TRANSLATION MATTHEW 22: 41

As the Pharisees were assembled, Jesus questioned them, “What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is he?”

The answered, “David’s.”

He said, ” How then does David in the spirit call him Lord? As the psalm says,

The Lord said to my Lord

sit at my right hand

until I have put your enemies

under your feet.

If David calls him Lord, how can he be his son?”

Nobody could answer him a single word; and from that day, nobody dared to question him any more.

.

The lion has defended herself against her attackers; now she turns and attacks them. In the citadel of the religious leaders, Jesus refers to (another animal metaphor) the elephant in the room. Through the temple episode this has been the hidden question: Is he the Messiah? And even if he isn’t, does he think he is? If he is, then the religious authorities will have to submit to him. If he just thinks he is, how will he use his influence over the crowds?

Jesus touches this topic very gently, by asking whose son the Messiah is? There were differing answers to this question amongst groups in Israel, Messiah son of Joseph, for example. The Pharisees give the royal answer, David’s. Jesus then uses a well-known Psalm to argue that the Messiah must be altogether superior to King David and his descendants. Jesus is not shown to be making any claim, but his refusal to do so leaves the leaders diminished, knowing that they have no peaceful means of diminishing Jesus.

Matthew ends this episode with Jesus quietly victorious. His magical ministry amongst the Galileans, while bolstered by the people’s trust, is not the invention of a cult, but has withstood the most serious scrutiny by experts in religion. Just because of that however, his enemies will savagely expose his worldly weakness.