Matthew 22
22
The Parable of the Wedding Celebration
1 And continuing, Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying, 2“The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man—a king—who gave a wedding celebration for his son. 3And he sent his slaves to summon those who had been invited to the wedding celebration, and they did not want to come. 4Again he sent other slaves, saying, ‘Tell those who have been invited, “Behold, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fattened cattle have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding celebration!” ’ 5But they paid no attention and#*Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“paid no attention”) has been translated as a finite verb went away—this one to his own field, that one to his business. 6And the others, seizing his slaves, mistreated them#*Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation and killed them.#*Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation 7And the king was angry and sent his troops and#*Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“sent”) has been translated as a finite verb destroyed those murderers and burned their city. 8Then he said to his slaves, ‘The wedding celebration is ready, but those who had been invited were not worthy. 9Therefore, go out to the places where the roads exit the city and invite to the wedding celebration as many people as you find.’ 10And those slaves went out into the roads and#*Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“went out”) has been translated as a finite verb gathered everyone whom they found, both evil and good, and the wedding celebration was filled with dinner guests.#Literally “with those reclining at table” 11But when#*Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“came in”) which is understood as temporal the king came in to see the dinner guests,#Literally “ones reclining at table” he saw a man there not dressed in wedding clothes. 12And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here, not having wedding clothes?’ But he could say nothing.#Literally “he was silent” 13Then the king said to the servants, ‘Tie him up hand and foot#Literally “feet and hands” and#*Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“tie”) has been translated as a finite verb throw him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth!’ 14For many are called but few are chosen.”
Paying Taxes to Caesar
15Then the Pharisees went and consulted#Literally “took counsel” so that they could entrap him with a statement. 16And they sent their disciples to him with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are truthful and teach the way of God in truth, and you do not care what anyone thinks,#Literally “it is not a care to you concerning anyone” because you do not regard the opinion of people.#Literally “because you do not look at the face of men” 17Therefore tell us what you think. Is it permitted to pay taxes to Caesar or not?” 18But because he#*Here “because” is supplied as a component of the participle (“knew”) which is understood as causal knew their maliciousness, Jesus said, “Hypocrites! Why are you testing me? 19Show me the coin for the tax!” So they brought him a denarius. 20And he said to them, “Whose image and inscription is this?” 21They said to him, “Caesar’s.” Then he said to them, “Therefore give to Caesar the things of Caesar, and to God the things of God!” 22And when they#*Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“heard”) which is understood as temporal heard this,#*Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation they were astonished, and they left him and#*Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“left”) has been translated as a finite verb went away.
A Question About Marriage and the Resurrection
23On that day Sadducees—who say there is no resurrection—came up to him and asked him, 24saying, “Teacher, Moses said if someone dies without having children, his brother is to marry his wife and father#Literally “raise up” descendants for his brother. 25Now there were seven brothers with us. And the first died after#*Here “after” is supplied as a component of the participle (“getting married”) which is understood as temporal getting married, and because he#*Here “because” is supplied as a component of the participle (“have”) which is understood as causal did not have descendants, he left his wife to his brother. 26So also the second and the third, up to the seventh. 27And last of all the woman died. 28In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife of the seven will she be? For they all had her as wife.”#*The words “as wife” are not in the Greek text but are implied 29But Jesus answered and#*Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“answered”) has been translated as a finite verb said to them, “You are mistaken, because#*Here “because” is supplied as a component of the participle (“know”) which is understood as causal you do not know the scriptures or the power of God! 30For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels of God#Some manuscripts omit “of God” in heaven. 31Now concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God, who said, 32“I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob”?#A quotation from Exod 3:6 He is not the God of the dead, but of the living!” 33And when#*Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“heard”) which is understood as temporal the crowds heard this,#*Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation they were amazed at his teaching.
The Greatest Commandment
34Now when#*Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“heard”) which is understood as temporal the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they assembled at the same place.#Or “they assembled together” 35And one of them, a legal expert, put a question to him#*Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation to test him: 36“Teacher, which commandment is greatest in the law?” 37And he said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’#A quotation from Deut 6:5 38This is the greatest and first commandment. 39And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’#A quotation from Lev 19:18 40On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets.”
