Parable of the Wedding Feast

1And Jesus answered and spoke to them again in parables, saying, 2“The kingdom of heaven [†]may be compared to [†]a king who [†]gave a wedding feast for his son. 3And he sent out his slaves to call those who had been called to the wedding feast, and they were unwilling to come. 4Again he sent out other slaves saying, ‘Tell those who have been called, “Behold, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and my fattened livestock are all butchered and everything is ready; come to the wedding feast.”’ 5But they paid no attention and went their way, one to his own [†]farm, another to his business, 6and the rest seized his slaves and mistreated them and killed them. 7But the king was enraged, and he sent his armies and destroyed those murderers and set their city on fire. 8Then he said to his slaves, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were called were not worthy. 9Go therefore to the main highways, and as many as you find there, call to the wedding feast.’ 10And those slaves went out into the streets and gathered together all they found, both evil and good; and the wedding hall was filled with [†]dinner guests.

11“But when the king came in to look over the dinner guests, he saw a man there who was not dressed in wedding clothes, 12and he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without wedding clothes?’ And the man was speechless. 13Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, 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.”

Taxes to Caesar

15Then the Pharisees went and took counsel together about how they might trap Him [†]in what He said. 16And they sent their disciples to Him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that You are truthful and teach the way of God in truth, and [†]defer to no one; for You are not partial to any. 17Therefore, tell us, what do You think? Is it [†]lawful to give a tax to Caesar, or not?” 18But Jesus, knowing their wickedness, said, “Why are you testing Me, you hypocrites? 19Show Me the coin used for the tax.” And they brought Him a [†]denarius. 20And He said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” 21They said to Him, “Caesar’s.” Then He said to them, “Therefore, render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s; and to God the things that are God’s.” 22And hearing this, they marveled, and leaving Him, they went away.

The Sadducees and the Resurrection

23On that day some Sadducees (who say there is no resurrection) came to Jesus and asked Him a question, 24saying, “Teacher, Moses said, ‘IF A MAN DIES HAVING NO CHILDREN, HIS BROTHER AS NEXT OF KIN SHALL MARRY HIS WIFE AND RAISE UP A SEED FOR HIS BROTHER.’ 25Now there were seven brothers with us; and the first married and died, and having no [†]seed, he left his wife to his brother; 26so also the second, and the third, down to the seventh. 27And last of all, the woman died. 28In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife of the seven will she be? For they all had married her.”

29But Jesus answered and said to them, “You are mistaken, not [†]understanding the Scriptures nor the power of God. 30For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. 31But regarding the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God, saying, 32‘I AM THE GOD OF ABRAHAM, AND 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 Foremost Commandment

34But when the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered themselves together. 35And one of them, a scholar of the Law, asked Him a question, testing Him, 36“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37And He said to him, “‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE [†]LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’ 38This is the great and [†]foremost commandment. 39And the second is like it, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ 40On these two commandments hang the whole Law and the Prophets.”

41Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question, 42saying, “What do you think about [†]the Christ, whose son is He?” They said to Him, “The son of David.” 43He said to them, “Then how does David [†]in the Spirit call Him ‘Lord,’ saying,

44‘THE [†]LORD SAID TO MY LORD,

“SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND,

UNTIL I PUT YOUR ENEMIES BENEATH YOUR FEET”’?

45Therefore, if David calls Him ‘Lord,’ how is He his son?” 46And no one was able to answer Him a word, nor did anyone dare from that day on to ask Him [†]another question.