Chapter 22

   Again Jesus spoke to them in figurative language.  

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   'The Kingdom of the Heavens,' He said, 'may be compared to a king who celebrated the marriage of his son,  

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   and sent his servants to call the invited guests to the wedding, but they were unwilling to come.  

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   'Again he sent other servants with a message to those who were invited. ''My breakfast is now ready,' he said, 'my bullocks and fat cattle are killed, and every preparation is made: come to the wedding.'  

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   'They however gave no heed, but went, one to his home in the country, another to his business;  

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   and the rest seized the king's servants, maltreated them, and murdered them.  

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   So the king's anger was stirred, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burnt their city.  

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   Then he said to his servants, ''The wedding banquet is ready, but those who were invited were unworthy of it.  

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   Go out therefore to the crossroads, and everybody you meet invite to the wedding.'  

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   'So they went out into the roads and gathered together all they could find, both bad and good, and the banqueting hall was filled with guests.  

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   'Now the king came in to see the guests; and among them he discovered one who was not wearing a wedding-robe.  

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   ''My friend,' he said, 'how is it that you came in here without a wedding robe?'  

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   'The man stood speechless. Then the king said to the servants, ''Bind him hand and foot and fling him into the darkness outside: there will be the weeping aloud and the gnashing of teeth.'  

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   'For there are many called, but few chosen.'  

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   Then the Pharisees went and consulted together how they might entrap Him in His conversation.  

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   So they sent to Him their disciples together with the Herodians; who said, 'Teacher, we know that you are truthful and that you faithfully teach God's truth; and that no fear of man misleads you, for you are not biased by men's wealth or rank.  

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   Give us your judgement therefore: is it allowable for us to pay a poll-tax to Caesar, or not?'  

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   Perceiving their wickedness, Jesus replied, 'Why are you hypocrites trying to ensnare me?  

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   Show me the tribute coin.' And they brought Him a shilling.  

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   'Whose likeness and inscription,' He asked, 'is this?'  

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   'Caesar's,' they replied. 'Pay therefore,' He rejoined, 'what is Caesar's to Caesar; and what is God's to God.'  

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   They heard this, and were astonished; then left Him, and went their way.  

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   On the same day a party of Sadducees came to Him, contending that there is no resurrection. And they put this case to Him.  

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   'Teacher,' they said, 'Moses enjoined, 'If a man die childless, his brother shall marry his widow, and raise up a family for him.'  

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   Now we had among us seven brothers. The eldest of them married, but died childless, leaving his wife to his brother.  

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   So also did the second and the third, down to the seventh,  

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   till the woman also died, after surviving them all.  

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   At the Resurrection, therefore, whose wife of the seven will she be? for they all married her.'  

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   The reply of Jesus was, 'You are in error, through ignorance of the Scriptures and of the power of God.  

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   For in the Resurrection, men neither marry nor are women given in marriage, but they are like angels in Heaven.  

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   But as to the Resurrection of the dead, have you never read what God says to you,  

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   'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? He is not the God of dead, but of living men.'  

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   All the crowd heard this, and were filled with amazement at His teaching.  

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   Now the Pharisees came up when they heard that He had silenced the Sadducees,  

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   and one of them, an expounder of the Law, asked Him as a test question,  

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   'Teacher, which is the greatest Commandment in the Law?'  

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   ''Thou shalt love the Lord thy God,'' He answered, ''with thy whole heart, thy whole soul, thy whole mind.'  

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   This is the greatest and foremost Commandment.  

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   And the second is similar to it: 'Thou shalt love thy fellow man as much as thyself.'  

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   The whole of the Law and the Prophets is summed up in these two Commandments.'  

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   While the Pharisees were still assembled there, Jesus put a question to them.  

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   'What think you about the Christ,' He said, 'whose son is He?' 'David's,' they replied.  

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   'How then,' He asked, 'does David, taught by the Spirit, call Him Lord, when he says,  

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   ''The Lord said to my Lord, sit at My right hand until I have put thy foes beneath thy feet'?  

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   'If therefore David calls Him Lord, how can He be his son?'  

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   No one could say a word in reply, nor from that day did any one venture again to put a question to Him.  

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