Dual Panel1AND AGAIN Jesus spoke to them in parables (comparisons, stories used to illustrate and explain), saying,
2The kingdom of heaven is like a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son
3And sent his servants to summon those who had been invited to the wedding banquet, but they refused to come.
4Again he sent other servants, saying, Tell those who are invited, Behold, I have prepared my banquet; my bullocks and my fat calves are killed, and everything is prepared; come to the wedding feast.
5But they were not concerned {and} paid no attention [they ignored and made light of the summons, treating it with contempt] and they went away--one to his farm, another to his business,
6While the others seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and put them to death.
7[Hearing this] the king was infuriated; and he sent his soldiers and put those murderers to death and burned their city.
8Then he said to his servants, The wedding [feast] is prepared, but those invited were not worthy.
9So go to the thoroughfares where they leave the city [where the main roads and those from the country end] and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.
10And those servants went out on the crossroads and got together as many as they found, both bad and good, so [the room in which] the wedding feast [was held] was filled with guests.
11But when the king came in to view the guests, he looked intently at a man there who had on no wedding garment.
12And he said, Friend, how did you come in here without putting on the [appropriate] wedding garment? And he was speechless (muzzled, gagged).
13Then the king said to the attendants, Tie him hand and foot, and throw him into the darkness outside; there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.
14For many are called (invited and summoned), but few {are} chosen.
15Then the Pharisees went and consulted {and} plotted together how they might entangle Jesus in His talk.
16And they sent their disciples to Him along with the Herodians, saying, Teacher, we know that You are sincere {and} what You profess to be and that You teach the way of God truthfully, regardless of consequences {and} being afraid of no man; for You are impartial {and} do not regard either the person {or} the position of anyone.
17Tell us then what You think about this: Is it lawful to pay tribute [levied on individuals and to be paid yearly] to Caesar or not?
18But Jesus, aware of their malicious plot, asked, Why do you put Me to the test {and} try to entrap Me, you pretenders (hypocrites)?
19Show me the money {used} for the tribute. And they brought Him a denarius.
20And Jesus said to them, Whose likeness and title are these?
21They said, Caesar's. Then He said to them, Pay therefore to Caesar the things that are due to Caesar, and pay to God the things that are due to God.
22When they heard it they were amazed {and} marveled; and they left Him and departed.
23The same day some Sadducees, who say that there is no resurrection [of the dead], came to Him and they asked Him a question,
24Saying, Teacher, Moses said, If a man dies, leaving no children, his brother shall marry the widow and raise up a family for his brother.
25Now there were seven brothers among us; the first married and died, and, having no children, left his wife to his brother.
26The second also died childless, and the third, down to the seventh.
27Last of all, the woman died also.
28Now, in the resurrection, to which of the seven will she be wife? For they all had her.
29But Jesus replied to them, You are wrong because you know neither the Scriptures nor God's power.
30For in the resurrected state neither do [men] marry nor are [women] given in marriage, but they are like the angels in heaven.
31But as to the resurrection of the dead--have you never read what was said to you by God,
32I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? He is not the God of the dead but of the living!
33And when the throng heard it, they were astonished {and} filled with [glad] amazement at His teaching.
34Now when the Pharisees heard that He had silenced (muzzled) the Sadducees, they gathered together.
35And one of their number, a lawyer, asked Him a question to test Him.
36Teacher, which kind of commandment is great and important (the principal kind) in the Law? [Some commandments are light--which are heavy?]
37And He replied to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind (intellect).
38This is the great (most important, principal) and first commandment.
39And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as [you do] yourself.
40These two commandments sum up {and} upon them depend all the Law and the Prophets.
41Now while the Pharisees were still assembled there, Jesus asked them a question,
42Saying, What do you think of the Christ? Whose Son is He? They said to Him, The Son of David.
43He said to them, How is it then that David, under the influence of the [Holy] Spirit, calls Him Lord, saying,
44The Lord said to My Lord, Sit at My right hand until I put Your enemies under Your feet?
45If then David thus calls Him Lord, how is He his Son?
46And no one was able to answer Him a word, nor from that day did anyone venture {or} dare to question Him.