The Parable of the Banquet
(Luke 14:15-24)

1And answering, Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying, 2“The kingdom of the heavens has become like a man, a king, who made a wedding feast for his son. 3And he sent his servants to call those having been invited to the wedding feast—and they were not willing to come.

4Again he sent other servants, saying, ‘Say to those having been invited, “Behold, I have prepared my dinner. My oxen and the fatlings have been killed, and all things are ready; come to the wedding feast.”’

5And having paid no attention they went away, one to the own field, and one to his business. 6And the rest, having laid hold of his servants, mistreated and killed them.

7And the king was angry, and having sent his armies, he destroyed those murderers and burned their city. 8Then he says to his servants, ‘Indeed the wedding feast is ready, but those having been invited were not worthy. 9Therefore go into the thoroughfares of the highways, and invite to the wedding feast as many as you shall find.’

10And those servants, having gone out into the highways, brought together all, as many as they found, both evil and good; and the wedding hall became full of those reclining.

11And the king having entered in to see those reclining, he beheld a man there not being dressed in wedding clothes. 12And he says to him, ‘Friend, how did you enter here not having a wedding garment?’

And he was speechless.

13Then the king said to the servants, ‘Having bound his hands and feet, cast him out into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of the teeth.’

14For many are called, but few chosen.”

Paying Taxes to Caesar
(Mark 12:13-17; Luke 20:19-26)

15Then the Pharisees having gone out, took counsel how they might trap Him in His words. 16And they send their disciples to Him, with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that You are true, and You teach the way of God in the truth, and to You there is care about no one, for You do not look on the appearance of men. 17Therefore tell us, what do You think? Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar, or not?”

18But having known their malice, Jesus said, “Hypocrites, why do you test Me? 19Show Me the coin of the tribute.”

And they presented to Him a denarius.a

20And He says to them, “Whose likeness and whose inscription is this?”

21They say to Him, “Caesar’s.”

Then He says to them, “Therefore give back to Caesar the things of Caesar, and to God the things of God.”

22And having heard, they marveled. And having left Him, they went away.

The Sadducees and the Resurrection
(Mark 12:18-27; Luke 20:27-40)

23On that day Sadducees, those saying there is no resurrection, came to Him, and they questioned Him, 24saying, “Teacher, Moses said, ‘If anyone should die not having children, his brother will marry his wife and will raise up offspring for his brother.’ 25Now there were seven brothers among us; and the first died, and having married not having seed, he left his wife to his brother. 26Likewise also the second, and the third, unto the seventh. 27And last of all, the woman died. 28In the resurrection, therefore, of which of the seven will she be wife? For all had her.”

29And, Jesus answering said to them, “You err, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God. 30For in the resurrection, neither do they marry, nor are given in marriage, but they are like angelsb in heaven. 31And concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read that which has been spoken to you by God, saying, 32‘I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob?’c He is not the God of the dead, but of the living.”

33And the crowds having heard, were astonished at His teaching.

The Greatest Commandment
(Deuteronomy 6:1-19; Mark 12:28-34)

34And the Pharisees, having heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, were gathered together the same. 35And one of them, a lawyer, questioned Him, testing Him, 36“Teacher, which commandment is the greatest in the Law?”

37And He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’d 38This is the great and first commandment. 39And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’e 40On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”

Whose Son is the Christ?
(Mark 12:35-37; Luke 20:41-44)

41And the Pharisees having been assembled together, Jesus questioned them, 42saying, “What do you think concerning the Christ? Of whom is He son?”

They say to Him, “Of David.”

43He says to them, “How then does David in spirit call 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.”’f

45If therefore David calls Him Lord, how is He his son?”

46And no one was able to answer Him a word, nor did anyone dare from that day to question Him any longer.