Matthew 22
22
Parable of the Great Feast
1Jesus also told them other parables. He said, 2“The Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a king who prepared a great wedding feast for his son. 3When the banquet was ready, he sent his servants to notify those who were invited. But they all refused to come!
4 “So he sent other servants to tell them, ‘The feast has been prepared. The bulls and fattened cattle have been killed, and everything is ready. Come to the banquet!’ 5But the guests he had invited ignored them and went their own way, one to his farm, another to his business. 6Others seized his messengers and insulted them and killed them.
7 “The king was furious, and he sent out his army to destroy the murderers and burn their town. 8And he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, and the guests I invited aren’t worthy of the honor. 9Now go out to the street corners and invite everyone you see.’ 10So the servants brought in everyone they could find, good and bad alike, and the banquet hall was filled with guests.
11 “But when the king came in to meet the guests, he noticed a man who wasn’t wearing the proper clothes for a wedding. 12‘Friend,’ he asked, ‘how is it that you are here without wedding clothes?’ But the man had no reply. 13Then the king said to his aides, ‘Bind his hands and feet and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
14 “For many are called, but few are chosen.”
Taxes for Caesar
15Then the Pharisees met together to plot how to trap Jesus into saying something for which he could be arrested. 16They sent some of their disciples, along with the supporters of Herod, to meet with him. “Teacher,” they said, “we know how honest you are. You teach the way of God truthfully. You are impartial and don’t play favorites. 17Now tell us what you think about this: Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”
18But Jesus knew their evil motives. “You hypocrites!” he said. “Why are you trying to trap me? 19Here, show me the coin used for the tax.” When they handed him a Roman coin,#22:19 Greek a denarius. 20he asked, “Whose picture and title are stamped on it?”
21“Caesar’s,” they replied.
“Well, then,” he said, “give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God.”
22His reply amazed them, and they went away.
Discussion about Resurrection
23That same day Jesus was approached by some Sadducees—religious leaders who say there is no resurrection from the dead. They posed this question: 24“Teacher, Moses said, ‘If a man dies without children, his brother should marry the widow and have a child who will carry on the brother’s name.’#22:24 Deut 25:5-6. 25Well, suppose there were seven brothers. The oldest one married and then died without children, so his brother married the widow. 26But the second brother also died, and the third brother married her. This continued with all seven of them. 27Last of all, the woman also died. 28So tell us, whose wife will she be in the resurrection? For all seven were married to her.”
29Jesus replied, “Your mistake is that you don’t know the Scriptures, and you don’t know the power of God. 30For when the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage. In this respect they will be like the angels in heaven.
31 “But now, as to whether there will be a resurrection of the dead—haven’t you ever read about this in the Scriptures? Long after Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had died, God said, # 22:31 Greek read about this? God said. 32‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’#22:32 Exod 3:6. So he is the God of the living, not the dead.”
33When the crowds heard him, they were astounded at his teaching.
The Most Important Commandment
34But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees with his reply, they met together to question him again. 35One of them, an expert in religious law, tried to trap him with this question: 36“Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?”
37Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’#22:37 Deut 6:5. 38This is the first and greatest commandment. 39A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’#22:39 Lev 19:18. 40The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”
Whose Son Is the Messiah?
41Then, surrounded by the Pharisees, Jesus asked them a question: 42“What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is he?”
They replied, “He is the son of David.”
43Jesus responded, “Then why does David, speaking under the inspiration of the Spirit, call the Messiah ‘my Lord’? For David said,
44 ‘The Lord said to my Lord,
Sit in the place of honor at my right hand
until I humble your enemies beneath your feet.’ # 22:44 Ps 110:1.
45 Since David called the Messiah ‘my Lord,’ how can the Messiah be his son?”
46No one could answer him. And after that, no one dared to ask him any more questions.
Currently Selected:
Matthew 22: NLT
Highlight
Copy
Compare
Share
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
Holy Bible, New Living Translation copyright 1996, 2004, 2007, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation.
For more information about the NLT:
Matthew 22
22
Parable of the Marriage Feast
1Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying, 2“The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son. 3And he sent his servants to call those who had [previously] been invited to the wedding feast, but they refused to come. 4Then he sent out some other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who have been invited, “Look, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fattened calves are butchered and everything is ready; come to the wedding feast.” ’ 5But they paid no attention [they disregarded the invitation, treating it with contempt] and went away, one to his farm, another to his business. 6The rest [of the invited guests] seized his servants and mistreated them [insulting and humiliating them] and killed them. 7The king was enraged [when he heard this], and sent his soldiers and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. 8Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding [feast] is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. 9So go to the main highways that lead out of the city, and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.’ 10Those servants went out into the streets and gathered together all the people they could find, both bad and good; so the wedding hall was filled with dinner guests [sitting at the banquet table].
