1 Jesus again in reply spoke to them in parables, saying,

2 "The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son.

3 He dispatched his servants to summon the invited guests to the feast, but they refused to come.

4 A second time he sent other servants, saying, 'Tell those invited: "Behold, I have prepared my banquet, my calves and fattened cattle are killed, and everything is ready; come to the feast."'

5 Some ignored the invitation and went away, one to his farm, another to his business.

6 The rest laid hold of his servants, mistreated them, and killed them.

7 The king was enraged and sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city

8 Then he said to his servants, 'The feast is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy to come.

9 Go out, therefore, into the main roads and invite to the feast whomever you find.'

10 The servants went out into the streets and gathered all they found, bad and good alike, and the hall was filled with guests.

11 But when the king came in to meet the guests he saw a man there not dressed in a wedding garment.

12 He said to him, 'My friend, how is it that you came in here without a wedding garment?' But he was reduced to silence.

13 Then the king said to his attendants, 'Bind his hands and feet, and cast him into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.'

14 Many are invited, but few are chosen."

15 Then the Pharisees went off and plotted how they might entrap him in speech.

16 They sent their disciples to him, with the Herodians, saying, "Teacher, we know that you are a truthful man and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. And you are not concerned with anyone's opinion, for you do not regard a person's status.

17 Tell us, then, what is your opinion: Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not?"

18 Knowing their malice, Jesus said, "Why are you testing me, you hypocrites?

19 Show me the coin that pays the census tax." Then they handed him the Roman coin.

20 He said to them, "Whose image is this and whose inscription?"

21 They replied, "Caesar's." At that he said to them, "Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God."

22 When they heard this they were amazed, and leaving him they went away.

23 On that day Sadducees approached him, saying that there is no resurrection. They put this question to him,

24 saying, "Teacher, Moses said, 'If a man dies without children, his brother shall marry his wife and raise up descendants for his brother.

25 Now there were seven brothers among us. The first married and died and, having no descendants, left his wife to his brother.

26 The same happened with the second and the third, through all seven.

27 Finally the woman died.

28 Now at the resurrection, of the seven, whose wife will she be? For they all had been married to her."

29 Jesus said to them in reply, "You are misled because you do not know the scriptures or the power of God.

30 At the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage but are like the angels in heaven

31 And concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was said to you by God,

32 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? He is not the God of the dead but of the living."

33 When the crowds heard this, they were astonished at his teaching.

34 When the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together,

35 and one of them [a scholar of the law] tested him by asking,

36 "Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?

37 He said to him, "You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.

38 This is the greatest and the first commandment.

39 The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

40 The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments."

41 While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus questioned them,

42 saying, "What is your opinion about the Messiah? Whose son is he?" They replied, "David's.

43 He said to them, "How, then, does David, inspired by the Spirit, call him 'lord,' saying:

44 'The Lord said to my lord, "Sit at my right hand until I place your enemies under your feet"'?

45 If David calls him 'lord,' how can he be his son?"

46 No one was able to answer him a word, nor from that day on did anyone dare to ask him any more questions.