And when the multitude heard this, they were astonished at his doctrine.
All Commentaries on Matthew 22:33 Go To Matthew 22
John Chrysostom
AD 407
The disciples of the Pharisees with the Herodians being thus confuted, the Sadducees next offer themselves, whereas the overthrow of those before them ought to have kept them back. But presumption is shameless, stubborn, and ready to attempt things impossible. So the Evangelist, wondering at their folly, expresses this saying, “The same day came to him the Sadducees.”.
For the Devil finding himself unable to crush utterly the religion of God, brought in the sect of the Sadducees denying the resurrection of the dead, thus breaking down all purpose of a righteous life, for who is there would endure adaily struggle against himself, unless he looked to the hope of the resurrection?.
But the Sadducees thought they had now discovered a most convincing argument in favour of their error.
Wisely does He first convict them of folly, in that they did not read; and afterwards of ignorance, in that they did not know God. For of diligence in reading springs knowledge of God, but ignorance is the offspring of neglect.
Or, when He says, “In the resurrection, they neither marry nor are given in marriage,” He referred to what He had said, “Ye know not the power of God;” but when He proceeded, “I am the God of Abraham” to that “Ye know not the Scriptures.”And thus ought we to do; to cavillers first to set forth Scripture authority on any question, and then to show the grounds of reason; but to those who ask out of ignorance to show first the reason, and then the authority. For cavillers ought to be refuted, enquirers taught. To these then who put their question in ignorance, He first shows the reason, saying, “In the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage.”.
In this life that we may die, therefore we are born; and we marry to the end that which death consumes, birth may replenish; therefore where the law of death is taken away, the cause of birth is taken away likewise.
Which is an apt reply to their question. For their reason for judging that there would be no resurrection, was that they supposed that their condition when risen would be the same; this reason then He removes by shewing that their condition would be altered.
And because they had put forward Moses in their Question, He confutes them by Moses, adding, “But concerning the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read. "It is enquired therefore why the Lord should have chosen this testimony which seems ambiguous, and not sufficiently belonging to the truth of the resurrection; and as if by this He had proved the point adds, “He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. "We have said above that the Sadducees confessed neither Angel, nor spirit, nor resurrection of the body, and taught also the death of the soul. But they also received only the five boots of Moses, rejecting the Prophets. It would have been foolish therefore to have brought forward testimonies whose authority they did not admit. To prove the immortality of souls therefore, He brings forward an instance out of Moses, “Iam the God of Abraham” and then straight subjoins, “He it not the Godof the dead, but of the living;” so that having established that souls abide after death, (forasmuch as God could not be the God of those who had noexistence any where,) there might fitly come in the resurrection of bodies which had together with their souls done good or evil.
How then is it said in another place, “Whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.” This which is said here differs from that. The dead are the Lord's, those, that is, who are to live again, not those who have disappeared for ever, and shall not rise again.
And see how the assault of the Jews against Christ becomes more faint. Their first challenge was in a threatening tone, “By what authority doest thou these things,” to oppose which firmness of spirit was needed. Their second was with guile, to meet which was needed wisdom. This last was with ignorant presumption which is easier to cope with than the others. For he that thinks he knows somewhat, when he knows nothing, is an easy conquest for one who has understanding. Thus the attacks of an enemy are vehement at first, but if one endure them with a courageous spirit, he will find them more feeble. "And when the multitudes heard this, they were astonished at his doctrine.”
