Eighteenth Sunday after Trinity (1882)

Matthew 22:34-46

Among the "foolish and ignorant questions", "which serve neither for teaching nor
for improving life" belong the controversial questions among the Jews that the scribes
addressed to the Lord Jesus.
1
On the whole, they had no less than 248 commandments and
365 prohibitions! They did not concern themselves about the right questions, the questions
concerning divine Law. Jesus wants to free us from those questions and rightly contemplate
them.

Two highly necessary doctrinal questions concerning divine Law.

Let us
1. examine the doctrinal questions with their answers:
a. what does God require of us in His Law?
2

b. are we able to render sufficient obedience to all these demands?
(Refutation of illusion: God demands from people - or yet from His
Christians nothing more than they are able to render.);

2. learn why they are so necessary;
a. because man can have no knowledge of his unspeakable wretchedness
without the proper understanding of the Law
3
,
. he usually thinks it is enough if he only knows the Law,
. he thinks it is possible for him to fulfill the Law: "foolishness!"
4
Thus
also these scribes!
b. because without proper understanding of the Law no true knowledge of
Christ and His work of redemption is possible
5
,
. the Pharisees do not know Jesus
6
,
. they did not ask for the preaching of grace of the Gospel.
7
Where
there is no first part of repentance, the second part also cannot be.
8

G.R.

1
Matthew 22:36.
2
Matthew 22:37-39 (Content of the law, with its threats and promises).
3
Romans 3:20; 7:7-9.
4
Romans 10:2-3.
5
Matthew 22:41-46; Galatians 3:24; Romans 10:4; Galatians 2:21.
6
John 1:26.
7
John 1:11, cf. Matthew 9:12-13.
8
John 8:24; KELG 235:9.