- Faith to Accomplish the Impossible (21:17-22)
- The Source of Jesus' Authority (21:23-27)
- Pretend Obedience Versus Delayed Obedience (21:28-32)
- The Murderous Tenants (21:33-44)
- The Cowardly Politicians (21:45-46)
- Scorning the King's Son (22:1-14)
- Refusing the King's Invitation Is a Grievous Insult (22:1-6)
- This Act of Treason Warrants Serious Judgment (22:7)
- The Kingdom Belongs to the Humble, Not the Proud (22:8-10)
- Those Inside the Church May Also Dishonor God (22:11-14)
- Caesar or God (22:15-22)
- God's Mission Sometimes Produces Powerful Enemies (22:15-17)
- Jesus Reveals His Opponents' Hypocrisy and Greed (22:19-22)
- Proving the Resurrection (22:23-33)
- Love God and Neighbor (22:34-40)
- David's Son, David's Lord (22:41-46)
Because of the flow of context, it is not clear whether the first passage of this unit (21:17-22) belongs in this section or the preceding one, if Matthew himself would have made such a distinction. The rest of the passages in this section, however, reveal a common theme: Jesus offers his closing public debates with Jerusalem's elite, debates that increase his populist support and further threaten their base of power. Because he is headed for the cross, he can afford to cut through their self-delusions unapologetically. Because he cares about the people as a whole (20:28), he is especially angry with those who claim to lead God's people but in fact have usurped prerogatives that belong to God alone (21:33-45). Christian leaders must beware lest we fall prey to the same temptation (24:48-51).
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