How Jesus Answered Questions

GOLDEN TEXT: “The officers answered, Never man spake like this man.” —John 7:46

MATTHEW 22:15-22, 34-40

ONE of the prophecies of the coming Messiah declared that “the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord; and shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord.” (Isa. 11:2,3) While this prophecy has its principal fulfillment in the glorified Christ, it was true also of Jesus in the flesh, for he was given great wisdom and understanding “in the fear of the Lord.”

This latter expression is one of the keys to the Master’s wisdom, for it emphasizes that his answers to questions put to him by his adversaries were not governed in any way by a desire to please them, nor to glorify himself. His only concern was to please his God, and it made little difference to him what construction his enemies might place upon his words, or to what extent they might distort their meaning.

It so happened, however, that Jesus’ answers to questions which were asked with the avowed purpose of entrapping him in some violation either of the Jewish Law, or of the Roman law, were so obviously correct, and displayed such wisdom and understanding, that his enemies were stunned by them. They finally reached the point where they did not dare ask him any further questions. Being the hypocrites they were, they feared lest further questions would lead to additional exposures of their own false position before the people. Being forced into this position, their only other recourse was to plot the Master’s death.

The question, “Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar?” has become a classic. Jesus’ reply has come down to us as an example of how simple an answer can be to a problem which could become a confusing one to the servants of God. It was not only a clever answer, but basically correct. It was this that confounded the scribes and Pharisees when they thought they had asked a question that could not be answered without compromising in one direction or another.

It was true that the currency of the realm was created by the government. The people were permitted to use it as a convenient medium of exchange, but if the government demanded a portion of it in taxes one’s allegiance to divine law would not enter into the matter. It would simply be, as Jesus said, rendering unto Caesar the things which belonged to Caesar.

One could therefore pay taxes to the civil government in Jesus’ day, and at the same time render full devotion to God. There was no conflict between the two obligations. This is also true today. On the other hand, there have been instances during the age when the demands of civil government have run counter to Christian conscience, as, for example, military laws which call for the taking of human life. Under such circumstances a Christian has no alternative but to obey God rather than man.

Having discovered the uselessness of trying to confuse Jesus relative to one’s proper loyalty to God and to civil governments, they then approached him entirely from the standpoint of the Mosaic Law. Which of the commandments is the greatest, they asked, hoping, no doubt, that if he singled out one of the ten as being the most important, they could accuse him of minimizing the importance of the other nine. Thus they could charge him with disloyalty to Moses.

But again they were confounded by Jesus’ answer. Instead of referring to any one of the Ten Commandments as being more important than the others, he quoted Moses’ summary of the intent of them all. “Thou shall love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment.” See Deuteronomy 6:5

Then Jesus added, “the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” See Leviticus 19:18. Here again Jesus avoided quoting one of the Ten Commandments, but used another summary of the Law’s meaning. His first quotation summarizes the meaning of the Law as it relates to our duty towards God, and the second as it relates to our duty toward others. Thus, in the two commandments which Jesus cited as the most important, we find that the intent of the entire Law is set forth.

In the face of an answer like this it was impossible for Jesus’ enemies to accuse him of disloyalty to Moses. At the same time, he reminded them that all of God’s commandments are important, that none of them should be set aside or ignored.—Matt. 5:18,19; Gal. 3:10; Jas. 2:10

QUESTIONS

Did the prophecy of Isaiah 11:2,3, apply to Jesus in the flesh?

What is the import of the expression, “Quick understanding in the fear of the Lord”?

Is there ever any conflict between a Christian’s duty to God and to man?

Explain the manner in which the two commandments cited by Jesus emphasize the importance of the whole Law of God.

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