Matthew 22
22
A Story About People Invited to a Dinner
(Lk. 14:15–24)
1Jesus used some more stories to teach the people. He said, 2“God’s kingdom is like a king who prepared a wedding feast for his son. 3He invited some people to the feast. When it was ready, the king sent his servants to tell the people to come. But they refused to come to the king’s feast.
4“Then the king sent some more servants. He said to them, ‘I have already invited the people. So tell them that my feast is ready. I have killed my best bulls and calves to be eaten. Everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.’
5“But when the servants told the people to come, they refused to listen. They all went to do other things. One went to work in his field, and another went to his business. 6Some of the other people grabbed the servants, beat them, and killed them. 7The king was very angry. He sent his army to kill those who murdered his servants. And the army burned their city.
8“After that the king said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready. I invited those people, but they were not good enough to come to my feast. 9So go to the street corners and invite everyone you see. Tell them to come to my feast.’ 10So the servants went into the streets. They gathered all the people they could find, good and bad alike, and brought them to where the wedding feast was ready. And the place was filled with guests.
11“When the king came in to meet the guests, he saw a man there who was not dressed in the right clothes for a wedding. 12The king said, ‘Friend, how were you allowed to come in here? You are not wearing the right clothes.’ But the man said nothing. 13So the king told some servants, ‘Tie this man’s hands and feet. Throw him out into the darkness, where people are crying and grinding their teeth with pain.’
14“Yes, many people are invited. But only a few are chosen.”
The Jewish Leaders Try to Trick Jesus
(Mk. 12:13–17; Lk. 20:20–26)
15Then the Pharisees left the place where Jesus was teaching. They made plans to catch him saying something wrong. 16They sent some men to Jesus. They were some of their own followers and some from the group called Herodians. They said, “Teacher, we know you are an honest man. We know you teach the truth about God’s way. You are not afraid of what others think about you. All people are the same to you. 17So tell us what you think. Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”
18But Jesus knew that these men were trying to trick him. So he said, “You hypocrites! Why are you trying to catch me saying something wrong? 19Show me a coin used for paying the tax.” They showed Jesus a silver coin. 20Then he asked, “Whose picture is on the coin? And whose name is written on the coin?”
21They answered, “It is Caesar’s picture and Caesar’s name.”
Then Jesus said to them, “Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God.”
22When they heard what Jesus said, they were amazed. They left him and went away.
Some Sadducees Try to Trick Jesus
(Mk. 12:18–27; Lk. 20:27–40)
23That same day some Sadducees came to Jesus. (Sadducees believe that no one will rise from death.) The Sadducees asked Jesus a question. 24They said, “Teacher, Moses told us that if a married man dies and had no children, his brother must marry the woman. Then they will have children for the dead brother.#22:24 if … dead brother See Deut. 25:5, 6. 25There were seven brothers among us. The first brother married but died. He had no children. So his brother married the woman. 26Then the second brother also died. The same thing happened to the third brother and all the other brothers. 27The woman was the last to die. 28But all seven men had married her. So when people rise from death, whose wife will she be?”
29Jesus answered, “You are so wrong! You don’t know what the Scriptures say. And you don’t know anything about God’s power. 30At the time when people rise from death, there will be no marriage. People will not be married to each other. Everyone will be like the angels in heaven. 31Surely you have read what God said to you about people rising from death. 32God said, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’#Quote from Ex. 3:6. So they were not still dead, because he is the God only of living people.”
33When the people heard this, they were amazed at Jesus’ teaching.
Which Command Is the Most Important?
(Mk. 12:28–34; Lk. 10:25–28)
34The Pharisees learned that Jesus had made the Sadducees look so foolish that they stopped trying to argue with him. So the Pharisees had a meeting. 35Then one of them, an expert in the Law of Moses, asked Jesus a question to test him. 36He said, “Teacher, which command in the law is the most important?”
37Jesus answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’#Quote from Deut. 6:5. 38This is the first and most important command. 39And the second command is like the first: ‘Love your neighbor#22:39 your neighbor Or “others.” Jesus’ teaching in Lk. 10:25-37 makes clear that this includes anyone in need. the same as you love yourself.’#Quote from Lev. 19:18. 40All of the law and the writings of the prophets take their meaning from these two commands.”
Is the Messiah David’s Son or David’s Lord?
(Mk. 12:35–37; Lk. 20:41–44)
41So while the Pharisees were together, Jesus asked them a question. 42He said, “What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is he?”
The Pharisees answered, “The Messiah is the Son of David.”
43Jesus said to them, “Then why did David call him ‘Lord’? David was speaking by the power of the Spirit. He said,
44‘The Lord God said to my Lord:
Sit by me at my right side,
and I will put your enemies under your control.#22:44 control Literally, “feet.”’ Psalm 110:1
45David calls the Messiah ‘Lord.’ So how can he be David’s son?”
