Matthew 22

The Parable of the Wedding Banquet and Jesus' Teachings on Taxes, Resurrection, and the Greatest Commandment.

4 min read

1 And Jesus answered and spoke to them again by parables, and said,
2 The kingdom of heaven is like to a certain king, which made a marriage for his son,
3 And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come.
4 Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatted calves are killed, and all things are ready: come to the marriage.
5 But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise:
6 And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them.
7 But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.
8 Then says he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy.
9 Go you therefore into the highways, and as many as you shall find, bid to the marriage.
10 So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests. ¶
11 And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment:
12 And he says to him, Friend, how came you in here not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.
13 Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness, there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
14 For many are called, but few are chosen. ¶
15 Then went the Pharisees, and took counsel how they might entangle him in his talk.
16 And they sent out to him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, Master, we know that you are true, and teach the way of God in truth, neither care you for any man: for you regard not the person of men.
17 Tell us therefore, What think you? Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar, or not?
18 But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt you me, you hypocrites?
19 Show me the tribute money. And they brought to him a penny.
20 And he says to them, Whose is this image and superscription?
21 They say to him, Caesar’s. Then says he to them, Render therefore to Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and to God the things that are God’s.
22 When they had heard these words, they marveled, and left him, and went their way. ¶
23 The same day came to him the Sadducees, which say that there is no resurrection, and asked him,
24 Saying, Master, Moses said, If a man die, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife, and raise up seed to his brother.
25 Now there were with us seven brothers: and the first, when he had married a wife, deceased, and, having no issue, left his wife to his brother:
26 Likewise the second also, and the third, to the seventh.
27 And last of all the woman died also.
28 Therefore in the resurrection whose wife shall she be of the seven? for they all had her.
29 Jesus answered and said to them, You do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God.
30 For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven.
31 But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have you not read that which was spoken to you by God, saying,
32 I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.
33 And when the multitude heard this, they were astonished at his doctrine. ¶
34 But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together.
35 Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying,
36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
37 Jesus said to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.
38 This is the first and great commandment.
39 And the second is like to it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. ¶
41 While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them,
42 Saying, What think you of Christ? whose son is he? They say to him, The son of David.
43 He says to them, How then does David in spirit call him Lord, saying,
44 The LORD said to my Lord, Sit you on my right hand, till I make your enemies your footstool?
45 If David then call him Lord, how is he his son?
46 And no man was able to answer him a word, neither dared any man from that day forth ask him any more questions.
Previous Next