The parable of the marriage feast. Christ orders tribute to be paid to
Caesar. He confutes the Sadducees, shews which is the first commandment
in the law and puzzles the Pharisees.
22:1. And Jesus answering, spoke again in parables to them, saying:
22:2. The kingdom of heaven is likened to a king who made a marriage
for his son.
22:3. And he sent his servants to call them that were invited to the
marriage: and they would not come.
22:4. Again he sent other servants, saying: Tell them that were
invited, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my beeves and fatlings are
killed, and all things are ready. Come ye to the marriage.
22:5. But they neglected and went their ways, one to his farm and
another to his merchandise.
22:6. And the rest laid hands on his servants and, having treated them
contumeliously, put them to death.
22:7. But when the king had heard of it, he was angry: and sending his
armies, he destroyed those murderers and burnt their city.
22:8. Then he saith to his servants: The marriage indeed is ready; but
they that were invited were not worthy.
22:9. Go ye therefore into the highways; and as many as you shall find,
call to the marriage.
22:10. And his servants going forth into the ways, gathered together
all that they found, both bad and good: and the marriage was filled
with guests.
22:11. And the king went in to see the guests: and he saw there a man
who had not on a wedding garment.
22:12. And he saith to him: Friend, how camest thou in hither not
having on a wedding garment? But he was silent.
22:13. Then the king said to the waiters: Bind his hands and feet, and
cast him into the exterior darkness. There shall be weeping and
gnashing of teeth.
22:14. For many are called, but few are chosen.
22:15. Then the Pharisees going, consulted among themselves how to
insnare him in his speech.
22:16. And they sent to him their disciples with the Herodians, saying:
Master, we know that thou art a true speaker and teachest the way of
God in truth. Neither carest thou for any man: for thou dost not regard
the person of men.
The Herodians.... That is, some that belonged to Herod, and that joined
with him in standing up for the necessity of paying tribute to Caesar,
that is, to the Roman emperor. Some are of opinion that there was a
sect among the Jews called Herodians, from their maintaining that Herod
was the Messias.
22:17. Tell us therefore what dost thou think? Is it lawful to give
tribute to Caesar, or not?
22:18. But Jesus knowing their wickedness, said: Why do you tempt me,
ye hypocrites?
22:19. Shew me the coin of the tribute. And they offered him a penny.
22:20. And Jesus saith to them: Whose image and inscription is this?
22:21. They say to him: Caesar’s. Then he saith to them: Render
therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s; and to God, the
things that are God’s.
22:22. And hearing this, they wondered and, leaving him, went their
ways.
22:23. That day there came to him the Sadducees, who say there is no
resurrection; and asked him,
22:24. Saying: Master, Moses said: If a man die having no son, his
brother shall marry his wife and raise up issue to his brother.
22:25. Now there were with us seven brethren: and the first having
married a wife, died; and not having issue, left his wife to his
brother.
22:26. In like manner the second and the third and so on, to the
seventh.
22:27. And last of all the woman died also.
22:28. At the resurrection therefore, whose wife of the seven shall she
be? For they all had her.
22:29. And Jesus answering, said to them: You err, not knowing the
Scriptures nor the power of God.
22:30. For in the resurrection they shall neither marry nor be married,
but shall be as the angels of God in heaven.
22:31. And concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read
that which was spoken by God, saying to you:
22:32. I 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.
22:33. And the multitudes hearing it were in admiration at his
doctrine.
22:34. But the Pharisees, hearing that he had silenced the Sadducees,
came together.
22:35. And one of them, a doctor of the law, asked him, tempting him:
22:36. Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
22:37. Jesus said to him: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy
whole heart and with thy whole soul and with thy whole mind.
22:38. This is the greatest and the first commandment.
22:39. And the second is like to this: Thou shalt love thy neighbour as
thyself.
22:40. On these two commandments dependeth the whole law and the
prophets.
22:41. And the Pharisees being gathered together, Jesus asked them,
22:42. Saying: What think you of Christ? Whose son is he? They say to
him: David’s.
22:43. He saith to them: How then doth David in spirit call him Lord,
saying:
22:44. The Lord said to my Lord: Sit on my right hand, until I make thy
enemies thy footstool?
22:45. If David then call him Lord, how is he his son?
22:46. And no man was able to answer him a word: neither durst any man
from that day forth ask him any more questions.