David’s Son and Lord
41Now while#*Here “while” is supplied as a component of the temporal genitive absolute participle (“assembled”) the Pharisees were assembled, Jesus asked them, 42saying, “What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?” They said to him, “David’s.” 43He said to them, “How then does David, by the Spirit, call him ‘Lord,’ saying,
44‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at my right hand
until I put your enemies
under your feet” ’?#A quotation from Ps 110:1
45If then David calls him ‘Lord,’ how is he his son?” 46And no one was able to answer him a word, nor did anyone dare from that day on to ask him any more questions.#*The word “questions” is not in the Greek text but is implied
Currently Selected:
Matthew 22: LEB
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
2010 Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software
Matthew 22
22
The Story of the Wedding Banquet
1-3Jesus responded by telling still more stories. “God’s kingdom,” he said, “is like a king who threw a wedding banquet for his son. He sent out servants to call in all the invited guests. And they wouldn’t come!
4“He sent out another round of servants, instructing them to tell the guests, ‘Look, everything is on the table, the prime rib is ready for carving. Come to the feast!’
5-7“They only shrugged their shoulders and went off, one to weed his garden, another to work in his shop. The rest, with nothing better to do, beat up on the messengers and then killed them. The king was outraged and sent his soldiers to destroy those thugs and level their city.
8-10“Then he told his servants, ‘We have a wedding banquet all prepared but no guests. The ones I invited weren’t up to it. Go out into the busiest intersections in town and invite anyone you find to the banquet.’ The servants went out on the streets and rounded up everyone they laid eyes on, good and bad, regardless. And so the banquet was on—every place filled.
11-13“When the king entered and looked over the scene, he spotted a man who wasn’t properly dressed. He said to him, ‘Friend, how dare you come in here looking like that!’ The man was speechless. Then the king told his servants, ‘Get him out of here—fast. Tie him up and ship him to hell. And make sure he doesn’t get back in.’
14“That’s what I mean when I say, ‘Many get invited; only a few make it.’”
Paying Taxes
15-17That’s when the Pharisees plotted a way to trap him into saying something damaging. They sent their disciples, with a few of Herod’s followers mixed in, to ask, “Teacher, we know you have integrity, teach the way of God accurately, are indifferent to popular opinion, and don’t pander to your students. So tell us honestly: Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”
18-19Jesus knew they were up to no good. He said, “Why are you playing these games with me? Why are you trying to trap me? Do you have a coin? Let me see it.” They handed him a silver piece.
20“This engraving—who does it look like? And whose name is on it?”
21They said, “Caesar.”
“Then give Caesar what is his, and give God what is his.”
22The Pharisees were speechless. They went off shaking their heads.
Marriage and Resurrection
23-28That same day, Sadducees approached him. This is the party that denies any possibility of resurrection. They asked, “Teacher, Moses said that if a man dies childless, his brother is obligated to marry his widow and father a child with her. Here’s a case where there were seven brothers. The first brother married and died, leaving no child, and his wife passed to his brother. The second brother also left her childless, then the third—and on and on, all seven. Eventually the wife died. Now here’s our question: At the resurrection, whose wife is she? She was a wife to each of them.”
29-33Jesus answered, “You’re off base on two counts: You don’t know what God said, and you don’t know how God works. At the resurrection we’re beyond marriage. As with the angels, all our ecstasies and intimacies then will be with God. And regarding your speculation on whether the dead are raised or not, don’t you read your Bibles? The grammar is clear: God says, ‘I am—not was—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob.’ The living God defines himself not as the God of dead men, but of the living.” Hearing this exchange the crowd was much impressed.
The Most Important Command
34-36When the Pharisees heard how he had bested the Sadducees, they gathered their forces for an assault. One of their religion scholars spoke for them, posing a question they hoped would show him up: “Teacher, which command in God’s Law is the most important?”
37-40Jesus said, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence.’ This is the most important, the first on any list. But there is a second to set alongside it: ‘Love others as well as you love yourself.’ These two commands are pegs; everything in God’s Law and the Prophets hangs from them.”
David’s Son and Master
41-42As the Pharisees were regrouping, Jesus caught them off balance with his own test question: “What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?” They said, “David’s son.”
43-45Jesus replied, “Well, if the Christ is David’s son, how do you explain that David, under inspiration, named Christ his ‘Master’?
God said to my Master,
“Sit here at my right hand
until I make your enemies your footstool.”
“Now if David calls him ‘Master,’ how can he at the same time be his son?”
46That stumped them, literalists that they were. Unwilling to risk losing face again in one of these public verbal exchanges, they quit asking questions for good.
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved. Used by permission of NavPress. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers.