The Gospel According to St. Matthew

⭑ Berean Study Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 22 -

(Luke 14:15–24)

Once again, Jesus spoke to them in parables:

“The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son.

He sent his servants to call those he had invited to the banquet, but they refused to come.

Again, he sent other servants and said, ‘Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner. My oxen and fattened cattle have been killed, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.’

But they paid no attention and went away, one to his field, another to his business.

The rest seized his servants, mistreated them, and killed them.

The king was enraged, and he sent his troops to destroy those murderers and burn their city.

Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited were not worthy.

Go therefore to the crossroads and invite to the banquet as many as you can find.’

So the servants went out into the streets and gathered everyone they could find, both evil and good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.

But when the king came in to see the guests, he spotted a man who was not dressed in wedding clothes.

‘Friend,’ he asked, ‘how did you get in here without wedding clothes?’ But the man was speechless.

Then the king told the servants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

For many are called, but few are chosen.”

Paying Taxes to Caesar

(Mark 12:13–17; Luke 20:19–26)

Then the Pharisees went out and conspired to trap Jesus in His words.

They sent their disciples to Him along with the Herodians. “Teacher,” they said, “we know that You are honest and that You teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You seek favor from no one, because You pay no attention to external appearance.

So tell us what You think: Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”

But Jesus knew their evil intent and said, “You hypocrites, why are you testing Me?

Show Me the coin used for the tax.” And they brought Him a denarius.(a)

“Whose image is this,” He asked, “and whose inscription?”

“Caesar’s,” they answered. So Jesus told them, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”

And when they heard this, they were amazed. So they left Him and went away.

The Sadducees and the Resurrection

(Mark 12:18–27; Luke 20:27–40)

That same day the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Jesus and questioned Him.

“Teacher,” they said, “Moses declared that if a man dies without having children, his brother is to marry the widow and raise up offspring for him.(b)

Now there were seven brothers among us. The first one married and died without having children. So he left his wife to his brother.

The same thing happened to the second and third brothers, down to the seventh.

And last of all, the woman died.

In the resurrection, then, whose wife will she be of the seven? For all of them were married to her.”

Jesus answered, “You are mistaken because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God.

In the resurrection, people will neither marry nor be given in marriage. Instead, they will be like the angels (c) in heaven.

But concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what God said to you:

‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’(d)? He is not the God of the dead, but of the living.”

When the crowds heard this, they were astonished at His teaching.

The Greatest Commandment

(Deuteronomy 6:1–19; Mark 12:28–34)

And when the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they themselves gathered together.

One of them, an expert in the law, tested Him with a question:

“Teacher, which commandment is the greatest in the Law?”

Jesus declared, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’(e)

This is the first and greatest commandment.

And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’(f)

All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Whose Son Is the Christ?

(Mark 12:35–37; Luke 20:41–44)

While the Pharisees were assembled, Jesus questioned them:

“What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is He?” “David’s,” they answered.

Jesus said to them, “How then does David in the Spirit call Him ‘Lord’? For he says:

‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand until I put Your enemies under Your feet.”’(g)

So if David calls Him ‘Lord,’ how can He be David’s son?”

No one was able to answer a word, and from that day on no one dared to question Him any further.

Footnotes

(a)22:19 A denarius was customarily a day’s wage for a laborer; see Matthew 20:2.

(b)22:24 Deuteronomy 25:5

(d)22:32 Exodus 3:6

(e)22:37 Deuteronomy 6:5

(f)22:39 Leviticus 19:18

(g)22:44 Psalms 110:1

(Luke 14:15–24)

Jesus answered and spoke to them again in parables, saying,

“The Kingdom of Heaven is like a certain king, who made a wedding feast for his son,

and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come.

Again he sent out other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “Behold, I have prepared my dinner. My cattle and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding feast!”’

But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his merchandise;

and the rest grabbed his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them.

When the king heard that, he was angry, and sent his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city.

“Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited weren’t worthy.

Go therefore to the intersections of the highways, and as many as you may find, invite to the wedding feast.’

Those servants went out into the highways and gathered together as many as they found, both bad and good. The wedding was filled with guests.

“But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man who didn’t have on wedding clothing,

and he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here not wearing wedding clothing?’ He was speechless.

Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and throw him into the outer darkness. That is where the weeping and grinding of teeth will be.’

For many are called, but few chosen.”

Paying Taxes to Caesar

(Mark 12:13–17; Luke 20:19–26)

Then the Pharisees went and took counsel how they might entrap him in his talk.

They sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are honest, and teach the way of God in truth, no matter whom you teach; for you aren’t partial to anyone.

Tell us therefore, what do you think? Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?”

But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, “Why do you test me, you hypocrites?

Show me the tax money.” They brought to him a denarius.

He asked them, “Whose is this image and inscription?”

They said to him, “Caesar’s.” Then he said to them, “Give therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”

When they heard it, they marveled, and left him and went away.

The Sadducees and the Resurrection

(Mark 12:18–27; Luke 20:27–40)

On that day Sadducees (those who say that there is no resurrection) came to him. They asked him,

saying, “Teacher, Moses said, ‘If a man dies, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife and raise up offspring(a) for his brother.’

Now there were with us seven brothers. The first married and died, and having no offspring left his wife to his brother.

In the same way, the second also, and the third, to the seventh.

After them all, the woman died.

In the resurrection therefore, whose wife will she be of the seven? For they all had her.”

But Jesus answered them, “You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God.

For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like God’s angels in heaven.

But concerning the resurrection of the dead, haven’t you read that which was spoken to you by God, saying,

‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? (b) God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.”

When the multitudes heard it, they were astonished at his teaching.

The Greatest Commandment

(Deuteronomy 6:1–19; Mark 12:28–34)

But the Pharisees, when they heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, gathered themselves together.

One of them, a lawyer, asked him a question, testing him.

“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the law?”

Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ (c)

This is the first and great commandment.

A second likewise is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ (d)

The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.”

Whose Son Is the Christ?

(Mark 12:35–37; Luke 20:41–44)

Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question,

saying, “What do you think of the Christ? Whose son is he?” They said to him, “Of David.”

He said to them, “How then does David in the Spirit call him Lord, saying,

‘The Lord said to my Lord, sit on my right hand, until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet’? (e)

“If then David calls him Lord, how is he his son?”

No one was able to answer him a word, neither did any man dare ask him any more questions from that day forward.

Footnotes

(a)22:24 or, seed

(b)22:32 ℘ Exodus 3:6

(d)22:39 ℘ Leviticus 19:18

(e)22:44 ℘ Psalms 110:1