Then, the king came in to greet the guests. He spotted a man who did not wear the wedding garment that was provided. The king said to him, Friend, why did you come in here without the wedding garment? The man made no answer. So the king told his servants, Bind him hand and foot.

Then take him away and cast him into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, for many are invited, but few are chosen.

Then the Pharisees met to discuss how they might trap Jesus in His words. They sent some of their people along with the Herodians to question Jesus. They said, Master, we know that thou art true and teach the way of G.o.d in truth. Tell us, therefore, what thou think. Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar or not?

Jesus, perceiving their wicked motive, said, Why test me, ye hypocrites? Show me the tribute money. They brought a coin to Him.

Jesus asked, Whose image and superscription is this? They said, Caesar's. Jesus said, Render, therefore, unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's; and to G.o.d the things that are G.o.d's. When they heard these words, they marvelled, and left Him to go their way.

The same day the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Him and asked, Master, Moses said if a man dies and has no children, his brother shall marry his wife and raise up seed unto his brother.

Now there were with us seven brethren: and the first, when he married a wife, deceased, and, having no issue, left his wife unto his brother.

Likewise, the second also, and the third, up to the seventh brother.

Then, finally the woman died also. Now, according to the resurrection, whose wife shall she be of the seven since they all had her?

Jesus said, Ye err. You do not know the scriptures nor the power of G.o.d. In the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of G.o.d in heaven. Concerning the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read: I am the G.o.d of Abraham, and the G.o.d of Isaac, and the G.o.d of Jacob? G.o.d is not the G.o.d of the dead, but of the living.

When the mult.i.tude heard this, they were astonished at His teaching.

But when the Pharisees heard that Jesus put the Sadducees to silence, they gathered together. One of them, a lawyer, tested Jesus with this question, Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus answered, Thou shalt love the Lord thy G.o.d with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. The second is, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

On these two commandments rests all the law and the prophets.

While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, What do you think of Christ? Whose son is He? They said, The son of David.

Jesus then asked, How, then, does David, in spirit, call him Lord, saying, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand till I make thine enemies thy footstool? If David calls him Lord, how is he his son? No man was able to answer a word, nor did anyone dare ask Jesus any more questions from that day forth.

23 Jesus then addressed the crowd and His followers. He said, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' place. Whatever they bid you to observe and do, ye shall observe and do. But do not follow after their works because what they say, they do not do themselves. They bind heavy burdens, grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders.

But they, themselves, will not even lay so much as a finger on one of them. All their works they do for show to other men. They love the uppermost rooms at feasts and the chief seats in the synagogues. They like greetings in the markets and to be called out to, Rabbi, Rabbi.

But be ye not called Rabbi. Only one is your teacher, even Christ; and ye are all brethren. Call no one on earth your father, for only one is your Father, who is in heaven. Neither be ye called masters, for only one is your Master, even Christ. Also, he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. Whosoever exalts himself will be abased; and he who is humble will be exalted.

But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees. Hypocrites! Ye shut men out of the kingdom of heaven. Yet, you do not enter in yourselves, and you do not allow others to attempt to enter. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees. Hypocrites! Ye devour widows' houses and, for a pretence, make long prayers. Therefore, you will receive the greater d.a.m.nation.

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees. Hypocrites! You venture over land and sea for one proselyte. Then, when you have him, you make him two times more the child of h.e.l.l than yourselves. Woe unto you, ye blind guides who say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, is worth nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, makes a good pledge! Ye fools and blind men. What is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifies the gold?

And ye say, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, is worth nothing; but whosoever swears by the gift that is upon it, is worthy of praise. Ye fools and blind men. What is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifies the gift? The one who, therefore, swears by the altar, swears by it and by all things upon it. And the one who swears by the temple, swears by it and by Him who dwells therein. And He who swears by heaven, swears by the throne of G.o.d and by Him who sits thereon.

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees. Hypocrites! Ye pay t.i.the of mint and anise and c.u.mmin, but ye have ignored the weightier matters of the law; judgment, mercy, and faith. Ye blind guides who strain from your drink a gnat and swallow a camel.

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees. Hypocrites! Ye make the outside of the cup and platter clean, but inside they are full of extortion and excess. Thou blind Pharisee. First clean the inside of the cup and platter, so the outside may be clean also.

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees. Hypocrites! Ye are like whited sepulchres, which appear beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of dead men's bones and uncleanness. Even if, on the outside, you appear righteous to others, inside you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees. Hypocrites! Ye build the tombs for the prophets and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous. Ye say, If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. Be witnesses unto yourselves. Ye are the children of those who killed the prophets and ye fill up what your fathers measured out.

Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the d.a.m.nation of h.e.l.l? I send prophets, wise men, and scribes. Some of them ye shall kill and crucify. Some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues and persecute them from city to city. On your hands shall be the blood of all the righteous shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zacharias, son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. All these things shall come upon this generation.