46None of the Pharisees could answer Jesus’ question. And after that day, no one was brave enough to ask him any more questions.
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© 1987, 2004 Bible League International
Matthew 22
22
The Parable of the Wedding Feast
(Lk 14.15–24)
1Jesus again used parables in talking to the people. 2“The Kingdom of heaven is like this. Once there was a king who prepared a wedding feast for his son. 3He sent his servants to tell the invited guests to come to the feast, but they did not want to come. 4So he sent other servants with this message for the guests: ‘My feast is ready now; my bullocks and prize calves have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast!’ 5But the invited guests paid no attention and went about their business: one went to his farm, another to his shop, 6while others grabbed the servants, beat them, and killed them. 7The king was very angry; so he sent his soldiers, who killed those murderers and burnt down their city. 8Then he called his servants and said to them, ‘My wedding feast is ready, but the people I invited did not deserve it. 9Now go to the main streets and invite to the feast as many people as you find.’ 10So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, good and bad alike; and the wedding hall was filled with people.
11 “The king went in to look at the guests and saw a man who was not wearing wedding clothes. 12‘Friend, how did you get in here without wedding clothes?’ the king asked him. But the man said nothing. 13#Mt 8.12; 25.30; Lk 13.28Then the king told the servants, ‘Tie him up hand and foot, and throw him outside in the dark. There he will cry and grind his teeth.’ ”
14And Jesus concluded, “Many are invited, but few are chosen.”
The Question about Paying Taxes
(Mk 12.13–17; Lk 20.20–26)
15The Pharisees went off and made a plan to trap Jesus with questions. 16Then they sent to him some of their disciples and some members of Herod's party. “Teacher,” they said, “we know that you tell the truth. You teach the truth about God's will for people, without worrying about what others think, because you pay no attention to anyone's status. 17Tell us, then, what do you think? Is it against our Law to pay taxes to the Roman Emperor, or not?”
18Jesus, however, was aware of their evil plan, and so he said, “You hypocrites! Why are you trying to trap me? 19Show me the coin for paying the tax!”
They brought him the coin, 20and he asked them, “Whose face and name are these?”
21“The Emperor's,” they answered.
So Jesus said to them, “Well, then, pay the Emperor what belongs to the Emperor, and pay God what belongs to God.”
22When they heard this, they were amazed; and they left him and went away.
The Question about Rising from Death
(Mk 12.18–27; Lk 20.27–40)
23 #
Acts 23.8
That same day some Sadducees came to Jesus and claimed that people will not rise from death. 24#Deut 25.5“Teacher,” they said, “Moses said that if a man who has no children dies, his brother must marry the widow so that they can have children who will be considered the dead man's children. 25Now, there were seven brothers who used to live here. The eldest got married and died without having children, so he left his widow to his brother. 26The same thing happened to the second brother, to the third, and finally to all seven. 27Last of all, the woman died. 28Now, on the day when the dead rise to life, whose wife will she be? All of them had married her.”
29Jesus answered them, “How wrong you are! It is because you don't know the Scriptures or God's power. 30For when the dead rise to life, they will be like the angels in heaven and will not marry. 31Now, as for the dead rising to life: haven't you ever read what God has told you? He said, 32#Ex 3.6‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ He is the God of the living, not of the dead.”
33When the crowds heard this, they were amazed at his teaching.
The Great Commandment
(Mk 12.28–34; Lk 10.25–28)
34When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they came together, 35#Lk 10.25–28and one of them, a teacher of the Law, tried to trap him with a question. 36“Teacher,” he asked, “which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
37 #
Deut 6.5
Jesus answered, “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38This is the greatest and the most important commandment. 39#Lev 19.18The second most important commandment is like it: ‘Love your neighbour as you love yourself.’ 40The whole Law of Moses and the teachings of the prophets depend on these two commandments.”
The Question about the Messiah
(Mk 12.35–37; Lk 20.41–44)
41When some Pharisees gathered together, Jesus asked them, 42“What do you think about the Messiah? Whose descendant is he?”
“He is David's descendant,” they answered.
43 “Why, then,” Jesus asked, “did the Spirit inspire David to call him ‘Lord’? David said,
44 #
Ps 110.1
‘The Lord said to my Lord:
Sit here on my right
until I put your enemies under your feet.’
45 If, then, David called him ‘Lord’, how can the Messiah be David's descendant?”
46No one was able to give Jesus any answer, and from that day on no one dared to ask him any more questions.
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Good News Bible. Scripture taken from the Good News Bible (r) (Today's English Version Second Edition, UK/British Edition). Copyright © 1992 British & Foreign Bible Society. Used by permission.