Thematic Bible
Matthew 22:1 (show verse)
Then Jesus again addressed them in parables.
Matthew 22:2 (show verse)
"The Realm of heaven," he said, "may be compared to a king who gave a marriage-banquet in honour of his son.
Matthew 22:3 (show verse)
He sent his servants to summon the invited guests to the feast, but they would not come.
Matthew 22:4 (show verse)
Once more he sent some other servants, saying, 'Tell the invited guests, here is my supper all prepared, my oxen and fat cattle are killed, everything is ready; come to the marriage-banquet.'
Matthew 22:5 (show verse)
But they paid no attention and went off, one to his estate, another to his business,
Matthew 22:6 (show verse)
while the rest seized his servants and ill-treated them and killed them.
Matthew 22:7 (show verse)
The king was enraged; he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned up their city.
Matthew 22:8 (show verse)
Then he said to his servants, 'The marriage-banquet is all ready, but the invited guests did not deserve it.
Matthew 22:9 (show verse)
So go to the byeways and invite anyone you meet to the marriage-banquet.'
Matthew 22:10 (show verse)
And those servants went out on the roads and gathered all they met, bad and good alike. Thus the marriage-banquet was supplied with guests.
Matthew 22:11 (show verse)
Now when the king came in to view his guests, he saw a man there who was not dressed in a wedding-robe.
Matthew 22:12 (show verse)
So he said to him, 'My man, how did you get in here without a wedding-robe?' The man was speech less.
Matthew 22:13 (show verse)
Then said the king to his servants, 'Take him hand and foot, and throw him outside, out into the darkness; there men will wail and gnash their teeth.
Matthew 22:14 (show verse)
For many are invited but few are chosen.'"
Matthew 22:15 (show verse)
Then the Pharisees went and plotted to trap him in talk.
Matthew 22:16 (show verse)
They sent him their disciples with the Herodians, who said, "Teacher, we know you are sincere and that you teach the Way of God honestly and fearlessly; you do not court human favour.
Matthew 22:17 (show verse)
Tell us, then, what you think about this. Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?"
Matthew 22:18 (show verse)
But Jesus detected their malice. He said, "Why do you tempt me, you hypocrites?
Matthew 22:19 (show verse)
Show me the coin for taxes." So they brought him a shilling.
Matthew 22:20 (show verse)
Then Jesus said to them, "Whose likeness, whose inscription is this?"
Matthew 22:21 (show verse)
"Caesar's," they said. Then he told them, "Give Caesar what belongs to Caesar, give God what belongs to God."
Matthew 22:22 (show verse)
When they heard that they marvelled; then they left him and went away.
Matthew 22:23 (show verse)
That same day some Sadducees came up to him, men who hold there is no resurrection. They put this question to him:
Matthew 22:24 (show verse)
"Teacher, Moses said that if anyone dies without children, his brother is to espouse his wife and raise offspring for his brother.
Matthew 22:25 (show verse)
Now there were seven brothers in our number. The first married and died; as he had no children he left his wife to his brother.
Matthew 22:26 (show verse)
The same happened with the second and the third, down to the seventh.
Matthew 22:27 (show verse)
After them all, the woman died.
Matthew 22:28 (show verse)
Now at the resurrection whose wife will she be? They all had her."
Matthew 22:29 (show verse)
Jesus answered them, "You go wrong because you understand neither the scriptures nor the power of God.
Matthew 22:30 (show verse)
At the resurrection people neither marry nor are married, they are like the angels of God in heaven.
Matthew 22:31 (show verse)
And as for the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was said to you by God,
Matthew 22:32 (show verse)
I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob? He is not a God of dead people but of living."
Matthew 22:33 (show verse)
And when the crowds heard it, they were astounded at his teaching.
Matthew 22:34 (show verse)
When the Pharisees heard he had silenced the Sadducees, they mustered their forces,
Matthew 22:35 (show verse)
and one of them, a jurist, put a question in order to tempt him.
Matthew 22:36 (show verse)
"Teacher," he said, "what is the greatest command in the Law?"
Matthew 22:37 (show verse)
He replied, "You must love the Lord your God with your whole heart, with your whole soul, and with your whole mind.
Matthew 22:38 (show verse)
This is the greatest and chief command.
Matthew 22:39 (show verse)
There is a second like it: you must love your neighbour as yourself.
Matthew 22:40 (show verse)
The whole Law and the prophets hang upon these two commands."
Matthew 22:41 (show verse)
As the Pharisees had mustered, Jesus put a question to them.
Matthew 22:42 (show verse)
"Tell me," he said, "what you think about the Christ. Whose son is he?" They said to him, "David's."
Matthew 22:43 (show verse)
He said to them, "How is it then that David in the Spirit calls him Lord?
Matthew 22:44 (show verse)
The Lord said to my Lord, 'Sit at my right hand, till I put your enemies under your feet.'
Matthew 22:45 (show verse)
If David calls him Lord, how can he be his son?"
Matthew 22:46 (show verse)
No one could make any answer to him, and from that day no one ventured to put another question to him.