< Matthew 22 >
1 Jesus continuing to discourse to them in parables, said,
2 The Administration of Heaven resembles the conduct of a king, who having made a marriage feast for his son,
3 sent his servants to call them, who had been invited; but they would not come.
4 Then he sent other servants, saying, Tell those who are invited I have prepared my feast; my bullocks and fatlings are slain, and all is ready; come to the marriage.
5 But they turned away with indifference, one to his farm, another to his merchandize.
6 And the rest seizing his servants, abused and killed them.
7 When the king heard this, being enraged, he sent his soldiers, destroyed those murderers, and burnt their city.
8 Then he said to his servants, The entertainment is ready; but they who were invited were not worthy:
9 go therefore, into the public roads, and all that you can find, invited to the marriage.
10 Accordingly they went into the highways, and assembled all that they found, good and bad, so that the hall was furnished with guests.
11 When the king came in to see the guests, observing one who had not on a wedding garment,
12 he said to him, Friend, how came you here without a wedding garment? And he was speechless.
13 Then the king said to the attendants, Bind him hand and foot, and thrust him out into darkness, where will be weeping and gnashing of teeth;
14 for there are many called, but few chosen.
15 Then the Pharisees retired, and having consulted how they might entrap him in his words,
16 sent to him some of their disciples, and some Herodians, who being instructed by them, said, Rabbi, we know that you are sincere, and faithfully teach the way of God, without partiality, for you respect not the person of men.
17 Tell us, therefore, your opinion: Is it lawful to give tribute to Cesar, or not?
18 Jesus, perceiving their malice, said, Dissemblers, why would you entangle me?
19 Show me the tribute money. And they reached him a denarius.
20 He asked them, Whose image and inscription is this?
21 They answered, Cesar's. He replied, Render, then, to Cesar that which is Cesar's, and to God that which is God's.
22 And admiring his answer, they left him, and went away.
23 The same day Sadducees, who say that there is no future life, came to him and addressed him:
24 Rabbi, Moses has said, if one die, and have no children, his brother shall marry his widow, and raise issue to the deceased.
25 Now there lived among us seven brothers; the eldest married and died without issue, leaving his wife to his brother.
26 Thus also the second, and the third, and so to the seventh.
27 Last of all the woman died also.
28 Now, at the resurrection, whose wife shall she be of the seven; for they all married her?
29 Jesus answering, said to them, You err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God;
30 for in that state, they neither marry, nor give in marriage: they resemble the angels of God.
31 But as to the revival of the dead, have you not read what God declared to you, saying,
32 "I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?" God is not a God of the dead, but of the living.
33 Now, the people who heard this, were struck with awe at his doctrine.
34 Meantime, the Pharisees hearing that he had silenced the Sadducees, flocked about him.
35 Then, one of them, a lawyer, trying him, proposed this question,
36 Rabbi, which is the greatest commandment in the law?
37 Jesus answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind."
38 This is the first and greatest commandment.
39 The second is like it, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."
40 On these two commandments the whole law and the prophets depend.
41 While the Pharisees were assembled, Jesus asked them,
42 saying, What do you think of the Messiah? Who son should he be? They answered, David's.
43 He replied, How then does David, speaking by inspiration, call him his Lord?
44 "The Lord," says he, "said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand until I make your foes your footstool."
45 If the Messiah were David's son, would David call him his Lord?
46 To this none of them could answer; and from that day no person presumed to interrogate him.
