The Parable of the Wedding Feast. The Herodians. The Sadducees.

1 And Jesus again spoke to them in parables and said. 2 The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding feast for his son. 3 He sent his servants to call those who had been invited to the wedding, but they were not willing to come. 4 Again he sent other servants and said, ‘Tell those who were invited: “Look, I have prepared my meal. my oxen and the fattened animals have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding.”’.” 5 But they, disregarding it, went away: one went to his field, and the other to his trade. 6 But the rest, seizing his servants, mistreated and killed them. 7 When the king heard it, he became angry and sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city. 8 Then he said to his servants, “The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. 9 So go to the crossroads of the roads, and invite to the wedding whoever you find.” 10 And the servants went out to the roads, gathered everyone they found, both the evil and the good, and the wedding was filled with guests. 11 When the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had not put on wedding garments. 12 And he said to him, “Friend, how did you come in here when you do not have wedding garments?” And he was speechless. 13 Then the king said to the servants: ‘Tie his hands and feet, take him, and throw him out into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and the grinding of teeth there.’ 14 For many are called, but few are chosen.”». 15 Then the Pharisees went and took counsel against Jesus, how they might trap Him with words. 16 And they sent their disciples to Him with the Herodians, and they said: “Teacher, we know that You are true, and that You teach the way of God in truth, and that You are not afraid of anyone, because You show no partiality.” 17 So tell us, what do you think? Is it lawful to pay the tax to Caesar, or not?” 18 And Jesus, knowing their crafty intent, said, “Why are you testing me, hypocrites?” 19 “Show me the tax denarius.” And they brought and gave Jesus one denarius. 20 And he said to them, “Whose image and inscription is this?” They answered him, “Caesar’s.” 21 Then he said to them, “Go, give to the emperor what belongs to the emperor, and to God what belongs to God.” 22 And when they heard it, they were amazed, left Him, and went away. 23 That day the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Jesus. 24 And they said, “Teacher, Moses said, ‘If a man dies childless, his brother must take his wife and raise up offspring for his brother’ (Deut. 25:5).” 25 There were seven brothers among us. The first took a wife and died, and since he had no child, he left his wife to his brother. 26 In the same way also the second brother, and the third, up to the seventh. 27 After all of them, the woman also died. 28 Now, at the resurrection, whose wife of the seven will she be, since all of them took her as a wife?” 29 Jesus answered and said to them: “You are mistaken, because you understand neither the Scriptures nor the power of God.” 30 For in the resurrection they will neither marry nor be given in marriage, but will be like the angels of God in heaven. 31 And concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what God said to you? 32 “I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob” (Exodus 3:6). God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.” 33 And when the people heard, they were amazed at his teaching. 34 But when the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. 35 And one of them, a teacher of the law, asked Him a question to test Him, and said. 36 “Teacher, in the Law, which is the greatest commandment?” 37 And Jesus said to him: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind’ (Deut. 6:5). 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Lev. 19:18, Matt. 5:43). 40 On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.” 41 While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them and said, 42 “What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?” They answered him, “David’s.” 43 He said to them, “Then how is it that David, in the Spirit, calls Him ‘Lord,’ saying. 44 “The Lord said to my Lord: Sit at my right hand until I place your enemies as a footstool for your feet” (Ps. 110:1). 45 So if David calls Him “Lord,” then how is the Christ his son?” 46 And no one was able to answer Him, and from that day on no one dared to ask Him anything.