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Jesus told them more stories.  He said,

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“Here is what the kingdom of heaven is like.  A king prepared a wedding dinner for his son.
 

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He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the dinner. The servants told them to come.  But they refused.
 

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“Then he sent some more servants.  He said, ‘Tell those who were invited that I have prepared my dinner.  I have killed my oxen and my fattest cattle.  Everything is ready.  Come to the wedding dinner.’
 

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“But the people paid no attention.  One went away to his field. Another went away to his business.
 

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The rest grabbed his servants.  They treated them badly and then killed them.
 

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“The king became very angry.  He sent his army to destroy them. They killed those murderers and burned their city.
 

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“Then the king said to his servants, ‘The wedding dinner is ready. But those I invited were not fit to come.
 

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Go to the street corners.  Invite to the dinner anyone you can find.’
 

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So the servants went out into the streets.  They gathered all the people they could find, both good and bad.  Soon the wedding hall was filled with guests.
 

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“The king came in to see the guests.  He noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes.
 

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‘Friend,’ he asked, ‘how did you get in here without wedding clothes?’  The man couldn’t think of anything to say.
 

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“Then the king told his servants, ‘Tie up his hands and feet. Throw him outside into the darkness.  Out there people will sob and grind their teeth.’
 

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“Many are invited, but few are chosen.”

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The Pharisees went out.  They made plans to trap Jesus with his own words.
 

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They sent their followers to him.  They sent the Herodians with them.  “Teacher,” they said, “we know you are a man of honor. You teach the way of God truthfully.  You don’t let others tell you what to do or say.  You don’t care how important they are.
 

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Tell us then, what do you think?  Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”
 

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But Jesus knew their evil plans.  He said, “You pretenders!  Why are you trying to trap me?
 

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Show me the coin people use for paying the tax.”  They brought him a silver coin.
 

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He asked them, “Whose picture is this?  And whose words?”

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“Caesar’s,” they replied.  Then he said to them, “Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar.  And give to God what belongs to God.”
 

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When they heard this, they were amazed.  So they left him and went away.
 

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That same day the Sadducees came to Jesus with a question.  They do not believe that people rise from the dead.
 

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“Teacher,” they said, “here is what Moses told us.  If a man dies without having children, his brother must get married to the widow.  He must have children to carry on his brother’s name.
 

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There were seven brothers among us.  The first one got married and died.  Since he had no children, he left his wife to his brother.
 

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The same thing happened to the second and third brothers.  It happened right on down to the seventh brother.
 

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Finally, the woman died.

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Now then, when the dead rise, whose wife will she be?  All seven of them were married to her.”
 

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Jesus replied, “You are mistaken, because you do not know the Scriptures.  And you do not know the power of God.
 

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When the dead rise, they won’t get married.  And their parents won’t give them to be married.  They will be like the angels in heaven.
 

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“What about the dead rising?  Haven’t you read what God said to you?
 

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He said, ‘I am the God of Abraham.  I am the God of Isaac.  And I am the God of Jacob.’ (Exodus 3:6)  He is not the God of the dead.  He is the God of the living.”
 

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When the crowds heard this, they were amazed by what he taught.
 

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The Pharisees heard that the Sadducees weren’t able to answer Jesus.  So the Pharisees got together.
 

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One of them was an authority on the law.  So he tested Jesus with a question.
 

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“Teacher,” he asked, “which is the most important commandment in the Law?”
 

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Jesus replied, “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.  Love him with all your mind.’ (Deuteronomy 6:5)
 

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This is the first and most important commandment.

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And the second is like it.  ‘Love your neighbor as you love yourself.’ (Leviticus 19:18)
 

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Everything that is written in the Law and the Prophets is based on these two commandments.”
 

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The Pharisees were gathered together.  Jesus asked them,

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“What do you think about the Christ?  Whose son is he?”  “The son of David,” they replied.
 

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He said to them, “Then why does David call him ‘Lord’?  The Holy Spirit spoke through David himself.  David said,
 

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‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your control.” ’ (Psalm 110:1)
 

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So if David calls him ‘Lord,’ how can he be David’s son?”

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No one could answer him with a single word.  From that day on, no one dared to ask him any more questions.
 

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