The Parable of the Banquet
(Luke 14:15-24)
1And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said, 2The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, 3And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come. 4Again, 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. 5But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise: 6And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them. 7But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. 8Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. 9Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage. 10So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests.
11And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: 12And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. 13Then 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. 14For many are called, but few are chosen.
Paying Taxes to Caesar
(Mark 12:13-17; Luke 20:19-26)
15Then went the Pharisees, and took counsel how they might entangle him in his talk. 16And they sent out unto him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man: for thou regardest not the person of men. 17Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not? 18But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites? 19Shew me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a penny. 20And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? 21They say unto him, Caesar's. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's. 22When they had heard these words, they marvelled, and left him, and went their way.
Sadducees Question the Resurrection
(Mark 12:18-27; Luke 20:27-40)
23The same day came to him the Sadducees, which say that there is no resurrection, and asked him, 24Saying, Master, Moses said, If a man die, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother. 25Now there were with us seven brethren: and the first, when he had married a wife, deceased, and, having no issue, left his wife unto his brother: 26Likewise the second also, and the third, unto the seventh. 27And last of all the woman died also. 28Therefore in the resurrection whose wife shall she be of the seven? for they all had her.
29Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God. 30For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven. 31But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying, 32I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living. 33And when the multitude heard this, they were astonished at his doctrine.
The Greatest Commandment
(Deuteronomy 6:1-19; Mark 12:28-34)
34But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together. 35Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, 36Master, which is the great commandment in the law? 37Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38This is the first and great commandment. 39And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
Whose Son is the Christ?
(Mark 12:35-37; Luke 20:41-44)
41While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, 42Saying, What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The Son of David. 43He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying,
44The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool?
45If David then call him Lord, how is he his son? 46And no man was able to answer him a word, neither durst any man from that day forth ask him any more questions.
King James Bible
Text courtesy of BibleProtector.com.
The Parable of the Banquet
(Luke 14:15–24)
1 Jesus answered and spoke again in parables to them, saying,
2 “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a certain king, who made a marriage feast for his son, 3 and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the marriage feast, but they would not come. 4 Again he sent out other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “Behold, I have prepared my dinner. My cattle and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the marriage feast!”’ 5 But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his merchandise, 6 and the rest grabbed his servants, and treated them shamefully, and killed them. 7 When the king heard that, he was angry, and sent his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city. 8 “Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited weren’t worthy. 9 Go therefore to the intersections of the highways, and as many as you may find, invite to the marriage feast.’ 10 Those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together as many as they found, both bad and good. The wedding was filled with guests.
11 But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man who didn’t have on wedding clothing, 12 and he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here not wearing wedding clothing?’ He was speechless. 13 Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and throw him into the outer darkness; there is where the weeping and grinding of teeth will be.’ 14 For many are called, but few chosen.”
Paying Taxes to Caesar
(Mark 12:13–17; Luke 20:19–26)
15 Then the Pharisees went and took counsel how they might entrap him in his talk. 16 They sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are honest, and teach the way of God in truth, no matter whom you teach, for you aren’t partial to anyone. 17 Tell us therefore, what do you think? Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” 18 But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, “Why do you test me, you hypocrites? 19 Show me the tax money.” They brought to him a denarius. 20 He asked them, “Whose is this image and inscription?” 21 They said to him, “Caesar’s.” Then he said to them, “Give therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” 22 When they heard it, they marveled, and left him, and went away.
The Sadducees and the Resurrection
(Mark 12:18–27; Luke 20:27–40)
23 On that day Sadducees (those who say that there is no resurrection) came to him. They asked him, 24 saying, “Teacher, Moses said, ‘If a man dies, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife, and raise up seed for his brother.’ 25 Now there were with us seven brothers. The first married and died, and having no seed left his wife to his brother. 26 In the same way, the second also, and the third, to the seventh. 27 After them all, the woman died. 28 In the resurrection therefore, whose wife will she be of the seven? For they all had her.”
