The Great Banquet
(Luke 14.15-24)1 Once again Jesus used stories to teach the people:
2 The kingdom of heaven is like what happened when a king gave a wedding banquet for his son. 3 The king sent some servants to tell the invited guests to come to the banquet, but the guests refused. 4 He sent other servants to say to the guests, “The banquet is ready! My cattle and prize calves have all been prepared. Everything is ready. Come to the banquet!”
5 But the guests did not pay any attention. Some of them left for their farms, and some went to their places of business. 6 Others grabbed the servants, then beat them up and killed them.
7 This made the king so furious that he sent an army to kill those murderers and burn down their city. 8 Then he said to the servants, “It is time for the wedding banquet, and the invited guests don't deserve to come. 9 Go out to the street corners and tell everyone you meet to come to the banquet.” 10 They went out on the streets and brought in everyone they could find, good and bad alike. And the banquet room was filled with guests.
11 When the king went in to meet the guests, he found that one of them wasn't wearing the right kind of clothes for the wedding. 12 The king asked, “Friend, why didn't you wear proper clothes for the wedding?” But the guest had no excuse. 13 So the king gave orders for this person to be tied hand and foot and to be thrown outside into the dark. That's where people will cry and grit their teeth in pain. 14 Many are invited, but only a few are chosen.
Paying Taxes
(Mark 12.13-17Luke 20.20-26)15 The Pharisees got together and planned how they could trick Jesus into saying something wrong. 16 They sent some of their followers and some of Herod's followers to say to him, “Teacher, we know that you are honest. You teach the truth about what God wants people to do. And you treat everyone with the same respect, no matter who they are. 17 Tell us what you think! Should we pay taxes to the Emperor or not?”
18 Jesus knew their evil thoughts and said, “Why are you trying to test me? You show-offs! 19 Let me see one of the coins used for paying taxes.” They brought him a silver coin, 20 and he asked, “Whose picture and name are on it?”
21 “The Emperor's,” they answered.
Then Jesus told them, “Give the Emperor what belongs to him and give God what belongs to God.” 22 His answer surprised them so much that they walked away.
Life in the Future World
(Mark 12.18-27Luke 20.27-40)23 The Sadducees did not believe people would rise to life after death. So that same day some of the Sadducees came to Jesus and said:
24 Teacher, Moses wrote that if a married man dies and has no children, his brother should marry the widow. Their first son would then be thought of as the son of the dead brother.
25 Once there were seven brothers who lived here. The first one married, but died without having any children. So his wife was left to his brother. 26 The same thing happened to the second and third brothers and finally to all seven of them. 27 At last the woman died. 28 When God raises people from death, whose wife will this woman be? She had been married to all seven brothers.
29 Jesus answered:
You are completely wrong! You don't know what the Scriptures teach. And you don't know anything about the power of God. 30 When God raises people to life, they won't marry. They will be like the angels in heaven. 31 And as for people being raised to life, God was speaking to you when he said, 32 “I am the God worshiped by Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” He isn't the God of the dead, but of the living.
33 The crowds were surprised to hear what Jesus was teaching.
The Most Important Commandment
(Mark 12.28-34Luke 10.25-28)34 After Jesus had made the Sadducees look foolish, the Pharisees heard about it and got together. 35 One of them was an expert in the Jewish Law. So he tried to test Jesus by asking, 36 “Teacher, what is the most important commandment in the Law?”
37 Jesus answered:
Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind. 38 This is the first and most important commandment. 39 The second most important commandment is like this one. And it is, “Love others as much as you love yourself.” 40 All the Law of Moses and the Books of the Prophets are based on these two commandments.
About David's Son
(Mark 12.35-37Luke 20.41-44)41 While the Pharisees were still there, Jesus asked them, 42 “What do you think about the Messiah? Whose family will he come from?”
They answered, “He will be a son of King David.”
43 Jesus replied, “How then could the Spirit lead David to call the Messiah his Lord? David said,
44 ‘The Lord said to my Lord:
Sit at my right side
until I make your enemies
into a footstool for you.’
45 If David called the Messiah his Lord, how can the Messiah be a son of King David?” 46 No one was able to give Jesus an answer, and from that day on, no one dared ask him any more questions.
Līdzība par ķēniņa dēla kāzām
(Lk 14:15–24)1 Jēzus tiem atkal runāja līdzībās: 2 “Debesu valstība ir līdzīga ķēniņam, kas rīkoja savam dēlam kāzas. 3 Viņš sūtīja savus kalpus paziņot aicinātajiem par kāzām, bet tie negribēja nākt. 4 Viņš sūtīja vēl citus kalpus, likdams teikt aicinātajiem: redzi, mans mielasts ir sagatavots, mani vērši un nobaroti teļi jau ir nokauti, un viss ir gatavs, nāciet uz kāzām! 5 Taču tie nelikās ne zinis un aizgāja – cits uz savu lauku, cits savās veikala darīšanās. 6 Bet pārējie, satvēruši viņa kalpus, par tiem ņirgājās un tos nonāvēja. 7 Ķēniņš sadusmojās un nosūtīja savu karaspēku iznīcināt šos slepkavas un nodedzināt viņu pilsētu. 8 Tad viņš sacīja saviem kalpiem: kāzām viss ir sagatavots, bet aicinātie nebija cienīgi; 9 ejiet pa apkārtējiem ceļiem un aiciniet kāzās visus, ko vien sastopat! 10 Kalpi izgāja uz ceļiem un atveda visus, ko vien sastapa, gan ļaunus, gan labus; un kāzu nams bija pilns mielasta viesiem. 11 Tad ķēniņš iegāja savus viesus aplūkot un ieraudzīja tur kādu cilvēku, kas nebija tērpies kāzu drēbēs. 12 Ķēniņš tam jautāja: mans draugs, kā tu esi šeit ieradies bez kāzu drēbēm? – Bet tas klusēja. 13 Tad ķēniņš sacīja kalpiem: sasieniet viņam kājas un rokas un izmetiet viņu ārā tumsā; tur būs vaimanas un zobu griešana. 14 Jo daudz ir aicināto, bet maz izredzēto.”
