A Dialogue with Deceivers

In this message focused on Matthew 22, Chuck Swindoll examines the intense confrontations that characterized the final week of Jesus' ministry. Swindoll sets a somber tone by describing a visit to Yad Vashem, the Holocaust museum in Jerusalem, where he encountered a Nazi directive to "deceive them all the way to the end." He draws a parallel between this calculated deception and the religious leaders who plotted to trap Jesus, hiding their deadly motives behind flattery and feigned respect [1, 14–17, 23]. The sermon unpacks two major sections of the text. First, Swindoll explores the Parable of the Wedding Feast, where a King (God) invites guests to a banquet for His Son (Jesus). When the original guests (Israel) refuse the invitation and kill the messengers (prophets), the invitation is broadened to the "street corners" to include everyone, good and bad alike (Gentiles) [29–35]. Swindoll emphasizes the crucial detail of the guest without wedding clothes, explaining that to enter God's Kingdom, one must be clothed in the imputed righteousness of Christ rather than their own merit [37–38]. The second half of the message focuses on the "trap" set by the Pharisees and Herodians regarding paying taxes to Caesar. Swindoll highlights Jesus’ brilliant response: "Render to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and to God what belongs to God." This answer not only disarmed His deceivers but established a timeless principle of dual citizenship. Swindoll concludes by applying the concept of "rendering to God," citing financial expert Ron Blue’s maxim that "God owns it all," and challenging believers to offer their highest allegiance and stewardship to the One who gave them life [6, 48, 56–59].

Message Key Facts:

• The Nazi Parallel: Swindoll illustrates the nature of "deceivers" using the history of the Holocaust. He references a sign from the German High Command that read, "Remember, we are to deceive them all the way to the end," comparing this to the Pharisees who plotted behind closed doors to kill Jesus while flattering Him to His face [16–17, 43].
• The Wedding Clothes: In the parable, a man is thrown out for not wearing the proper wedding garment. Swindoll interprets this clothing as "imputed righteousness." Believers cannot attend God's banquet on their own terms; they must be clothed in the righteousness credited to them through faith in Jesus Christ [37–38].
• Calling vs. Choosing: Swindoll clarifies the phrase "many are called but few are chosen" (Matthew 22:14) by rephrasing it: "Many are invited, but few accept." The invitation is open to all, but only those who accept God's terms are chosen.
• The Tax Trap: The question "Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar?" was a lose-lose trap. If Jesus said "no," He would be arrested for insurrection against Rome. If He said "yes," He would be seen as supporting a graven image (Caesar) and lose the support of the Jewish people [45–46].
• "Render" Means "Pay Back": Swindoll notes that the word "give" (or render) in Jesus' answer means "to give back as one would pay a debt." Paying taxes is simply paying for the benefits of citizenship, but giving to God is acknowledging His ownership of one’s life.
• God Owns It All: Swindoll shares a life principle learned from Ron Blue: "God owns it all." This acknowledgment cures selfishness and anxiety, reminding believers that their children, possessions, and very breath belong to God [58–59].
• Hypocrisy Exposed: Jesus openly called the leaders "hypocrites" to their faces. Swindoll notes the rarity of such boldness, observing that when a hypocrite is truly confronted, they rarely admit guilt—they simply "walk away," just as the Pharisees did [50–51].
• Three Theological Lessons:
  1. God is Sovereign: It is His banquet, and He sets the rules.
  2. God is Just: He has the right to determine who attends (through Christ) and who does not.
  3. God is God: To Him, we owe our highest allegiance, above any earthly power [52–56].

Message References:

• Matthew 22:1–14: The Parable of the Wedding Feast, illustrating the invitation to salvation and the rejection by the original guests [3–5].
• Matthew 22:15–22: The account of the Pharisees and Herodians attempting to trap Jesus with the question of paying taxes to Caesar [5–7].
• John 1:11: "He came to His own, but His own did not receive Him" (referenced regarding Israel’s rejection of the invitation).
• Hebrews 11: Referenced to describe the history of the prophets who were insulted, tortured, and killed (the "servants" in the parable).
• John 14:6: "I am the way, the truth, and the life," cited to affirm that no one—regardless of rank or intellect—comes to the Father except through Christ.
• Romans 11:11, 15: Referenced regarding the message of salvation opening up to the Gentiles.

Message Speaker:

Pastor Chuck Swindoll