 24 And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. But He was asleep. 25 Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!”

26 But He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. 27 So the men marveled, saying, “Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?”

Two Demon-Possessed Men Healed

28 When He had come to the other side, to the country of the Gergesenes,[c] there met Him two demon-possessed men, coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that no one could pass that way. 29 And suddenly they cried out, saying, “What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?”

30 Now a good way off from them there was a herd of many swine feeding. 31 So the demons begged Him, saying, “If You cast us out, permit us to go away[d] into the herd of swine.”

32 And He said to them, “Go.” So when they had come out, they went into the herd of swine. And suddenly the whole herd of swine ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and perished in the water.

33 Then those who kept them fled; and they went away into the city and told everything, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men. 34 And behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus. And when they saw Him, they begged Him to depart from their region.