New International Reader s Version - NIrV - 1996
Matthew 22
1
Jesus told them more stories. He said,
2
"Here is what the kingdom of heaven is like. A king prepared a wedding dinner for his son.
Reference
3
He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the dinner. The servants told them to come. But they refused.
Reference
4
"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.'
Reference
5
"But the people paid no attention. One went away to his field. Another went away to his business.
Reference
Parallel theme
Hebrews 2:3
6
The rest grabbed his servants. They treated them badly and then killed them.
7
"The king became very angry. He sent his army to destroy them. They killed those murderers and burned their city.
Reference
8
"Then the king said to his servants, 'The wedding dinner is ready. But those I invited were not fit to come.
Reference
9
Go to the street corners. Invite to the dinner anyone you can find.'
10
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.
Reference
11
"The king came in to see the guests. He noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes.
Reference
12
'Friend,' he asked, 'how did you get in here without wedding clothes?' The man couldn't think of anything to say.
Reference
13
"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.'
Reference
Darkness
Matthew 25:30
2 Peter 2:17
2 Peter 2:4
Kingdom
Matthew 8:12
Luke 13:28
Parallel theme
Matthew 13:42
Matthew 13:50
Matthew 24:51
2 Thessalonians 1:9
Revelation 21:27
15
The Pharisees went out. They made plans to trap Jesus with his own words.
Reference
Parallel theme
Psalm 2:2
16
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.
Reference
Parallel theme
Mark 3:6
Mark 8:15
References God
Luke 20:21
Truth
Mark 12:14
1 John 5:20
John 14:6
John 18:37
John 7:18
18
But Jesus knew their evil plans. He said, "You pretenders! Why are you trying to trap me?
Reference
19
Show me the coin people use for paying the tax." They brought him a silver coin.
20
He asked them, "Whose picture is this? And whose words?"
21
"Caesar's," they replied. Then he said to them, "Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar. And give to God what belongs to God."
Reference
22
When they heard this, they were amazed. So they left him and went away.
Reference
Parallel theme
Mark 12:12
23
That same day the Sadducees came to Jesus with a question. They do not believe that people rise from the dead.
Reference
24
"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.
Reference
25
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.
26
The same thing happened to the second and third brothers. It happened right on down to the seventh brother.
27
Finally, the woman died.
28
Now then, when the dead rise, whose wife will she be? All seven of them were married to her."
29
Jesus replied, "You are mistaken, because you do not know the Scriptures. And you do not know the power of God.
Reference
Parallel theme
Isaiah 26:19
Psalm 17:15
Philippians 3:21
Genesis 18:14
References God
Jeremiah 32:17
Luke 1:37
Acts 26:8
Isaiah 25:8
Word
John 20:9
Romans 15:4
30
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.
31
"What about the dead rising? Haven't you read what God said to you?
32
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."
Reference
33
When the crowds heard this, they were amazed by what he taught.
34
The Pharisees heard that the Sadducees weren't able to answer Jesus. So the Pharisees got together.
36
"Teacher," he asked, "which is the most important commandment in the Law?"
Reference
Parallel theme
Luke 11:42
37
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)
Reference
Love
Luke 10:27
Deuteronomy 6:5
Deuteronomy 10:12
Mark 12:33
Deuteronomy 30:6
References God
Romans 8:7
38
This is the first and most important commandment.
39
And the second is like it. 'Love your neighbor as you love yourself.'--(Leviticus 19:18)
Reference
Love
Mark 12:31
Leviticus 19:18
Galatians 5:14
Matthew 19:19
James 2:8
Parallel theme
Romans 15:2
Galatians 6:10
40
Everything that is written in the Law and the Prophets is based on these two commandments."
Reference
41
The Pharisees were gathered together. Jesus asked them,
42
"What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?" "The son of David," they replied.
Reference
Parallel theme
Matthew 14:33
John 20:28
John 1:49
References Christ
Colossians 3:11
Matthew 1:1
References David
Amos 9:11
Matthew 9:27
Matthew 21:9
43
He said to them, "Then why does David call him 'Lord'? The Holy Spirit spoke through David himself. David said,
Reference
44
" 'The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your control." ' --(Psalm 110:1)
Reference
Parallel theme
Hebrews 1:13
1 Corinthians 15:25
Hebrews 1:3
Hebrews 12:2
Genesis 3:15
References Lord
Psalm 110:1
Philippians 3:8
Psalm 21:9
1 Corinthians 1:2
John 20:28
Summary of Matthew 22
Matthew 22 continues the intense confrontation between Jesus and the religious leadership in Jerusalem, beginning with the parable of the wedding banquet, where a king invites people to celebrate the wedding of his son but repeatedly encounters rejection, indifference, and hostility.
