1 Then Jesus again spoke to them in stories, and said: 2 "The kingdom of heaven is like a king, who gave a wedding reception for his son. 3 And he sent his slaves to summon those who had been invited to the wedding reception, but they refused to come. 4 A second time he sent other slaves, and said to them, 'Tell the invited guests that I have my reception all ready, my bullocks and fatlings are butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding reception!'
5 But they paid no attention to it, but went off, one to his farm, another to his place of business, 6 and the rest seized his slaves, treated them with violence, and murdered them. 7 Then the king was enraged, and sent his soldiers to put those murderers to death and burned their city.
8 After that he said to his slaves, 'My wedding reception is ready, but those invited have proved unworthy. 9 So go out to the country crossroads and invite everybody you find to my wedding reception.' 10 And those slaves went out into the roads and gathered everybody they found, both good and bad, and the bridal-hall was packed with guests. 11 But when the king came in to take a look at the guests, he saw there a man who did not have on a wedding suit. 12 So he said to him, 'My friend, how is it that you came in here without a wedding suit on?' But his lips were sealed.
13 Then the king said to his attendants, 'Tie him hand and foot and throw him out into the darkness on the outside, where he will have to weep and grind his teeth.'
14 For many are invited, but few are selected."
15 Then the Pharisees went and made a plot to trap Him in argument. 16 So they sent to Him their disciples with the Herodians, to say to Him, "Teacher, we know that you are in the habit of telling the truth and of teaching the way of God in honesty, and you do not care what anyone says, for you are not partial. 17 So give us your opinion on the question: Is it right to pay Caesar the poll-tax, or not?"
18 But Jesus saw their malicious plot, and so asked, "Why are you testing me so, you hypocrites? 19 Show me a poll-tax coin." 20 And He asked them, "Whose likeness and title is this?"
21 They answered, "Caesar's." Then He said to them, "Pay Caesar, therefore, what belongs to Caesar, and pay God what belongs to God." 22 And when they heard it, they were dumbfounded; and they left Him and went away.
23 On the same day some Sadducees, who claim that there is no resurrection, came up to Him, and asked this question: 24 "Teacher, Moses said, 'If a man dies without children, his brother must marry his widow and raise up a family for him.' 25 Now there were seven brothers among us. The first married and died without children, and left his widow to his brother. 26 The second also died, and the third, and all down to the seventh. 27 Last of all, the woman died, too. 28 Now at the resurrection which one's wife, of the seven, will she be? For they all married her."
29 Jesus answered them, "You are wrong in your views, because you do not understand the Scriptures nor the power of God, 30 for after the resurrection men do not marry and women are not married, but continue to live together as the angels do in heaven. 31 But did you never read, on the resurrection of the dead, what God said to you, 32 'I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob!' Now God is not the God of dead but of living men."
33 And when the crowds heard this, they were dumbfounded at His teaching.
34 Now the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, and so they had a meeting. 35 And one of their number, an expert in the law, to tempt Him, asked, 36 "Teacher, what sort of command is greatest in the law?"
37 And He answered him, "'You must love the Lord your God with your whole heart, your whole soul, and your whole mind.' 38 This is the greatest command, and is first in importance. 39 The second is like it: 'You must love your neighbor as you do yourself.' 40 The essence of the whole law and the prophets is packed into these two commands."
41 And when the Pharisees came together, Jesus asked them, 42 "What is your opinion of the Christ? Whose son is He?" They answered Him, "He is David's son."
43 He asked them, "How then does David, under the guidance of the Spirit, call Him Lord, when he says:
44 'The Lord has said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand, Until I put your enemies under your feet!'
45 If David, then, calls Him Lord, how can He be his son?" 46 And not one could answer Him a word, and from that day on no one ever dared to ask Him any more questions.