11 “But when the king came in to see the dinner guests, he saw a man there who was not dressed [appropriately] in wedding clothes, 12and he said, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without wearing the wedding clothes [that were provided for you]?’ And the man was speechless and without excuse. 13Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him into the darkness outside; in that place there will be weeping [over sorrow and pain] and grinding of teeth [over distress and anger].’ 14For many are called (invited, summoned), but few are chosen.”
Tribute to Caesar
15Then the Pharisees went and conspired together plotting how to trap Him by [distorting] what He said. [Mark 12:13-17; Luke 20:20-26] 16They sent their disciples to Him, along with the #22:16 A Jewish political party loyal to Herod. The Pharisees, who strongly opposed Herod and Roman rule, and the Herodians, who were strong allies of Herod and Rome, set aside their political differences in order to conspire together against Jesus.Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that You are sincere and that You teach the way of God truthfully, without concerning Yourself about [what] anyone [thinks or says of Your teachings]; for You are impartial and do not seek anyone’s favor [and You treat all people alike, regardless of status]. 17Tell us then, what do You think? Is it permissible [according to Jewish law and tradition] to pay a #22:17 Every Jew was required to pay the poll-tax. It was considered a sign of subservience to Rome.poll-tax to Caesar, or not?” 18But Jesus, aware of their malice, asked, “Why are you testing Me, you hypocrites? 19Show me the coin used for the poll-tax.” And they brought Him a denarius [a day’s wage]. 20And Jesus said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” 21They said, “[#22:21 Tiberius Caesar came to the throne after the death of his stepfather, Augustus, in a.d. 14 and ruled the Roman Empire until his death in a.d. 37. He was a brilliant military general, but an incompetent, irresponsible ruler. Most biblical references to “Caesar” refer to Tiberius.The Emperor Tiberius] Caesar’s.” Then He said to them, “Then pay to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s; and to God the things that are God’s.” 22When they heard this, they were caught off guard, and they left Him and went away.
Jesus Answers the Sadducees
23On that day some Sadducees, who say that there is no resurrection [of the dead], came to Him and asked Him a question, [Mark 12:18-27; Luke 20:27-40] 24saying, “Teacher, Moses said, ‘If a man dies, leaving no children, his brother as next of kin shall #22:24 The purpose of this was to carry on the family line and keep property within the family.marry his widow, and raise children for his brother.’ [Deut 25:5] 25Now there were seven brothers among us; the first married and died, and having no children left his wife to his brother. 26The second also [died childless], and the third, down to the seventh. 27Last of all, the woman died. 28So in the resurrection, whose wife of the seven will she be? For they all had married her.”
29But Jesus replied to them, “You are all wrong because you know neither the Scriptures [which teach the resurrection] nor the power of God [for He is able to raise the dead]. 30For in the resurrection neither do men marry nor are women given in marriage, but they are like angels in heaven [who do not marry nor produce children]. 31But as to the resurrection of the dead—have you not read [in the Scripture] what God said to you: 32‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not the God of the dead, but of the living.” [Ex 3:6] 33When the crowds heard this, they were astonished at His teaching.
34Now when the Pharisees heard that He had silenced (muzzled) the Sadducees, they gathered together. [Mark 12:28-31; Luke 10:25-28] 35One of them, a lawyer [an expert in Mosaic Law], asked Jesus a question, to test Him: 36“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” [Mark 12:28] 37And Jesus replied to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ [Deut 6:5] 38This is the first and greatest commandment. 39The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself [that is, unselfishly seek the best or higher good for others].’ [Lev 19:18; Matt 19:19] 40The whole Law and the [writings of the] Prophets depend on these two commandments.”
41Now while the Pharisees were [still] gathered together, Jesus asked them a question: [Mark 12:35-37; Luke 20:41-44] 42“What do you [Pharisees] think of the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed)? Whose Son is He?” They said to Him, “#22:42 The Pharisees may have thought of the Messiah merely as a human descendant of David.The son of David.” 43Jesus asked them, “How is it then that David by the inspiration of the Spirit, calls Him ‘Lord,’ saying,
44 ‘The Lord (the Father) said to my Lord (the Son, the Messiah),
“Sit at My right hand,
Until I put Your enemies under Your feet” ’? [Ps 110:1]
45 So then, if David calls Him (the Son, the Messiah) ‘Lord,’ # 22:45 See note Mark 12:35. how is He David’s son?” 46No one was able to say a word to Him in answer, nor from that day on did anyone dare to question Him again.
Amplified® Bible
Copyright © 2015 by
The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631
All rights reserved. http://www.lockman.org