² “The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who gave a wedding feast^[a] for his son. ^3 [b]He dispatched his servants to summon the invited guests to the feast, but they refused to come. ⁴ A second time he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those invited: “Behold, I have prepared my banquet, my calves and fattened cattle are killed, and everything is ready; come to the feast.”’ ⁵ Some ignored the invitation and went away, one to his farm, another to his business. ^6 (A)The rest laid hold of his servants, mistreated them, and killed them. ^7 [c]The king was enraged and sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city. ⁸ Then he said to his servants, ‘The feast is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy to come. ⁹ Go out, therefore, into the main roads and invite to the feast whomever you find.’ ¹⁰ The servants went out into the streets and gathered all they found, bad and good alike,^[d] and the hall was filled with guests. ^11 [e]But when the king came in to meet the guests he saw a man there not dressed in a wedding garment. ¹² He said to him, ‘My friend, how is it that you came in here without a wedding garment?’ But he was reduced to silence. ^13 [f](B)Then the king said to his attendants, ‘Bind his hands and feet, and cast him into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.’ ¹⁴ Many are invited, but few are chosen.”

Paying Taxes to the Emperor.^[g]

^16 (A)He replied to him, “A man gave a great dinner to which he invited many. ¹⁷ When the time for the dinner came, he dispatched his servant to say to those invited, ‘Come, everything is now ready.’ ¹⁸ But one by one, they all began to excuse themselves. The first said to him, ‘I have purchased a field and must go to examine it; I ask you, consider me excused.’ ¹⁹ And another said, ‘I have purchased five yoke of oxen and am on my way to evaluate them; I ask you, consider me excused.’ ²⁰ And another said, ‘I have just married a woman, and therefore I cannot come.’ ²¹ The servant went and reported this to his master. Then the master of the house in a rage commanded his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in here the poor and the crippled, the blind and the lame.’ ²² The servant reported, ‘Sir, your orders have been carried out and still there is room.’ ²³ The master then ordered the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedgerows and make people come in that my home may be filled. ²⁴ For, I tell you, none of those men who were invited will taste my dinner.’”

Sayings on Discipleship.^[a]