Matthew 22

1 And Jesus answered and again spoke to them in parables, saying, 2 “The kingdom of the heavens has been made like a man, a king, who made a wedding for his son. 3 And he sent his slaves to call those who had been called to the wedding, and they did not want to come. 4 Again he sent other slaves, saying, ‘Tell those who have been called: Look, I have prepared my meal, my bulls and the fattened animals are slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding.’ 5 But they paid no attention and went off, one to his own field, another to his business; 6 and the rest seized his slaves, treated them shamefully, and killed them. 7 And the king was angry, and he sent his armies and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.

8 “Then he says to his slaves, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who had been called were not worthy. 9 Go out then to where the roads run out, and as many as you find, call to the wedding.’ [a] 10 And those slaves went out into the roads and gathered together all whom they found, both evil and good; and the wedding was filled with those reclining at table.

11 “But when the king came in to look at those reclining, he saw there a man not dressed in wedding clothes, 12 and he says to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without wedding clothes?’ And he was silenced. 13 Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind his feet and hands and throw him out into the outer darkness. There will be the weeping and the grinding of teeth.’ [b] 14 For many are called, but few chosen.”

15 Then the Pharisees went and took counsel how they might trap him in a word. 16 And they send their disciples to him with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are true and teach the way of God in truth, and it does not matter to you about anyone, for you do not look at people’s faces. 17 Tell us, then, what you think: is it permitted to give the tax to Caesar or not?” [c] 18 But Jesus knew their evil and said, “Why do you test me, hypocrites? 19 Show me the coin of the tax.” And they brought him a denarius. 20 And he says to them, “Whose image is this, and the inscription?” 21 They say to him, “Caesar’s.” Then he says to them, “Give back, then, the things of Caesar to Caesar, and the things of God to God.” † 22 And when they heard it they were amazed, and they left him and went away.

23 On that day Sadducees came to him, who say there is no resurrection, and they questioned him, 24 saying, “Teacher, Moses said, ‘If someone dies having no children, his brother is to do a brother-in-law’s duty by his wife and raise up seed for his brother.’ [d] 25 Now there were seven brothers among us. And the first married and died, and having no seed he left his wife to his brother. 26 So also the second and the third, up to the seventh. 27 And last of all the woman died. 28 In the resurrection, then, of the seven whose wife will she be? For they all had her.”

29 But Jesus answered and said to them, “You are going astray, not knowing the Scriptures or the power of God. 30 For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like messengers of God in heaven. [e] 31 But 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’? He is not the God of the dead but of the living.” [f] † 33 And when the crowds heard it they were astounded at his teaching.

34 But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together in one place. 35 And one of them, a lawyer, questioned him, testing him: 36 “Teacher, which command is great in the law?” 37 And he said to him, “‘You are to love the Lord your God with your whole heart and with your whole soul and with your whole mind.’ [g] † 38 This is the great and first command. 39 And a second is like it: ‘You are to love your neighbor as yourself.’ [h] 40 On these two commands hangs the whole law, and the prophets.”

41 And while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus questioned them, 42 saying, “What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?” They say to him, “David’s.” 43 He 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 hand until I put your enemies under your feet”’? [i] 45 If then David calls him Lord, how is he his son?” 46 And no one was able to answer him a word, nor did anyone dare from that day to question him any longer.