The Parable of the Wedding Feast
Study note
A king's wedding feast for his son serves as an allegory of God's invitation to the kingdom. The original guests refuse and even kill the messengers, representing Israel's rejection of God's prophets. The invitation then extends to everyone, good and bad, representing the gospel going to the nations. The man without a wedding garment warns that while the invitation is free, entering the kingdom requires proper preparation -- genuine repentance and faith, not casual presumption.
1 Jesus continued teaching them through stories. He said, And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said,
2 "God's kingdom is like a king who threw a grand wedding celebration for his son. The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son,
3 He sent servants to call in the guests he had invited, but none of them would come. And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come.
4 So he sent out a second wave of servants with this message: 'Tell my invited guests: The feast is all set! My best cattle have been prepared, the food is cooked, everything is ready. Come celebrate at the wedding!' Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage.
5 But they shrugged it off and went about their business. One headed to his farm, another to his shop. But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise:
6 Some of them grabbed the king's servants, roughed them up, and killed them. And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them.
7 The king was outraged. He sent his army, wiped out those murderers, and burned their city to the ground. But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.
8 Then he told his servants, 'The wedding feast is ready, but the people I invited were not worthy of it. Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy.
9 Head out to every street corner and intersection you can find. Invite everyone you come across to the wedding.' Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage.
10 So the servants fanned out across the streets and rounded up everyone they could find — good people and bad people alike. The wedding hall was packed with guests. So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests.
11 When the king walked in to greet his guests, he spotted a man who was not wearing the proper wedding clothes. And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment:
12 The king asked him, 'Friend, how did you get in here without wedding clothes?' The man stood there speechless. And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.
13 The king told his servants, 'Tie his hands and feet and throw him out into the darkness.' That is a place of crying and grinding teeth. Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
14 Many people get invited, but only a few are chosen." For many are called, but few are chosen.
Paying Taxes to Caesar
Study note
The Pharisees and Herodians attempt to trap Jesus with a politically explosive question about paying taxes to Rome. If he says yes, he alienates the Jewish nationalists; if no, he commits sedition against Rome. Jesus' brilliant response -- 'Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God' -- transcends the political trap by establishing the principle of dual obligation: civic responsibility to earthly government and ultimate allegiance to God.
15 After that, the Pharisees got together and hatched a plan to trap Jesus with his own words. Then went the Pharisees, and took counsel how they might entangle him in his talk.
16 They sent some of their followers to him along with supporters of Herod. These men said, "Teacher, we know you are an honest person. You teach God's way truthfully. You are not swayed by what anyone thinks of you, because you treat everyone the same no matter who they are. And they sent out unto him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man: for thou regardest not the person of men.
17 So give us your honest opinion: Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?" Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Cæsar, or not?
18 Jesus saw right through their sneaky trap and said, "You fakes — why are you trying to catch me in a trick? But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites?
19 Hand me the coin used for paying the tax." They produced a denarius. Shew me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a penny.
20 He held it up and asked, "Whose face is stamped on this coin? Whose name is written on it?" And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription?
21 They said, "Caesar's." Jesus told them, "Then hand over to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and hand over to God what belongs to God." They say unto him, Cæsar's. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Cæsar the things which are Cæsar's; and unto God the things that are God's.
22 That answer caught them completely off guard. They had nothing to say, so they gave up and walked away. When they had heard these words, they marvelled, and left him, and went their way.
The Question About Resurrection
Study note
The Sadducees, who deny the resurrection, present an elaborate hypothetical scenario about a woman married to seven brothers. Jesus corrects their misunderstanding on two counts: in the resurrection, relationships will be transformed beyond earthly marriage, and God's declaration 'I am the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob' proves the resurrection because God is the God of the living, not the dead. The crowd is astonished by his teaching.
23 That same day, a group of Sadducees came to Jesus. The Sadducees did not believe anyone would rise from the dead. They posed this question to him: The same day came to him the Sadducees, which say that there is no resurrection, and asked him,
24 "Teacher, Moses taught that if a married man dies without having kids, his brother should marry the widow. Then they should have children who would carry on the dead man's family line." Saying, Master, Moses said, If a man die, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother.
25 Now, there were seven brothers in our community. The first one got married and died with no children, leaving his wife to the second brother. Now there were with us seven brethren: and the first, when he had married a wife, deceased, and, having no issue, left his wife unto his brother:
26 The same thing happened with the second brother, and the third, all the way through to the seventh. Likewise the second also, and the third, unto the seventh.
27 After all seven had died, the woman died too. And last of all the woman died also.
28 So when the dead are raised back to life, whose wife will she be? All seven brothers were married to her." Therefore in the resurrection whose wife shall she be of the seven? for they all had her.
29 Jesus told them, "You have got it all wrong because you don't understand either the scriptures or God's power. Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God.
30 When people are raised from the dead, marriage will not exist. People will be like the angels who live in heaven. For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven.
31 Now about whether the dead come back to life — have you never read what God himself told you? But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying,
32 He said, 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.' He is not the God of corpses — he is the God of the living." I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.
33 The crowd listening to all of this was deeply impressed by his teaching. And when the multitude heard this, they were astonished at his doctrine.
The Greatest Commandment and the Messiah's Identity
Study note
When a Pharisee lawyer asks which is the greatest commandment, Jesus responds with the Shema -- love God with all your heart, soul, and mind -- and adds a second: love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and Prophets hang on these two commandments. Jesus then poses his own question: how can the Messiah be both David's son and David's Lord? By quoting Psalm 110, he reveals that the Messiah is more than a mere human descendant of David. No one dares question him further.
34 When news spread that Jesus had completely shut down the Sadducees, the Pharisees regrouped. But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together.
35 One of them, a legal expert, stepped forward with a trick question. Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying,
36 He asked, "Teacher, out of all the commandments, which one is the most important?" Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
37 Jesus said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind." Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
38 This is the first and greatest commandment. This is the first and great commandment.
39 And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
40 Everything written in the law and the prophets hangs on these two commandments." On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
41 While the Pharisees were still gathered, Jesus turned the tables and asked them a question: While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them,
42 "What is your understanding of the Christ? Whose descendant is he?" They said, "He comes from David's family line." Saying, What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The Son of David.
43 Jesus pressed further: "Then explain this. David was speaking through the Holy Spirit when he called the Christ his Lord. David said, He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying,
44 'The LORD told my Lord: Sit in the place of honor at my right side, and I will put all your enemies beneath your feet.' The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool?
45 If David called the Christ his Lord, how can the Christ also be David's descendant?" If David then call him Lord, how is he his son?
46 Nobody could come up with an answer. And after that day, no one had the nerve to ask Jesus any more trick questions. And no man was able to answer him a word, neither durst any man from that day forth ask him any more questions.