The Complete Sayings of Jesus

Parable: The King's Guests for his Son's Wedding — Futile Wiles: Cesar's Tribute, The Seven Brothers' Widow.

A.D. 30. Age 33 Jerusalem, in the Temple.

Matthew 22, 1-32: Mark 12, 13-27: Luke 20, 20-38.

JESUS spake unto them again by parables, The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king which made a marriage for his son, and sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come. 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. But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise: and the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them. But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage. So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered all together as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests.

And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: and he saith unto him, Friend, how earnest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. 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. For many are called, but few are chosen.

Then the Pharisees took counsel how they might entangle Jesus in his talk. They sent spies, which should feign themselves just men, to catch him in his words, that so they might deliver him unto the authority of the governor. When these were come, they say unto Jesus, Master, we know that thou teachest the way of God in truth, neither acceptest the person of men. Tell us, Is it lawful to give tribute to Cesar, or not? Jesus perceived their craftiness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites? Shew me the tribute money; bring me a penny, that I may see it. Shew me a penny. And they brought it. He said unto them, Whose image and superscription hath it? Whose is this image and superscription? They answered, Cesar's. Then saith he, Render therefore unto Cesar the things which be Cesar's; and unto God the things which be God's. They marvelled at his answers: they held their peace, and left him. The same day came Sadducees, which say that there is no resurrection: and asked Jesus, saying, Moses wrote, If a man's brother die, and leave his wife behind him, and leave no children, the brother shall marry the wife, and raise up seed unto his brother.¹ Now there were seven brethren: the first took a wife, and died without children: the second took her to wife, and he died childless: the third likewise; and in like manner the seven also: they died, and left no children. Last of all, the woman died. Therefore in the resurrection whose wife of them is she? Jesus answering said, Do ye not therefore err, because ye know not the Scriptures? Ye do err, not knowing the Scriptures, neither the power of God. The children of this world marry, and are given in marriage; but they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead; when they shall rise from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage: for they are equal unto the angels of God which are in heaven; and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection. Now that the dead are raised, even Moses shewed at the bush, when he calleth the Lord the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And as touching the resurrection of the dead, that they rise, have ye not read in the book of Moses that which was spoken unto you by God: how in the bush God spake unto Moses, saying, 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 the God of the living; for all live unto him: ye therefore do greatly err.

Footnotes:

¹Comparison of the three texts will disclose interesting differences in the phrasing (book, chapter, and verse indicated at the beginning of Part 67).