< Matthew 22 >
1 Once more Jesus spoke to them in parables.
2 ‘The kingdom of heaven,’ he said, ‘may be compared to a king who gave a banquet in honour of his son’s wedding.
3 He sent his servants to call those who had been invited to the banquet, but they were unwilling to come.
4 A second time he sent some servants, with orders to say to those who had been invited “I have prepared my meal, my cattle and fat beasts are killed and everything is ready; come to the banquet.”
5 They, however, took no notice, but went off, one to their farm, another to their business;
6 while the rest, seizing his servants, ill-treated them and killed them.
7 The king, in anger, sent his troops, put those murderers to death, and set their city on fire.
8 Then he said to his servants “The banquet is prepared, but those who were invited were not worthy.
9 So go to the cross-roads, and invite everyone you find to the banquet.”
10 The servants went out into the roads and collected all the people whom they found, whether bad or good; and the bridal-hall was filled with guests.
11 But, when the king went in to see his guests, he noticed there a man who had not put on a wedding-robe.
12 So he said to him “My friend, how is it that you came in here without a wedding-robe?” The man was speechless.
13 Then the king said to the attendants “Tie him hand and foot, and put him out into the darkness outside, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.”
14 For many are called, but few chosen.’
15 Then the Pharisees went away and conferred together as to how they might lay a trap for Jesus in the course of conversation.
16 They sent their disciples, with the Herodians, to say to him, ‘Teacher, we know that you are an honest person, and that you teach the way of God honestly, and are not afraid of anyone; for you pay no regard to a person’s position.
17 Tell us, then, what you think. Are we right in paying taxes to the Emperor, or not?’
18 Perceiving their malice, Jesus answered, ‘Why are you testing me, you hypocrites?
19 Show me the coin with which the tax is paid.’ And, when they had brought him a coin,
20 he asked, ‘Whose head and title are these?’
21 ‘The Emperor’s,’ they answered, at which he said to them, ‘Then pay to the Emperor what belongs to the Emperor, and to God what belongs to God.’
22 They wondered at his answer, and left him alone and went away.
23 That same day some Sadducees came up to Jesus, maintaining that there is no resurrection. Their question was this, –
24 ‘Teacher, Moses said – “should a man die without children, the man’s brother will become the husband of the widow, and raise a family for his brother.”
25 Now we had living among us seven brothers; of whom the eldest married and died, and, as he had no family, left his wife for his brother.
26 The same thing happened to the second and the third brothers, and indeed to all the seven.
27 The woman herself died last of all.
28 At the resurrection, then, whose wife will she be out of the seven, all of them having been married to her?’
29 ‘Your mistake,’ replied Jesus, ‘is due to your ignorance of the scriptures, and of the power of God.
30 For at the resurrection there is no marrying or being married, but all who rise are as angels in heaven.
31 As to the resurrection of the dead, have you not read these words of God –
32 “I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob”? He is not the God of dead people, but of living.’
33 The crowds, who had been listening to him, were greatly struck with his teaching.
34 When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they collected together.
35 Then one of them, a Student of the Law, to test him, asked this question –
36 ‘Teacher, what is the greatest commandment in the Law?’
37 His answer was, ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.
38 This is the great first commandment.
39 The second, which is like it, is this – You must love your neighbour as you love yourself.
40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the prophets.’
41 Before the Pharisees separated, Jesus put this question to them –
42 ‘What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?’ ‘David’s,’ they said.
43 ‘How is it, then,’ Jesus replied, ‘that David, speaking under inspiration, calls him “lord,” in the passage –
44 “The Lord said to my Lord: Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies beneath your feet”?
45 Since, then, David calls him “lord,” how is he David’s son?’
46 No one could say a word in answer; nor did anyone after that day venture to question him further.
