Parable of the wedding feast

1Jesus answered and spoke to them again in parables saying:

2“The kingdom of the heavens is like a certain king who prepared a wedding feast for his son.

3And he sent out his servants to call those who had been invited to the wedding feast, but they did not want to come.

4Again he sent out other servants saying: ‘Say to those who have been invited: “See, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fatted cattle are butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast!” ’

5Now the indifferent ones just took off—one to his own field, another to his business.

6But the rest, seizing his servants mistreated and killed them!

7So when that king heard about it he was furious; and sending his troops he destroyed those murderers and burned up their city. ³¹⁸

8“Then he says to his servants: ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy.

9So go on the roads leading out of town, and as many as you may find invite to the wedding feast.’

10And going out on the roads those servants gathered together everyone they found, both evil and good; and the wedding hall was filled with guests.

11But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had not been clothed with a wedding garment. ³¹⁹

12So he says to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless.

13Then the king said to the servants, ‘Tie him up hand and foot, take him away and throw him out into the darkness farthest away.’ ³²⁰There there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

14For many are called, but few chosen.”

Jesus bests the Herodians

15Then the Pharisees went and plotted how they might trap Him in some word.

16So they send their disciples to Him, with the Herodians, ³²¹saying: “Teacher, we know that you are truthful and teach the way of God in truth; and you are not impressed by anyone, for you do not look at people's faces. ³²²

17So tell us, what do you think: is it lawful to pay tax to Caesar, or not?”

18But perceiving their malignancy Jesus said: “Hypocrites! Why do you test me?

19Show me the tax coin.” So they brought Him a denarius.

20And He says to them, “Whose image and inscription is this?”

21They say to Him, “Caesar's.” Then He says to them, “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's!”

22And hearing it they marveled, and leaving Him they went away.

Jesus bests the Sadducees

23The same day the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Him and asked Him

24saying: “Teacher, Moses said that if someone dies having no children his brother must marry the widow and raise up offspring for his brother.

25Now there were seven brothers among us. The first married and died, and having no offspring he left his widow to his brother.

26So also the second, and the third, up to the seventh.

27Last of all, the woman died too.

28Therefore in the resurrection whose wife, of the seven, will she be? For they all had her.” ³²³

29So in answer Jesus said to them: “You are deceived, ³²⁴not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God! ³²⁵

30For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels of God in heaven. ³²⁶

31But concerning 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’? ³²⁷God is not God of dead people but of living.” ³²⁸

33Now as the crowds heard Him they were astonished at His teaching.

Jesus bests the Pharisees

34Now when the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, they got together.

35And one of them, a lawyer, testing Him, questioned and said,

36“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?”

37So Jesus said to him: ³²⁹“ ‘You must love the Lord your God with your whole heart, and with your whole soul, and with your whole mind.’ ³³⁰

38This is the first and great commandment.

39And the second is like it, ‘You must love your neighbor as yourself.’ ³³¹

40On these two commandments hang the whole Law, and the Prophets.”

David's Son and Lord

41While the Pharisees were assembled, Jesus asked them

42saying, “What do you think about the Christ; whose Son is He?” They say to Him, “David's.”

43He says to them: “How then does David in the Spirit call Him ‘Lord’ saying,

44‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right until I place your enemies
as a footstool for your feet” ’? ³³²

45Really now, if David calls Him ‘Lord’, how can He be his son?”

46And no one was able to answer Him a word, nor from that day on did anyone dare to question Him anymore.