Study Desk

"But when the servants told the people to come, they refused to listen. They all went to do other things. One went to work in his field, and another went to his business.

"After that the king said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready. I invited those people, but they were not good enough to come to my feast.

The king said, ‘Friend, how were you allowed to come in here? You are not wearing the right clothes.' But the man said nothing.

"Yes, many people are invited. But only a few are chosen."

But Jesus knew that these men were trying to trick him. So he said, "You hypocrites! Why are you trying to catch me saying something wrong?

There were seven brothers among us. The first brother married but died. He had no children. So his brother married the woman.

But all seven men had married her. So when people rise from death, whose wife will she be?"

So you should obey them. Do everything they tell you to do. But their lives are not good examples for you to follow. They tell you to do things, but they don't do those things themselves.

They make strict rules that are hard for people to obey. They try to force others to obey all their rules. But they themselves will not try to follow any of those rules.

"But you must not be called ‘Teacher.' You are all equal as brothers and sisters. You have only one Teacher.

People who think they are better than others will be made humble. But people who humble themselves will be made great.

"It will be bad for you teachers of the law and you Pharisees! You guide the people, but you are blind. You say, ‘If anyone uses the name of the Temple to make a promise, that means nothing. But anyone who uses the gold that is in the Temple to make a promise must keep that promise.'

"And you say, ‘If anyone uses the altar to make a promise, that means nothing. But anyone who uses the gift on the altar to make a promise must keep that promise.'

"It will be bad for you teachers of the law and you Pharisees! You are hypocrites! You give God a tenth of the food you get, even your mint, dill, and cumin. But you don't obey the really important teachings of the law—being fair, showing mercy, and being faithful. These are the things you should do. And you should also continue to do those other things.

You guide the people, but you are blind! Think about a man picking a little fly out of his drink and then swallowing a camel! You are like that.

"It will be bad for you teachers of the law and you Pharisees! You are hypocrites! You wash clean the outside of your cups and dishes. But inside they are full of what you got by cheating others and pleasing yourselves.

"It will be bad for you teachers of the law and you Pharisees! You are hypocrites! You are like tombs that are painted white. Outside they look fine, but inside they are full of dead people's bones and all kinds of filth.

It is the same with you. People look at you and think you are godly. But on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and evil.

"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem! You kill the prophets. You stone to death those that God has sent to you. Many, many times I wanted to help your people. I wanted to gather them together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings. But you did not let me.

Jesus left the Temple area and was walking away. But his followers came to him to show him the Temple's buildings.