The parable illustrates the generosity of God's invitation to His kingdom while also showing that an invitation carries a responsibility to respond appropriately, because some people reject the invitation completely while another guest accepts the outward privilege of attending without demonstrating the appropriate response to the king.
The story therefore emphasizes both God's generous invitation and the seriousness of genuine response, showing that kingdom participation cannot be reduced to religious association or outward appearance.
The Pharisees then attempt to trap Jesus with the politically dangerous question of whether Jews should pay taxes to Caesar, but Jesus avoids their trap by distinguishing between legitimate civil obligations and the far greater responsibility of giving God what belongs to Him.
His famous answer challenges both political extremes because it neither treats government as irrelevant nor allows political authority to replace ultimate allegiance to God.
The Sadducees then attempt to undermine belief in the resurrection through an exaggerated hypothetical involving seven brothers who successively marry the same woman, but Jesus explains that their mistake comes from failing to understand both Scripture and the power of God.
Jesus teaches that resurrection life will not simply reproduce the structures of earthly existence and then uses God's relationship with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to affirm that God is fundamentally the God of the living, providing a powerful foundation for belief in life beyond death.
After the Sadducees are silenced, a Pharisaic lawyer asks Jesus which commandment is greatest, and Jesus gives a concise summary of faithful living by identifying love for God with one's entire being as the greatest commandment and love for one's neighbor as the second.
Jesus explains that the entire Law and the Prophets depend upon these two commandments, showing that true obedience is not fundamentally about collecting religious rules but about a transformed relationship with God that produces genuine love toward other people.
The chapter closes with Jesus turning the questioning around and challenging the Pharisees concerning the identity of the Messiah, asking how David can call the Messiah "Lord" if the Messiah is merely David's descendant.
The question forces the religious leaders to confront the possibility that the Messiah is far greater than an ordinary human descendant of David, pointing toward Jesus' unique identity and authority.
The central message is that Matthew 22 exposes the inadequacy of outward religion, political maneuvering, intellectual argument, and religious status when they are separated from genuine devotion to God, while revealing Jesus as the authoritative Messiah who perfectly understands God's Word and commands wholehearted love for God and neighbor.
The chapter ultimately teaches that God's kingdom requires a genuine response rather than empty religious association, that earthly responsibilities must never replace loyalty to God, that resurrection rests upon God's power, and that the heart of faithful obedience is loving God completely while extending that love to others.
The parable illustrates the generosity of God's invitation to His kingdom while also showing that an invitation carries a responsibility to respond appropriately, because some people reject the invitation completely while another guest accepts the outward privilege of attending without demonstrating the appropriate response to the king.
The story therefore emphasizes both God's generous invitation and the seriousness of genuine response, showing that kingdom participation cannot be reduced to religious association or outward appearance.
The Pharisees then attempt to trap Jesus with the politically dangerous question of whether Jews should pay taxes to Caesar, but Jesus avoids their trap by distinguishing between legitimate civil obligations and the far greater responsibility of giving God what belongs to Him.
His famous answer challenges both political extremes because it neither treats government as irrelevant nor allows political authority to replace ultimate allegiance to God.
The Sadducees then attempt to undermine belief in the resurrection through an exaggerated hypothetical involving seven brothers who successively marry the same woman, but Jesus explains that their mistake comes from failing to understand both Scripture and the power of God.
Jesus teaches that resurrection life will not simply reproduce the structures of earthly existence and then uses God's relationship with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to affirm that God is fundamentally the God of the living, providing a powerful foundation for belief in life beyond death.
After the Sadducees are silenced, a Pharisaic lawyer asks Jesus which commandment is greatest, and Jesus gives a concise summary of faithful living by identifying love for God with one's entire being as the greatest commandment and love for one's neighbor as the second.
Jesus explains that the entire Law and the Prophets depend upon these two commandments, showing that true obedience is not fundamentally about collecting religious rules but about a transformed relationship with God that produces genuine love toward other people.
The chapter closes with Jesus turning the questioning around and challenging the Pharisees concerning the identity of the Messiah, asking how David can call the Messiah "Lord" if the Messiah is merely David's descendant.
The question forces the religious leaders to confront the possibility that the Messiah is far greater than an ordinary human descendant of David, pointing toward Jesus' unique identity and authority.
The central message is that Matthew 22 exposes the inadequacy of outward religion, political maneuvering, intellectual argument, and religious status when they are separated from genuine devotion to God, while revealing Jesus as the authoritative Messiah who perfectly understands God's Word and commands wholehearted love for God and neighbor.
The chapter ultimately teaches that God's kingdom requires a genuine response rather than empty religious association, that earthly responsibilities must never replace loyalty to God, that resurrection rests upon God's power, and that the heart of faithful obedience is loving God completely while extending that love to others.