Manny Pereira - April 25, 2021
Treason by Tribute
In response to His three prosecuting parables, the leaders of Israel scheme to trap Jesus as a hunter traps its prey. But they plot in vain against the Lord’s Anointed (Acts 4:25-27). What begins with supposed intellectual prowess ends with powerful surprise. The best minds are no match for Christ. Their maneuvers fail. With a masterful countermove, Jesus exposes their subversive ploy. They are forced to walk away in muzzled astonishment. Premeditated and pretentious were their wicked wiles. But Jesus could see their intent and turned the tables on them. The irony of a strange sedition backfires. They tempt Jesus to promote treason in the name of tribute. Yet it is they that are committing treason. In the end, Jesus’ answers are more than brilliant, theologically astute, and incontrovertible—they are subtly self-disclosing. The tribute of the people belongs to the true King.
Scripture References: Matthew 22:15-22