Weymouth - Matthew - 22

22:1  Again Jesus spoke to them in figurative language.

22:2  "The Kingdom of the Heavens," He said, "may be compared to a king who celebrated the marriage of his son,

22:3  and sent his servants to call the invited guests to the wedding, but they were unwilling to come.

22:4  "Again he sent other servants with a message to those who were invited. "`My breakfast is now ready," he said, `my bullocks and fat cattle are killed, and every preparation is made: come to the wedding.'

22:5  "They however gave no heed, but went, one to his home in the country, another to his business;

22:6  and the rest seized the king's servants, maltreated them, and murdered them.

22:7  So the king's anger was stirred, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burnt their city.

22:8  Then he said to his servants, "`The wedding banquet is ready, but those who were invited were unworthy of it.

22:9  Go out therefore to the crossroads, and everybody you meet invite to the wedding.'

22:10  "So they went out into the roads and gathered together all they could find, both bad and good, and the banqueting hall was filled with guests.

22:11  "Now the king came in to see the guests; and among them he discovered one who was not wearing a wedding-robe.

22:12  "`My friend,' he said, `how is it that you came in here without a wedding robe?'

22:13  "The man stood speechless. Then the king said to the servants, "`Bind him hand and foot and fling him into the darkness outside: there will be the weeping aloud and the gnashing of teeth.'

22:14  "For there are many called, but few chosen."

22:15  Then the Pharisees went and consulted together how they might entrap Him in His conversation.

22:16  So they sent to Him their disciples together with the Herodians; who said, "Teacher, we know that you are truthful and that you faithfully teach God's truth; and that no fear of man misleads you, for you are not biased by men's wealth or rank.

22:17  Give us your judgement therefore: is it allowable for us to pay a poll-tax to Caesar, or not?"

22:18  Perceiving their wickedness, Jesus replied, "Why are you hypocrites trying to ensnare me?

22:19  Show me the tribute coin." And they brought Him a shilling.

22:20  "Whose likeness and inscription," He asked, "is this?"

22:21  "Caesar's," they replied. "Pay therefore," He rejoined, "what is Caesar's to Caesar; and what is God's to God."

22:22  They heard this, and were astonished; then left Him, and went their way.

22:23  On the same day a party of Sadducees came to Him, contending that there is no resurrection. And they put this case to Him.

22:24  "Teacher," they said, "Moses enjoined, `If a man die childless, his brother shall marry his widow, and raise up a family for him.'

22:25  Now we had among us seven brothers. The eldest of them married, but died childless, leaving his wife to his brother.

22:26  So also did the second and the third, down to the seventh,

22:27  till the woman also died, after surviving them all.

22:28  At the Resurrection, therefore, whose wife of the seven will she be? for they all married her."

22:29  The reply of Jesus was, "You are in error, through ignorance of the Scriptures and of the power of God.

22:30  For in the Resurrection, men neither marry nor are women given in marriage, but they are like angels in Heaven.

22:31  But as to the Resurrection of the dead, have you never read what God says to you,

22:32  `I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? He is not the God of dead, but of living men."

22:33  All the crowd heard this, and were filled with amazement at His teaching.

22:34  Now the Pharisees came up when they heard that He had silenced the Sadducees,

22:35  and one of them, an expounder of the Law, asked Him as a test question,

22:36  "Teacher, which is the greatest Commandment in the Law?"

22:37  "`Thou shalt love the Lord thy God,'" He answered, "`with thy whole heart, thy whole soul, thy whole mind.'

22:38  This is the greatest and foremost Commandment.

22:39  And the second is similar to it: `Thou shalt love thy fellow man as much as thyself.'

22:40  The whole of the Law and the Prophets is summed up in these two Commandments."

22:41  While the Pharisees were still assembled there, Jesus put a question to them.

22:42  "What think you about the Christ," He said, "whose son is He?" "David's," they replied.

22:43  "How then," He asked, "does David, taught by the Spirit, call Him Lord, when he says,

22:44  "`The Lord said to my Lord, sit at My right hand until I have put thy foes beneath thy feet'?

22:45  "If therefore David calls Him Lord, how can He be his son?"

22:46  No one could say a word in reply, nor from that day did any one venture again to put a question to Him.