Gift from Creator Tells the Good Story 22
22
A REJECTED INVITATION
1Creator Sets Free (Jesus) continued to speak to them using stories such as this one:
2“Creator’s good road from above is like a chief who prepared a wedding feast for his son. 3When the feast was ready, he sent out trusted messengers to gather the ones who had been invited, but no one came.
4“So he sent out others with this message: ‘I am serving my best meat fresh from the herd. So come, the wedding feast for my son has been prepared!’
5“But some ignored the messengers and returned to their work, 6while others mistreated them and even killed them.
7“When the chief found out what they had done, he was filled with rage and sent his warriors to kill those murderers and burn their village to the ground.
8“Then the chief told his messengers, ‘The wedding feast is ready, but the ones invited have proved they have no honor. 9Waste no time, go out into the village pathways, and invite all you find to come to the feast.’
10“So they went and did as they were told and gathered as many as they could find, whether honorable or bad-hearted. So the lodge was filled with many wedding guests for his son.
11“When the chief came in to see the guests, he saw someone who was not wearing the proper regalia that was provided for the guests at the wedding feast. 12He said to the guest, ‘How did you get in here without the proper regalia? Why have you dishonored my son by not wearing the outfit provided for you?’
“There was nothing the man could say.
13“The chief called his warriors and said to them, ‘Bind him with leather straps from head to foot and throw him outside into the darkness, to weep and grind his teeth in anger.’
14“So you can see,” Creator Sets Free (Jesus) said, “many are invited, but few accept his invitation.”#22:14 Lit. Few are chosen
THE SEPARATED ONES ATTACK
15The Separated Ones (Pharisees) began to scheme against Creator Sets Free (Jesus). 16They sent their followers along with some of the Friends of Looks Brave (Herodians) to spy on him.
“Wisdomkeeper,” they said to him, “we know you always speak the truth about the Great Spirit and represent him well. You show respect to human beings and treat them all the same. 17Tell us what is right, should our tribal members pay taxes to the Ruler of the People of Iron (Caesar)? Yes or no?”
18He could see right through them and knew what they were up to!
“Why are you putting me to the test? I can see behind your false faces!” he answered. 19“Show me one of their silver coins used to pay the tax and let me take a close look at it.”
They found a silver coin and handed it to him.
He took a good long look, holding it up to the sky to see it clearly. Then he turned the face of the coin toward them.
20“Whose image and words are carved into this coin?” he asked.
21“The Ruler of the People of Iron (Caesar),” they answered.
He handed the coin back to them and said, “Then give to this ruler the things that are his, and give to the Great Spirit the things that belong to the Great Spirit.”
22When they heard his answer, they were amazed at his wisdom and hung their heads in silence as they walked away.
THE UPRIGHT ONES ATTACK
23Later that same day some of the Upright Ones (Sadducees), who say that the dead do not rise again, came to Creator Sets Free (Jesus) to question him also.
24“Wisdomkeeper,” they said, “in our tribal law, Drawn From the Water (Moses) gave us these instructions: ‘If a Tribal Member should die before having children, then his brother should marry his widow and give her children to carry on his brother’s name.’
25“In a family of seven brothers,” they continued, “the oldest took a wife but died without children. 26The next brother married her, but he also died with no children. A third brother married her, and like his other brothers, he died with no children. The same happened to all seven of them, 27and, last of all, the woman also crossed over to death. 28So, when they all come back to life in the new world, whose wife will she be, since all seven brothers married her?”
29“You are asking the wrong question,” Creator Sets Free (Jesus) answered back. “You do not understand the Sacred Teachings or the power of the Great Spirit. 30When the dead rise to life, there will be no marriage, for they will be like the spirit-messengers from the spirit-world above.”
31Then he added, “You say you do not believe the dead will rise again. But have you not read what was told by the Maker of Life: 32‘I am the Great Spirit of Father of Many Nations (Abraham), of He Made Us Laugh (Isaac), and of Heel Grabber (Jacob)’#22:32 Exodus 3:6?
“He is not the Great Spirit of the dead but of the living.”
33All the people who heard him were amazed by his teaching.
THE GREATEST OF THE INSTRUCTIONS
34When the Separated Ones (Pharisees) heard how he silenced the Upright Ones (Sadducees), they put their heads together and came up with a plan. 35One of them, who was an expert in tribal law, would put him to the test.
36The expert came to him. “Wisdomkeeper,” he asked, “which instruction in our tribal law stands first?”
