The Gospel According to Matthew Chapter 22:1-46

 

Matthew 22:1 Jesus again in reply spoke to them in parables, saying,

 

Matthew 22:2 "The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who gave a wedding feast  for his son.

 

Matthew 22:3 He dispatched his servants to summon the invited guests to the feast, but they refused to come.

 

Matthew 22:4 A second time he sent other servants, saying, 'Tell those invited: "Behold, I have prepared my banquet, my calves and fattened cattle are killed, and everything is ready; come to the feast."'

 

Matthew 22:5 Some ignored the invitation and went away, one to his farm, another to his business.

 

Matthew 22:6 The rest laid hold of his servants, mistreated them, and killed them.

 

Matthew 22:7 The king was enraged and sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city.

 

Matthew 22:8 Then he said to his servants, 'The feast is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy to come.

 

Matthew 22:9 Go out, therefore, into the main roads and invite to the feast whomever you find.'

 

Matthew 22:10 The servants went out into the streets and gathered all they found, bad and good alike, and the hall was filled with guests.

 

Matthew 22:11 But when the king came in to meet the guests he saw a man there not dressed in a wedding garment.

 

Matthew 22:12 He said to him, 'My friend, how is it that you came in here without a wedding garment?' But he was reduced to silence.

 

Matthew 22:13 Then the king said to his attendants, 'Bind his hands and feet, and cast him into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.'

 

Matthew 22:14 Many are invited, but few are chosen."

 

Matthew 22:15 Then the Pharisees  went off and plotted how they might entrap him in speech.

 

Matthew 22:16 They sent their disciples to him, with the Herodians,  saying, "Teacher, we know that you are a truthful man and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. And you are not concerned with anyone's opinion, for you do not regard a person's status.

 

Matthew 22:17 Tell us, then, what is your opinion: Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not?"

 

Matthew 22:18 Knowing their malice, Jesus said, "Why are you testing me, you hypocrites?

 

Matthew 22:19 Show me the coin that pays the census tax." Then they handed him the Roman coin.

 

Matthew 22:20 He said to them, "Whose image is this and whose inscription?"

 

Matthew 22:21 They replied, "Caesar's."  At that he said to them, "Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God."

 

Matthew 22:22 When they heard this they were amazed, and leaving him they went away.

 

Matthew 22:23 On that day Sadducees approached him, saying that there is no resurrection.  They put this question to him,

 

Matthew 22:24 saying, "Teacher, Moses said, 'If a man dies  without children, his brother shall marry his wife and raise up descendants for his brother.'

 

Matthew 22:25 Now there were seven brothers among us. The first married and died and, having no descendants, left his wife to his brother.

 

Matthew 22:26 The same happened with the second and the third, through all seven.

 

Matthew 22:27 Finally the woman died.

 

Matthew 22:28 Now at the resurrection, of the seven, whose wife will she be? For they all had been married to her."

 

Matthew 22:29 Jesus said to them in reply, "You are misled because you do not know the scriptures or the power of God.

 

Matthew 22:30 At the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage but are like the angels in heaven.

 

Matthew 22:31 And concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was said to you  by God,

 

Matthew 22:32 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? He is not the God of the dead but of the living."

 

Matthew 22:33 When the crowds heard this, they were astonished at his teaching.

 

Matthew 22:34 When the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together,

 

Matthew 22:35 and one of them [a scholar of the law]  tested him by asking,

 

Matthew 22:36 "Teacher,  which commandment in the law is the greatest?"

 

Matthew 22:37 He said to him,  "You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.

 

Matthew 22:38 This is the greatest and the first commandment.

 

Matthew 22:39 The second is like it:  You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

 

Matthew 22:40 The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments."

 

Matthew 22:41 While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus questioned them,

 

Matthew 22:42 saying, "What is your opinion about the Messiah? Whose son is he?" They replied, "David's."

 

Matthew 22:43 He said to them, "How, then, does David, inspired by the Spirit, call him 'lord,' saying:

 

Matthew 22:44 'The Lord said to my lord, "Sit at my right hand until I place your enemies under your feet"'?

 

Matthew 22:45 If David calls him 'lord,' how can he be his son?"

 

Matthew 22:46 No one was able to answer him a word, nor from that day on did anyone dare to ask him any more questions.