Matthew 22

The Parable of the Wedding Feast

1Once again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying, 2“The kingdom of heaven can be compared to a king who prepared a wedding feast for his son. 3He sent his servants to call those who had been invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come. 4Again he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “Behold, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and the fattened cattle have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.” ’ 5But they paid no attention and went away, one to his own field and another to his business. 6The rest seized his servants, mistreated them, and killed them. 71When the king heard about it, he was furious. So he sent his armies, who destroyed those murderers and burned down their city. 8Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. 9Go therefore to where the roads exit the city and invite to the wedding feast anyone you find.’ 10So the servants went out to the roads and gathered together all whom they found, both evil and good, and the wedding feast was filled with guests.

11“But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who was not clothed with a wedding garment. 12So he said to him, ‘Friend, how did yoʋ get in here without a wedding garment?’ But the man was speechless. 13Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind his 2feet and hands, 3take him away, and throw him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ 14For many are called, but few are chosen.”

The Question About Paying Taxes to Caesar

15Then the Pharisees went and took counsel as to how they might ensnare Jesus in what he said. 16They sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, who said to him, “Teacher, we know that yoʋ are true and teach the way of God in truth and defer to no one, for yoʋ do not show partiality. 17Tell us then, what do yoʋ think? Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not?” 18But Jesus knew their evil intent and said, “Why are you testing me, you hypocrites? 19Show me the coin for the tax.” So they brought him a denarius. 20Then he said to them, “Whose image and inscription is this?” 21They said 4to him, “Caesar's.” So he said to them, “Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.” 22When they heard this, they were amazed. Then they left him and went away.

The Sadducees Ask About the Resurrection

23On that day some Sadducees 5(who say there is no resurrection) came to Jesus and asked him, 24“Teacher, Moses said, ‘If a man dies without having children, his brother must marry the widow and raise up offspring for him.’ 25Now there were seven brothers among us. The first married and died, and having no offspring, he left his wife to his brother. 26The same thing happened to the second and to the third, down to the seventh. 27Last of all, the woman 6also died. 28In the resurrection, therefore, which of the seven will she be the wife of? For they all had her.”

29Jesus answered them, “You are in error because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God. 30For in the resurrection people neither marry nor are they given in marriage. Instead, they are like angels 7of God in heaven. 31But as for the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what God said to you: 32‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not the God of the dead, but of the living.” 33And when the crowds heard this, they were astonished at his teaching.

The Greatest Commandment

34Now when the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. 35And one of them, a lawyer, asked Jesus a question to test him: 36“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the law?” 37Jesus said to him, “ ‘Yoʋ shall love the Lord yoʋr God with all yoʋr heart, with all yoʋr soul, and with all yoʋr mind.’ 38This is the 8most important and greatest commandment. 39And a second 9like it is this: ‘Yoʋ shall love yoʋr neighbor as yoʋrself.’ 40All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Whose Son Is the Christ?

41While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, 42“What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?” They said to him, “David's.” 43He said to them, “How is it then that David, in the Spirit, calls him ‘Lord,’ saying,

44‘The Lord said to my Lord,

“Sit at my right hand

until I 10make yoʋr enemies a footstool for yoʋr feet” ’?

45If David calls him ‘Lord,’ how is he his son?” 46No one was able to say anything in reply, nor did anyone dare to ask him questions anymore from that day forward.