29 But Jesus answered them, “You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God. 30 For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are like God’s angels in heaven. 31 But concerning the resurrection of the dead, haven’t you read that which was spoken to you by God, saying, 32 ‘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 of the living.” 33 When the multitudes heard it, they were astonished at his teaching.
The Greatest Commandment
(Deuteronomy 6:1–19; Mark 12:28–34)
34 But the Pharisees, when they heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, gathered themselves together. 35 One of them, a lawyer, asked him a question, testing him. 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the law?” 37 Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 A second likewise is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.”
Whose Son Is the Christ?
(Mark 12:35–37; Luke 20:41–44)
41 Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question, 42 saying, “What do you think of the Christ? Whose son is he?” They said to him, “Of David.” 43 He said to them, “How then does David in the Spirit call him Lord, saying,
44 ‘The Lord said to my Lord, sit on my right hand, until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet?’
45 “If then David calls him Lord, how is he his son?” 46 No one was able to answer him a word, neither did any man dare ask him any more questions from that day forth.
The Parable of the Banquet
(Luke 14:15–24)
1 Once again, Jesus spoke to them in parables: 2 “The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. 3 He sent his servants to call those he had invited to the banquet, but they refused to come.
4 Again, he sent other servants and said, ‘Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner. My oxen and fattened cattle have been killed, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.’
5 But they paid no attention and went away, one to his field, another to his business. 6 The rest seized his servants, mistreated them, and killed them.
7 The king was enraged, and he sent his troops to destroy those murderers and burn their city. 8 Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited were not worthy. 9 Go therefore to the crossroads and invite to the banquet as many as you can find.’
10 So the servants went out into the streets and gathered everyone they could find, both evil and good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.
11 But when the king came in to see the guests, he spotted a man who was not dressed in wedding clothes. 12 ‘Friend,’ he asked, ‘how did you get in here without wedding clothes?’
But the man was speechless.
13 Then the king told the servants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
14 For many are called, but few are chosen.”
Paying Taxes to Caesar
(Mark 12:13–17; Luke 20:19–26)
15 Then the Pharisees went out and conspired to trap Jesus in His words. 16 They sent their disciples to Him along with the Herodians. “Teacher,” they said, “we know that You are honest and that You teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You seek favor from no one, because You pay no attention to external appearance. 17 So tell us what You think: Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”
18 But Jesus knew their evil intent and said, “You hypocrites, why are you testing Me? 19 Show Me the coin used for the tax.”
And they brought Him a denarius. a
20 “Whose image is this,” He asked, “and whose inscription?”
21 “Caesar’s,” they answered.
So Jesus told them, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”
22 And when they heard this, they were amazed. So they left Him and went away.
The Sadducees and the Resurrection
(Mark 12:18–27; Luke 20:27–40)
23 That same day the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Jesus and questioned Him. 24 “Teacher,” they said, “Moses declared that if a man dies without having children, his brother is to marry the widow and raise up offspring for him. b 25 Now there were seven brothers among us. The first one married and died without having children. So he left his wife to his brother. 26 The same thing happened to the second and third brothers, down to the seventh. 27 And last of all, the woman died. 28 In the resurrection, then, whose wife will she be of the seven? For all of them were married to her.”
29 Jesus answered, “You are mistaken because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God. 30 In the resurrection, people will neither marry nor be given in marriage. Instead, they will be like the angels c in heaven. 31 But 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’ d? He is not the God of the dead, but of the living.”
33 When the crowds heard this, they were astonished at His teaching.
The Greatest Commandment
(Deuteronomy 6:1–19; Mark 12:28–34)
34 And when the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they themselves gathered together. 35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested Him with a question: 36 “Teacher, which commandment is the greatest in the Law?”
37 Jesus declared, “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ e 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ f 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
Whose Son Is the Christ?
(Mark 12:35–37; Luke 20:41–44)
41 While the Pharisees were assembled, Jesus questioned them: 42 “What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is He?”
“David’s,” they answered.
43 Jesus said to them, “How then does David in the Spirit call Him ‘Lord’? For he says:
44 ‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at My right hand
until I put Your enemies
under Your feet.” ’ g
45 So if David calls Him ‘Lord,’ how can He be David’s son?”
46 No one was able to answer a word, and from that day on no one dared to question Him any further.
Footnotes:
19 a A denarius was customarily a day’s wage for a laborer; see Matthew 20:2.
