Matthew 22
22
A Story about a Wedding Reception
1Again Jesus used stories as illustrations when he spoke to them. He said, 2“The kingdom of heaven is like a king who planned a wedding for his son. 3He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the wedding, but they refused to come. 4He sent other servants to tell the people who had been invited, ‘I’ve prepared dinner. My bulls and fattened calves have been butchered. Everything is ready. Come to the wedding!’
5“But they paid no attention and went away. Some went to work in their own fields, and others went to their businesses. 6The rest grabbed the king’s servants, mistreated them, and then killed them.
7“The king became angry. He sent his soldiers, killed those murderers, and burned their city.
8“Then the king said to his servants, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited don’t deserve the honor. 9Go where the roads leave the city. Invite everyone you find to the wedding.’ 10The servants went into the streets and brought in all the good people and all the evil people they found. And the wedding hall was filled with guests.
11“When the king came to see the guests, he saw a person who was not dressed in the wedding clothes ⌞provided for the guests⌟. 12He said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without proper wedding clothes?’
“The man had nothing to say. 13Then the king told his servants, ‘Tie his hands and feet, and throw him outside into the darkness. People will cry and be in extreme pain there.’
14“Therefore, many are invited, but few of those are chosen to stay.”
A Question about Taxes
(Mark 12:13–17; Luke 20:20–26)
15Then the Pharisees went away and planned to trap Jesus into saying the wrong thing. 16They sent their disciples to him along with Herod’s followers. They said to him, “Teacher, we know that you tell the truth and that you teach the truth about the way of God. You don’t favor individuals because of who they are. 17So tell us what you think. Is it right to pay taxes to the emperor or not?”
18Jesus recognized their evil plan, so he asked, “Why do you test me, you hypocrites? 19Show me a coin used to pay taxes.”
They brought him a coin. 20He said to them, “Whose face and name is this?”
21They replied, “The emperor’s.”
Then he said to them, “Very well, give the emperor what belongs to the emperor, and give God what belongs to God.”
22They were surprised to hear this. Then they left him alone and went away.
The Dead Come Back to Life
(Mark 12:18–27; Luke 20:27–40)
23On that day some Sadducees, who say that people will never come back to life, came to Jesus. They asked him, 24“Teacher, Moses said, ‘If a man dies childless, his brother should marry his widow and have children for his brother.’ 25There were seven brothers among us. The first married and died. Since he had no children, he left his widow to his brother. 26The second brother also died, as well as the third, and the rest of the seven brothers. 27At last the woman died. 28Now, when the dead come back to life, whose wife will she be? All seven brothers had been married to her.”
29Jesus answered, “You’re mistaken because you don’t know the Scriptures or God’s power. 30When people come back to life, they don’t marry. Rather, they are like the angels in heaven. 31Haven’t you read what God told you about the dead coming back to life? He said, 32‘I am the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.’ He’s not the God of the dead but of the living.”
33He amazed the crowds who heard his teaching.
Love God and Your Neighbor
(Mark 12:28–34)
34When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. 35One of them, an expert in Moses’ Teachings, tested Jesus by asking, 36“Teacher, which commandment is the greatest in Moses’ Teachings?”
37Jesus answered him, “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38This is the greatest and most important commandment. 39The second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as you love yourself.’ 40All of Moses’ Teachings and the Prophets depend on these two commandments.”
How Can David’s Son Be David’s Lord?
(Mark 12:35–37a; Luke 20:41–44)
41While the Pharisees were still gathered, Jesus asked them, 42“What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is he?”
They answered him, “David’s.”
43He said to them, “Then how can David, guided by the Spirit, call him Lord? David says,
44‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Take the honored position—the one next to me [and the Father] on the heavenly throne
until I put your enemies under your control.#22:44 Or “Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet.”” ’
45If David calls him Lord, how can he be his son?”
46No one could answer him, and from that time on no one dared to ask him another question.
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GOD'S WORD® Translation ©1995, 2003, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2020 by God's Word to the Nations Mission Society. All rights reserved.
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.