Par nodevu maksāšanu cēzaram
(Mk 12:13–17Lk 20:20–26)15 Tad farizeji aizgāja un apspriedās, ka Jēzu vajadzētu pieķert kādā vārdā. 16 Tie sūtīja pie viņa savus mācekļus kopā ar Hēroda piekritējiem, un tie jautāja: “Skolotāj, mēs zinām, ka tu esi patiess, tu Dieva ceļus māci patiesībā un nelokies neviena priekšā, jo tu neuzlūko cilvēka ārieni; 17 saki mums – kā tu domā, vai ir atļauts dot cēzaram nodevas vai ne?” 18 Jēzus, noprazdams viņu ļaunprātību, sacīja: “Ko jūs mani izaicināt, jūs liekuļi? 19 Parādiet man naudu, ko maksājat nodevās.” Tie atnesa viņam denāriju. 20 Tad viņš tiem jautāja: “Kā attēls šis un uzraksts?” 21 Tie viņam atbildēja: “Cēzara.” Tad Jēzus tiem sacīja: “Tad dodiet cēzaram, kas cēzaram pieder, un Dievam, kas Dievam pieder.” 22 Tie izbrīnījās par dzirdēto un, viņu atstājuši, aizgāja.
Saduķeji izjautā Jēzu par augšāmcelšanos
(Mk 12:18–27Lk 20:27–40)23 Tajā pašā dienā atnāca pie viņa saduķeji, kas apgalvoja, ka augšāmcelšanās neesot. Tie viņu izjautāja: 24 “Skolotāj, Mozus ir sacījis: ja kāds nomirst, būdams bez bērniem, lai viņa brālis apprec viņa sievu un dod savam brālim pēcnācējus. – 25 Pie mums, redzi, bija septiņi brāļi, pirmais apprecējās un nomira, neatstājis pēcnācējus, un viņa sieva palika viņa brālim. 26 Tāpat notika arī otrajam un trešajam – un tā līdz pat septītajam. 27 Visbeidzot nomira arī sieva. 28 Tad nu kuram no septiņiem viņa piederēs pēc augšāmcelšanās, jo tā taču tiem visiem bijusi sieva?” 29 Jēzus tiem atbildēja: “Jūs maldāties, nesaprazdami ne Rakstus, ne Dieva spēku. 30 Jo tie, kas augšāmcēlušies, nedz prec, nedz tiek precēti, bet ir kā eņģeļi debesīs. 31 Vai tad jūs neesat lasījuši, ko Dievs jums teicis par mirušo augšāmcelšanos? 32 – Es esmu Ābrahāma Dievs, Īzaka Dievs un Jēkaba Dievs! – Dievs nav mirušo, bet dzīvo Dievs.” 33 Ļaužu pūlis, to dzirdot, bija pārsteigts par viņa mācību.
Lielākais bauslis
(Mk 12:28–34Lk 10:25–28)34 Bet farizeji, padzirdējuši, ka viņš saduķejus apklusinājis, sapulcējās vienkopus. 35 Tad viens no viņiem, likuma zinātājs, Jēzu izaicinādams, jautāja: 36 “Skolotāj, kurš ir pats nozīmīgākais bauslis bauslībā?” 37 Jēzus atbildēja: “Mīli Kungu, savu Dievu, ar visu savu sirdi, ar visu savu dvēseli un visu savu prātu. – 38 Šis ir pats lielākais un pirmais bauslis. 39 Bet otrs ir tam līdzīgs: mīli savu tuvāko kā sevi pašu. – 40 Šie divi baušļi ir pamatā visai bauslībai un praviešu mācībai.”
Par Kristu – Dāvida dēlu un Kungu
(Mk 12:35–37Lk 20:41–44)41 Un Jēzus jautāja farizejiem, kas bija sapulcējušies: 42 “Ko jūs domājat par Kristu, kā dēls viņš ir?” Tie viņam atbildēja: “Dāvida.” 43 Viņš tiem jautāja: “Kā tad Dāvids viņu Garā sauc par Kungu, sacīdams:
44 Kungs sacīja manam Kungam:
sēdies pie manas labās rokas,
līdz es tavus ienaidniekus nolieku tev par kājsolu. –
45 Ja Dāvids sauc viņu par Kungu, kā tad viņš var būt tā dēls?” 46 Un neviens nevarēja viņam nekā atbildēt, nedz arī uzdrīkstējās kopš šīs dienas viņam ko jautāt.
