Matthew 22:41 (ASV)

Passage

Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question,

Nearby Context

Matthew 22:39 And a second like [unto it] is this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.

Matthew 22:40 On these two commandments the whole law hangeth, and the prophets.

Matthew 22:41 Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question,

Matthew 22:42 saying, What think ye of the Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, [The son] of David.

Matthew 22:43 He saith unto them, How then doth David in the Spirit call him Lord, saying,

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "pharisees", "gathered", "together", "jesus", "asked", and "question". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "pharisees" and "gathered", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 40's "On these two commandments the whole law..." into verse 42's "saying What think ye of the Christ...", so "pharisees" and "gathered" belong inside that flow. In Matthew context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "pharisees" and "gathered" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.