24 b Deuteronomy 25:5
30 c SBL, BYZ, and TR the angels of God
32 d Exodus 3:6
37 e Deuteronomy 6:5
39 f Leviticus 19:18
44 g Psalm 110:1
The Parable of the Banquet
(Luke 14:15-24)
1And Jesus answering, again spake to them in similes, saying, 2'The reign of the heavens was likened to a man, a king, who made marriage-feasts for his son, 3and he sent forth his servants to call those having been called to the marriage-feasts, and they were not willing to come. 4Again he sent forth other servants, saying, Say to those who have been called: Lo, my dinner I prepared, my oxen and the fatlings have been killed, and all things are ready, come ye to the marriage-feasts; 5and they, having disregarded it, went away, the one to his own field, and the other to his merchandise; 6and the rest, having laid hold on his servants, did insult and slay them. 7'And the king having heard, was wroth, and having sent forth his soldiers, he destroyed those murderers, and their city he set on fire; 8then saith he to his servants, The marriage-feast indeed is ready, and those called were not worthy, 9be going, then, on to the cross-ways, and as many as ye may find, call ye to the marriage-feasts. 10'And those servants, having gone forth to the ways, did gather all, as many as they found, both bad and good, and the marriage-feast apartment was filled with those reclining.
11'And the king having come in to view those reclining, saw there a man not clothed with clothing of the marriage-feast, 12and he saith to him, Comrade, how didst thou come in hither, not having clothing of the marriage-feast? and he was speechless. 13'Then said the king to the ministrants, Having bound his feet and hands, take him up and cast forth to the outer darkness, there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of the teeth; 14for many are called, and few chosen.'
Paying Taxes to Caesar
(Mark 12:13-17; Luke 20:19-26)
15Then the Pharisees having gone, took counsel how they might ensnare him in words, 16and they send to him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, 'Teacher, we have known that thou art true, and the way of God in truth thou dost teach, and thou art not caring for any one, for thou dost not look to the face of men; 17tell us, therefore, what dost thou think? is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar or not?' 18And Jesus having known their wickedness, said, 'Why me do ye tempt, hypocrites? 19show me the tribute-coin?' and they brought to him a denary; 20and he saith to them, 'Whose is this image and the inscription?' 21they say to him, 'Caesar's;' then saith he to them, 'Render therefore the things of Caesar to Caesar, and the things of God to God;' 22and having heard they wondered, and having left him they went away.
Sadducees Question the Resurrection
(Mark 12:18-27; Luke 20:27-40)
23In that day there came near to him Sadducees, who are saying there is not a rising again, and they questioned him, saying, 24'Teacher, Moses said, If any one may die not having children, his brother shall marry his wife, and shall raise up seed to his brother. 25'And there were with us seven brothers, and the first having married did die, and not having seed, he left his wife to his brother; 26in like manner also the second, and the third, unto the seventh, 27and last of all died also the woman; 28therefore in the rising again, of which of the seven shall she be wife -- for all had her?'
29And Jesus answering said to them, 'Ye go astray, not knowing the Writings, nor the power of God; 30for in the rising again they do not marry, nor are they given in marriage, but are as messengers of God in heaven. 31'And concerning the rising again of the dead, did ye not read that which was spoken to you by God, saying, 32I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not a God of dead men, but of living.' 33And having heard, the multitudes were astonished at his teaching;
The Greatest Commandment
(Deuteronomy 6:1-19; Mark 12:28-34)
34and the Pharisees, having heard that he did silence the Sadducees, were gathered together unto him; 35and one of them, a lawyer, did question, tempting him, and saying, 36Teacher, which is the great command in the Law?' 37And Jesus said to him, 'Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thine understanding -- 38this is a first and great command; 39and the second is like to it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself; 40on these -- the two commands -- all the law and the prophets do hang.'
Whose Son is the Christ?
