Matthew 22 : 1 (ERVEN)
Jesus used some more stories to teach the people. He said,
Matthew 22 : 2 (ERVEN)
"God's kingdom is like a king who prepared a wedding feast for his son.
Matthew 22 : 3 (ERVEN)
He invited some people to the feast. When it was ready, the king sent his servants to tell the people to come. But they refused to come to the king's feast.
Matthew 22 : 4 (ERVEN)
"Then the king sent some more servants. He said to them, 'I have already invited the people. So tell them that my feast is ready. I have killed my best bulls and calves to be eaten. Everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.'
Matthew 22 : 5 (ERVEN)
"But when the servants told the people to come, they refused to listen. They all went to do other things. One went to work in his field, and another went to his business.
Matthew 22 : 6 (ERVEN)
Some of the other people grabbed the servants, beat them, and killed them.
Matthew 22 : 7 (ERVEN)
The king was very angry. He sent his army to kill those who murdered his servants. And the army burned their city.
Matthew 22 : 8 (ERVEN)
"After that, the king said to his servants, 'The wedding feast is ready. I invited those people, but they were not good enough to come to my feast.
Matthew 22 : 9 (ERVEN)
So go to the street corners and invite everyone you see. Tell them to come to my feast.'
Matthew 22 : 10 (ERVEN)
So the servants went into the streets. They gathered all the people they could find, good and bad alike, and brought them to where the wedding feast was ready. And the place was filled with guests.
Matthew 22 : 11 (ERVEN)
"When the king came in to meet the guests, he saw a man there who was not dressed in the right clothes for a wedding.
Matthew 22 : 12 (ERVEN)
The king said, 'Friend, how were you allowed to come in here? You are not wearing the right clothes.' But the man said nothing.
Matthew 22 : 13 (ERVEN)
So the king told some servants, 'Tie this man's hands and feet. Throw him out into the darkness, where people are crying and grinding their teeth with pain.'
Matthew 22 : 14 (ERVEN)
"Yes, many people are invited. But only a few are chosen."
Matthew 22 : 15 (ERVEN)
Then the Pharisees left the place where Jesus was teaching. They made plans to catch him saying something wrong.
Matthew 22 : 16 (ERVEN)
They sent some men to Jesus. They were some of their own followers and some from the group called Herodians. They said, "Teacher, we know you are an honest man. We know you teach the truth about God's way. You are not afraid of what others think about you. All people are the same to you.
Matthew 22 : 17 (ERVEN)
So tell us what you think. Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?"
Matthew 22 : 18 (ERVEN)
But Jesus knew that these men were trying to trick him. So he said, "You hypocrites! Why are you trying to catch me saying something wrong?
Matthew 22 : 19 (ERVEN)
Show me a coin used for paying the tax." They showed Jesus a silver coin.
Matthew 22 : 20 (ERVEN)
Then he asked, "Whose picture is on the coin? And whose name is written on the coin?"
Matthew 22 : 21 (ERVEN)
They answered, "It is Caesar's picture and Caesar's name." Then Jesus said to them, "Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God."
Matthew 22 : 22 (ERVEN)
When they heard what Jesus said, they were amazed. They left him and went away.
Matthew 22 : 23 (ERVEN)
That same day some Sadducees came to Jesus. (Sadducees believe that no one will rise from death.) The Sadducees asked Jesus a question.
Matthew 22 : 24 (ERVEN)
They said, "Teacher, Moses told us that if a married man dies and had no children, his brother must marry the woman. Then they will have children for the dead brother.
Matthew 22 : 25 (ERVEN)
There were seven brothers among us. The first brother married but died. He had no children. So his brother married the woman.
Matthew 22 : 26 (ERVEN)
Then the second brother also died. The same thing happened to the third brother and all the other brothers.
Matthew 22 : 27 (ERVEN)
The woman was the last to die.
Matthew 22 : 28 (ERVEN)
But all seven men had married her. So when people rise from death, whose wife will she be?"
Matthew 22 : 29 (ERVEN)
Jesus answered, "You are so wrong! You don't know what the Scriptures say. And you don't know anything about God's power.
Matthew 22 : 30 (ERVEN)
At the time when people rise from death, there will be no marriage. People will not be married to each other. Everyone will be like the angels in heaven.
Matthew 22 : 31 (ERVEN)
Surely you have read what God said to you about people rising from death.
Matthew 22 : 32 (ERVEN)
God said, 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. ' So they were not still dead, because he is the God only of living people."
Matthew 22 : 33 (ERVEN)
When the people heard this, they were amazed at Jesus' teaching.
Matthew 22 : 34 (ERVEN)
The Pharisees learned that Jesus had made the Sadducees look so foolish that they stopped trying to argue with him. So the Pharisees had a meeting.
Matthew 22 : 35 (ERVEN)
Then one of them, an expert in the Law of Moses, asked Jesus a question to test him.
Matthew 22 : 36 (ERVEN)
He said, "Teacher, which command in the law is the most important?"
Matthew 22 : 37 (ERVEN)
Jesus answered, "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.'
Matthew 22 : 38 (ERVEN)
This is the first and most important command.
Matthew 22 : 39 (ERVEN)
And the second command is like the first: 'Love your neighbor the same as you love yourself.'
Matthew 22 : 40 (ERVEN)
All of the law and the writings of the prophets take their meaning from these two commands."
Matthew 22 : 41 (ERVEN)
So while the Pharisees were together, Jesus asked them a question.
Matthew 22 : 42 (ERVEN)
He said, "What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?" The Pharisees answered, "The Christ is the Son of David. "
Matthew 22 : 43 (ERVEN)
Jesus said to them, "Then why did David call him 'Lord'? David was speaking by the power of the Spirit. He said,
Matthew 22 : 44 (ERVEN)
'The Lord God said to my Lord: Sit by me at my right side, and I will put your enemies under your control. '
Matthew 22 : 45 (ERVEN)
David calls the Christ 'Lord.' So how can he be David's son?"
Matthew 22 : 46 (ERVEN)
None of the Pharisees could answer Jesus' question. And after that day, no one was brave enough to ask him any more questions.
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