Matthew 22:15–22
The Bible4Jesus.com Podcast
About this episode
The Pharisees and the Herodians decide to team up. This is like the Sierra Club and an oil company holding a joint fundraiser. These two groups were at opposite ends of the political spectrum. The Pharisees were the fastidious, hyper-nationalistic, religious conservatives. They chafed under Roman rule and despised the pagan poll tax as a constant, humiliating reminder of their subjugation. The Herodians, on the other hand, were the ultimate compromisers, the secularized, political elites who had made their peace with Rome for the sake of power and influence. But they found common ground in their shared animosity toward Jesus. Hatred is a powerful, unifying force, and the hatred of Christ can make the strangest of bedfellows. They didn't want an answer; they wanted an accusation. They wanted a sound bite they could use to destroy Him. Their trap reveals the fundamental nature of all anti-Christian thought.