(Mark 12:35-37; Luke 20:41-44)
41And the Pharisees having been gathered together, Jesus did question them, 42saying, 'What do ye think concerning the Christ? of whom is he son?' They say to him, 'Of David.' 43He saith to them, 'How then doth David in the Spirit call him lord, saying,
44The Lord said to my lord, Sit at my right hand, till I may make thine enemies thy footstool?
45If then David doth call him lord, how is he his son?' 46And no one was able to answer him a word, nor durst any from that day question him any more.
The Favor of God Message paraphrase
The Parable of the Wedding Banquet
¹ Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying:
² “The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son.
³ He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come.
⁴ “Then he sent more servants and said, ‘Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.’
⁵ But they paid no attention and went off—one to his field, another to his business.
⁶ The rest seized his servants, mistreated them, and killed them.
⁷ The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.
⁸ “Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come.
⁹ So go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.’
¹⁰ So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, the bad as well as the good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.
¹¹ “But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes.
¹² He asked, ‘How did you get in here without wedding clothes, friend?’ The man was speechless.
¹³ “Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
¹⁴ “For many are invited, but few are chosen.”*
Paying the Imperial Tax to Caesar
¹⁵ Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap Him in His words.
¹⁶ They sent their disciples to Him along with the Herodians. “Teacher,” they said, “we know that You are a man of integrity and that You teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You aren’t swayed by others, because You pay no attention to who they are.
¹⁷ Tell us then, what is Your opinion? Is it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not?”
¹⁸ But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, “You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap Me?
¹⁹ Show Me the coin used for paying the tax.” They brought Him a denarius,
²⁰ and He asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?”
²¹ “Caesar’s,” they replied.
Then He said to them, “So give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”
²² When they heard this, they were amazed. So they left Him and went away.
Marriage at the Resurrection
²³ That same day the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Him with a question.
²⁴ “Teacher,” they said, “Moses told us that if a man dies without having children, his brother must marry the widow and raise up offspring for him.
²⁵ Now there were seven brothers among us. The first one married and died, and since he had no children, he left his wife to his brother.
²⁶ The same thing happened to the second and third brother, right on down to the seventh.
²⁷ Finally, the woman died.
²⁸ Now then, at the resurrection, whose wife will she be of the seven, since all of them were married to her?”
²⁹ Jesus replied, “You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God.
³⁰ At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven.
³¹ But about 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’? He is not the God of the dead but of the living.”
³³ When the crowds heard this, they were astonished at His teaching.
The Greatest Commandment
³⁴ Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together.
³⁵ One of them, an expert in the law, tested Him with this question:
³⁶ “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
³⁷ Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’
³⁸ This is the first and greatest commandment.
³⁹ And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
⁴⁰ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
Whose Son is the Messiah?
⁴¹ While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them,
⁴² “What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is He?”
“The son of David,” they replied.
⁴³ He said to them, “How is it then that David, speaking by the Spirit, calls Him ‘Lord’? For he says,
⁴⁴ “‘The Lord said to my Lord: “Sit at My right hand until I put Your enemies under Your feet.”’*
⁴⁵ If then David calls Him ‘Lord,’ how can He be his son?”
⁴⁶ No one could say a word in reply, and from that day on no one dared to ask Him any more questions.
Footnotes:
22:14: This parable illustrates the theme of God’s invitation to His kingdom, emphasizing that many are invited but few respond in true faith.
22:5: The guests who ignore the invitation represent those indifferent to God’s call, caught up in worldly distractions.
22:30: Jesus corrects the Sadducees’ misunderstanding of the resurrection, explaining that earthly institutions like marriage won’t apply in the resurrection life.
22:21: This response of “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s” shows Jesus’ wisdom in dealing with political and religious traps, maintaining loyalty to both earthly and divine authority.
22:32: God’s self-identification as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob underscores that these patriarchs are still alive to Him—proving the reality of the resurrection.
22:40: Jesus teaches that the entire Old Testament law hinges on two principles: love for God and love for others.
22:44: Jesus quotes Psalm 110:1 to show that the Messiah, although a descendant of David, is greater than David—emphasizing His divine nature and role as Lord.
