Matthew 22

The Parable of the Wedding Feast

1 “Jesus kept teaching in parables, saying,”

2 “‘The kingdom of heaven is like a king throwing a big wedding party for his son.’”

3 “‘He sent out his servants to tell the invited guests it was time, but they did not want to come.’”

4 “‘So he sent more servants, saying, “The feast is ready, prime rib, sides, everything! Come through!”’”

5 “‘But they ignored him. One went to his farm, another went to his business.’”

6 “‘The rest grabbed his servants, roughed them up, and killed them.’”

7 “‘The king was heated. He sent his army to handle those murderers and burn down their city.’”

8 “‘Then he said to his servants, “The wedding is ready, but the people I invited did not deserve it.”’”

9 “‘“Go out to the streets and invite everyone you see.”’”

10 “‘So they brought in everyone, good and bad, and the wedding hall was packed.’”

11 “‘But the king saw a dude without wedding clothes and said, “Fam, how did you get in here dressed like that,” The guy had no answer.’”

12 “‘The king told his crew, “Tie him up and throw him outside where there is weeping and grinding of teeth.”’”

13 “‘For many are invited, but only a few are chosen.’”

Paying Taxes to Caesar

14 “Then the Pharisees got together to figure out how to trap Jesus in His words.”

15 “They sent their disciples and some Herodians to Him, saying, ‘Teacher, we know You are honest and do not play favorites. You teach God’s truth.’”

16 “‘So, is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not,’”

17 “Jesus, knowing their game, said, ‘Why are you all trying to trap Me, hypocrites?’”

18 “‘Show Me the coin used for the tax.’ They handed Him a denarius.”

19 “Jesus said, ‘Whose image and name is on this coin,’”

20 “They said, ‘Caesar’s.’”

21 “Jesus said, ‘Then give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God.’”

22 “They were stunned and left Him alone.”

Marriage at the Resurrection

23 “Later, some Sadducees (who do not believe in the resurrection) came to Jesus with a question.”

24 “‘Teacher,’ they said, ‘Moses said if a man dies without kids, his brother has to marry the widow and give her kids.’”

25 “‘There were seven brothers. The first married and died with no kids.’”

26 “‘The second brother married her, then the third, and so on until all seven died with no kids.’”

27 “‘Finally, the woman died too. At the resurrection, whose wife will she be,’”

28 “Jesus said, ‘You all are wrong because you do not know the Scriptures or God’s power.’”

29 “‘In the resurrection, people will not marry or be given in marriage. They will be like angels in heaven.’”

30 “‘And about the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what God said,’”

31 “‘“I am the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” He is not the God of the dead, but of the living.’”

32 “When the crowd heard this, they were blown away by His teaching.”

The Greatest Commandment

33 “When the Pharisees heard Jesus silenced the Sadducees, they huddled up again.”

34 “One of them, a lawyer, tried to test Him with a question.”

35 “‘Teacher, what is the greatest commandment in the Law,’”

36 “Jesus said, ‘“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind.” That is the first and greatest commandment.’”

37 “‘The second is just like it: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”’”

38 “‘Everything in the Law and Prophets hangs on these two commandments.’”

Whose Son Is the Messiah,

39 “Jesus asked the Pharisees, ‘What do you think about the Messiah, Whose son is He?’”

40 “They said, ‘David’s.’”

41 “Jesus said, ‘Then why does David call Him “Lord” in the Spirit, saying,’”

42 “‘“The Lord said to my Lord, ‘Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies Your footstool’”,’”

43 “‘If David calls Him “Lord,” how is He his son,’”

44 “No one could answer Him, and after that, nobody dared to ask Him any more questions.”

45 So if David calls the Messiah “Lord,” how can the Messiah merely be David’s son,

46 Nobody could answer Him, and from that day forward nobody was bold enough to question Him anymore.