The Gospel According to Matthew

Again Jesus spoke to them in figurative language.

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

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

"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.'

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

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

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

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

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

"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.

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

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

"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.'

"For there are many called, but few chosen."

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

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.

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

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

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

"Whose likeness and inscription," He asked, "is this?"

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

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

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

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

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

So also did the second and the third, down to the seventh,

till the woman also died, after surviving them all.

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

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

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

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

'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."

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

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

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

"Teacher, which is the greatest Commandment in the Law?"

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

This is the greatest and foremost Commandment.

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