Matthew 22
22
The Story of the Wedding Dinner
1Jesus told them more stories. He said, 2“Here is what the kingdom of heaven is like. A king prepared a wedding dinner for his son. 3He sent his slaves to those who had been invited to the dinner. The slaves told them to come. But they refused.
4“Then he sent some more slaves. He said, ‘Tell those who were invited that I have prepared my dinner. I have killed my oxen and my fattest cattle. Everything is ready. Come to the wedding dinner.’
5“But the people paid no attention. One went away to his field. Another went away to his business. 6The rest grabbed his slaves. They treated them badly and then killed them. 7The king became very angry. He sent his army to destroy them. They killed those murderers and burned their city.
8“Then the king said to his slaves, ‘The wedding dinner is ready. But those I invited were not fit to come. 9So go to the street corners. Invite to the dinner anyone you can find.’ 10So the slaves went out into the streets. They gathered all the people they could find, the bad as well as the good. Soon the wedding hall was filled with guests.
11“The king came in to see the guests. He noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. 12‘Friend,’ he asked, ‘how did you get in here without wedding clothes?’ The man couldn’t think of anything to say.
13“Then the king told his slaves, ‘Tie up his hands and feet. Throw him outside into the darkness. Out there people will weep and grind their teeth.’
14“Many are invited, but few are chosen.”
Is It Right to Pay the Royal Tax to Caesar?
15The Pharisees went out. They made plans to trap Jesus with his own words. 16They sent their followers to him. They sent the Herodians with them. “Teacher,” they said, “we know that you are a man of honor. You teach the way of God truthfully. You don’t let others tell you what to do or say. You don’t care how important they are. 17Tell us then, what do you think? Is it right to pay the royal tax to Caesar or not?”
18But Jesus knew their evil plans. He said, “You pretenders! Why are you trying to trap me? 19Show me the coin people use for paying the tax.” They brought him a silver coin. 20He asked them, “Whose picture is this? And whose words?”
21“Caesar’s,” they replied.
Then he said to them, “So give back to Caesar what belongs to Caesar. And give back to God what belongs to God.”
22When they heard this, they were amazed. So they left him and went away.
Marriage When the Dead Rise
23That same day the Sadducees came to Jesus with a question. They do not believe that people rise from the dead. 24“Teacher,” they said, “here is what Moses told us. If a man dies without having children, his brother must get married to the widow. He must provide children to carry on his brother’s name. 25There were seven brothers among us. The first one got married and died. Since he had no children, he left his wife to his brother. 26The same thing happened to the second and third brothers. It happened right on down to the seventh brother. 27Finally, the woman died. 28Now then, when the dead rise, whose wife will she be? All seven of them were married to her.”
29Jesus replied, “You are mistaken, because you do not know the Scriptures. And you do not know the power of God. 30When the dead rise, they won’t get married. And their parents won’t give them to be married. They will be like the angels in heaven. 31What about the dead rising? Haven’t you read what God said to you? 32He said, ‘I am the God of Abraham. I am the God of Isaac. And I am the God of Jacob.’ (Exodus 3:6) He is not the God of the dead. He is the God of the living.”
33When the crowds heard this, they were amazed by what he taught.
The Most Important Commandment
34The Pharisees heard that the Sadducees weren’t able to answer Jesus. So the Pharisees got together. 35One of them was an authority on the law. So he tested Jesus with a question. 36“Teacher,” he asked, “which is the most important commandment in the Law?”
37Jesus replied, “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. Love him with all your mind.’ (Deuteronomy 6:5) 38This is the first and most important commandment. 39And the second is like it. ‘Love your neighbor as you love yourself.’ (Leviticus 19:18) 40Everything that is written in the Law and the Prophets is based on these two commandments.”
Whose Son Is the Messiah?
41The Pharisees were gathered together. Jesus asked them, 42“What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is he?”
“The son of David,” they replied.
43He said to them, “Then why does David call him ‘Lord’? The Holy Spirit spoke through David himself. David said,
44“ ‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at my right hand
until I put your enemies
under your control.” ’ (Psalm 110:1)
45So if David calls him ‘Lord,’ how can he be David’s son?” 46No one could give any answer to him. From that day on, no one dared to ask him any more questions.
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Matthew 22: NIrV
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Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version®, NIrV®
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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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