Read the Modern Pastor’s Version

Jesus told the crowds another parable. He said, "The kingdom of heaven is like a king who made a marriage feast for his son. He invited guests, but they refused to come. So he sent out his servants with an urgent message: 'Come to the wedding! I've prepared everything – my oxen and fatlings are killed, all is ready.' But they laughed it off and went their own way. The king's servants were treated with contempt and even killed.

When the king heard about it, he was furious and sent his armies to destroy those murderers and burn their city. Then he told his servants, "The wedding feast is ready, but those invited are not worthy." So they went out into the highways and gathered as many people as they could find – good and bad alike – to fill the wedding with guests.

When the king arrived, he saw a man who wasn't wearing a wedding garment. He asked him, "Friend, how did you come in here without wearing a wedding attire?" The man was speechless. Then the king told his servants, "Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and throw him into outer darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

Many are called, but few are chosen. The Pharisees gathered around Jesus to trap him with his words. They sent their disciples and a group of Herodians to ask him, "Master, we know you teach the way of God in truth. We want to know – is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not?" But Jesus saw through their wickedness and asked them, "Why are you testing me?"

They handed him a denarius with Caesar's image on it, asking whose image was on the coin. They said, "Caesar's." Then he replied, "Give back to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and give back to God what is God's."

The Sadducees, who denied the resurrection of the dead, came to Jesus with a question. They asked him about a man who died without children; according to Moses' law, his brother was supposed to marry the widow and raise up offspring in his name. But they had seven brothers – each one married the widow after the previous brother's death.

In their story, the last wife also died childless. The Sadducees asked Jesus if in the resurrection there would be marriage or giving in marriage. Jesus replied, "You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God." He explained that in the resurrection, people will neither marry nor be given in marriage but will be like the angels in heaven.

Jesus then quoted Scripture to them: "I am the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; he is not the God of the dead but of the living." When the crowd heard this, they were amazed at Jesus' teaching. The Pharisees had been listening and realized that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees.

One of the Pharisees, a lawyer, asked Jesus a question to trick him: "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the law?" Jesus replied, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment." He then added, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."

The Pharisees gathered around again, trying to trap Jesus in his words. They asked him about a passage from David's writings: "The Lord said to my Lord, 'Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet.'" If David calls this person Lord, how can he be his son? Jesus replied by quoting the same passage and asking them again, "If David calls him Lord, how can he be his son?" No one could respond to him with a word that day, and from then on no one dared ask him any more questions.