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killed the prophets, and stoned those sent to thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings, and ye would not have it! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. Ye shall not see me again until ye shall say, Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.

24 Jesus went outside and His disciples came to show Him the buildings of the temple. Jesus said, Take note of all this. There will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.

On the mount of Olives, the disciples said, Tell us, when will this happen? What is the sign of thy coming and of the end of the world?

Jesus answered, Take heed that no one deceives you. Many will come in my name, saying, I am Christ. They will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumours of wars. See that you are not troubled. All these things must come to pa.s.s; but the end is not come yet. Nation shall rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom. There shall be famines, pestilence, and earthquakes in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.

They will deliver you up to be afflicted. They will kill you. You will be hated by all nations for my name's sake. Many will be offended and will betray and hate one another. False prophets will arise and deceive. And, because iniquity will abound, the love of many will wax cold. But those who endure until the end will be saved.

This gospel of the kingdom will be preached all around the world as a witness to all nations. Then, the end will come. When ye see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet, Daniel, stand in the holy place; understand the prophecy.

Let those who are in Judaea flee into the mountains. Let the one who is on the housetop stay there and not come down to take anything out of his house. Neither let the one who is in the field return to get his clothing.

Woe unto the women who are with child, and those who are nursing. Pray that your flight is not in the winter or on the sabbath day. There will be great tribulation, such as has not been seen since the beginning of the world until now and will never be seen again. Unless those days are numbered, no flesh will be saved. But, for the elect's sake, those days will be numbered.

Thus, if anyone says to you, Lo, here is Christ, or there He is; do not believe it. There will arise false Christs and false prophets. They will show great signs and wonders; so much that, if at all possible, they will deceive the very elect.

I am telling you all this beforehand, so, if they say to you, Behold, He is in the desert, do not go forth. Or, behold, He is in the secret chambers, do not believe it. For, just as the lightning comes out of the east and shines over unto the west, so, also, will be the coming of the Son of man.

Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened. The moon will not reflect light. The stars will fall from heaven. The powers of the heavens will be shaken. All the people on earth will mourn.

Then the sign of the Son of man will appear. They will see Him coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet. His angels will gather together His elect from the four winds and from one end of heaven to the other.

Now learn a parable about the fig tree. When its branch is yet tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. So, likewise, when you see all these things, know what is near.

This generation shall not pa.s.s away until all these things are fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pa.s.s away, but my words shall not pa.s.s away. But, of the day and the hour no man knows, no, not the angels of heaven, but only my Father.

The coming of the Son of man shall be like in the days of Noah. Before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark. They knew nothing until the flood came and took them all away. So, also, will be the coming of the Son of man.

At that time, two shall be in the field. One shall be taken and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill. One shall be taken and the other left. Watch, for ye know not what hour your Lord comes.

Know this, If the good man of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have stood guard and not have suffered his house to be broken into. Therefore, be ready. At an hour that ye think the Son of man will not come, then He will come.

It is a faithful and wise servant who, his lord having given him charge over the household, prepares the foods in due season. Blessed is that servant who, when his lord arrives, shall find him doing so. He shall make the servant ruler over all his goods.

It is an evil servant who says, My lord delays his coming so I shall take advantage. He smites his fellowservants and eats and drinks until drunken. The lord of that servant shall come in a day when the servant does not expect him. At a time when the servant is unaware, he shall be cut asunder and thrown out with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

25 The kingdom of heaven is likened unto ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were wise.

Five were foolish. The foolish took their lamps but no extra oil with them. The wise took oil in their vessels along with their lamps. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered. At midnight there was a cry, Behold, the bridegroom is coming. Go out to meet Him.

All the virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. The foolish said to the wise, Give us some of your oil for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, No, there will be not enough for us and you. Go to them that sell oil and buy some.

While they went to buy the oil, the bridegroom came. Those who were ready went in with him to the marriage and the door was shut. Much later, the other virgins arrived and called, Lord, Lord, open the door to us. But He answered and said, I do not know you. Watch, therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man comes.

The kingdom of heaven is like a man who travels into a far country.

Before he leaves, he calls his servants and turns his goods over to them. To one he gives five talents. To another he gives two talents. To another he gives one. He gives to every man according to his ability.

The servant who received the five talents traded and made another five talents. He who received two, gained another two. But the servant that received one, dug a hole in the earth and hid his lord's money.

After a long time, the lord returned from his journey and reckoned with his servants. He who received five talents came and brought another five talents. He said, Lord, thou delivered five talents to me. Behold, I have gained five more talents besides them. His lord said, Well done.

Thou has been faithful over a few things so I will make thee ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of thy lord!

He who received two talents came and said, Lord, thou delivered to me two talents. Behold, I have gained two more talents beside them. His lord said, Well done. Thou has been faithful over a few things. I will make thee ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of thy lord!

Then the servant who received the one talent came and said, Lord, I know that thou art a hard man who reaps where he has not sown and gathers where he has not toiled. I was afraid, so I hid thy talent in the earth. Here, now thou has what is thine.