1 AGAIN Jesus addressed them in figures. He said,

2 "The kingdom of heaven is like a man, a king, who made a wedding feast for his son.

3 He sent his servants to call those who had been invited to the wedding, but they would not come.

4 Again he sent other servants, telling them, 'Say to those who have been invited, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fat things have been killed and everything is ready. Come to the wedding.'

5 But they paid no attention, and went off one to his field and another to his trading.

6 The rest seized his servants, treated them roughly, and killed them.

7 Then the king grew angry and sent his armies and destroyed those murderers and burned up their city.

8 Then he said to his servants, 'The wedding banquet is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy.

9 Go out on the crossroads, and every one you find invite to the wedding.'

10 So those servants went out into the streets and gathered all they found, both bad and good, and the wedding-hall was filled with guests.

11 When the king came in to look over the guests, he saw there a man who was not dressed in a wedding robe,

12 and he said to him, 'Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding robe?' But he was speechless.

13 The king said to the attendants, 'Bind him feet and hands and throw him out into the darkness outside.' There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

14 For many are invited, but few are chosen."

15 Then the Pharisees went and held a consultation how they could entrap him in talk.

16 They sent to him their disciples with the Herodians and they said, "Teacher, we know that you are truthful and teach the way of God in truth, and that you are afraid of no one, for you do not regard the social standing of men.

17 Tell us therefore what you think. Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?"

18 But Jesus knew their wickedness and said, "Why are you trying to test me, you hypocrites?

19 Show me a piece of tax money." They brought him a shilling.

20 He asked them, "Whose head is this, and whose inscription?"

21 They said, "Caesar's." He said to them, "Then pay to Caesar what is Caesar's, and pay to God what is God's."

22 When they heard this, they wondered and left him and went away.

23 On that day some Sadducees came to him asserting that there is no resurrection, and they asked him,

24 "Teacher, Moses said, 'If any man dies childless, his brother shall marry his widow and raise up offspring for his brother.'

25 Now there were with us seven brothers. The first married and died childless and left his wife to his brother.

26 So did the second and the third down to the seventh.

27 The woman died last of all.

28 In the resurrection, then, which of the seven will have the wife? For they all had her."

29 Jesus replied to them, "You are all astray because you do not understand either the Scriptures or the power of God.

30 For in the resurrection they neither many nor are married, but are like the angels in heaven.

31 But in reference to the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was said to you by God when he said,

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

33 The crowd on hearing this were amazed at his teaching.

34 The Pharisees, hearing that he had silenced the Sadducees, gathered,

35 and one of them, a lawyer, in order to test him, asked,

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

37 Jesus said to him, " 'Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy mind.'

38 This is the greatest and first commandment.

39 The second is like it, 'Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.'

40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."

41 While the Pharisees were assembled, Jesus asked them a question,

42 "What do you think in regard to the Christ? Whose son is he?" They said, "David's."

43 He said, "How then does David by inspiration call him 'Lord,' saying,

44 'The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet'?

45 If David calls him 'Lord,' how is he his son?"

46 No one was able to answer him a word, and no one from that day dared ask him any more questions.