37Creator Sets Free (Jesus) answered him, “‘You must love the Great Spirit from deep within, with the strength of your arms, the thoughts of your mind, and the courage of your heart.’#22:37 Deuteronomy 6:5 38This is the first and greatest instruction.
39“The second is like the first,” he added. “‘You must love your fellow human beings in the same way you love yourselves.’#22:39 Leviticus 19:18 40The Law and the words of the prophets all find their full meaning in these two instructions.”
HE SILENCES HIS ADVERSARIES
41While the Separated Ones (Pharisees) were still gathered near him, he asked them this question, 42“How do you see the Chosen One? Who is he descended from?”
“He is the son who is descended from Much Loved One (David),” they answered.
43“How can the scroll keepers call him the descendant of Much Loved One (David),” he asked, “when Much Loved One (David) himself, speaking by the power of the Spirit, called the Chosen One his Honored Chief? 44For in the book of Sacred Songs he said, ‘The Honored Chief said to my Honored Chief, “Sit down beside me at my right hand, my place of greatest honor, until I defeat and humble all your enemies”#22:44 Psalm 110:1’?”
He paused to let them think about his words.
45Then he said, “If Much Loved One (David) calls the Chosen One, ‘My Honored Chief,’ how can the Chosen One be his descendant?”
46None of the spiritual leaders could answer him. From that time on, no one dared to challenge him with another question.
His great wisdom had silenced the ones who were against him.
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Gift from Creator Tells the Good Story 22: FNVNT
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Gift from Creator Tells the Good Story 22
22
A REJECTED INVITATION
1Creator Sets Free (Jesus) continued to speak to them using stories such as this one:
2“Creator’s good road from above is like a chief who prepared a wedding feast for his son. 3When the feast was ready, he sent out trusted messengers to gather the ones who had been invited, but no one came.
4“So he sent out others with this message: ‘I am serving my best meat fresh from the herd. So come, the wedding feast for my son has been prepared!’
5“But some ignored the messengers and returned to their work, 6while others mistreated them and even killed them.
7“When the chief found out what they had done, he was filled with rage and sent his warriors to kill those murderers and burn their village to the ground.
8“Then the chief told his messengers, ‘The wedding feast is ready, but the ones invited have proved they have no honor. 9Waste no time, go out into the village pathways, and invite all you find to come to the feast.’
10“So they went and did as they were told and gathered as many as they could find, whether honorable or bad-hearted. So the lodge was filled with many wedding guests for his son.
11“When the chief came in to see the guests, he saw someone who was not wearing the proper regalia that was provided for the guests at the wedding feast. 12He said to the guest, ‘How did you get in here without the proper regalia? Why have you dishonored my son by not wearing the outfit provided for you?’
“There was nothing the man could say.
13“The chief called his warriors and said to them, ‘Bind him with leather straps from head to foot and throw him outside into the darkness, to weep and grind his teeth in anger.’
14“So you can see,” Creator Sets Free (Jesus) said, “many are invited, but few accept his invitation.”#22:14 Lit. Few are chosen
THE SEPARATED ONES ATTACK
15The Separated Ones (Pharisees) began to scheme against Creator Sets Free (Jesus). 16They sent their followers along with some of the Friends of Looks Brave (Herodians) to spy on him.
“Wisdomkeeper,” they said to him, “we know you always speak the truth about the Great Spirit and represent him well. You show respect to human beings and treat them all the same. 17Tell us what is right, should our tribal members pay taxes to the Ruler of the People of Iron (Caesar)? Yes or no?”
18He could see right through them and knew what they were up to!
“Why are you putting me to the test? I can see behind your false faces!” he answered. 19“Show me one of their silver coins used to pay the tax and let me take a close look at it.”
They found a silver coin and handed it to him.
He took a good long look, holding it up to the sky to see it clearly. Then he turned the face of the coin toward them.
20“Whose image and words are carved into this coin?” he asked.
21“The Ruler of the People of Iron (Caesar),” they answered.
He handed the coin back to them and said, “Then give to this ruler the things that are his, and give to the Great Spirit the things that belong to the Great Spirit.”
22When they heard his answer, they were amazed at his wisdom and hung their heads in silence as they walked away.
THE UPRIGHT ONES ATTACK
23Later that same day some of the Upright Ones (Sadducees), who say that the dead do not rise again, came to Creator Sets Free (Jesus) to question him also.
24“Wisdomkeeper,” they said, “in our tribal law, Drawn From the Water (Moses) gave us these instructions: ‘If a Tribal Member should die before having children, then his brother should marry his widow and give her children to carry on his brother’s name.’
25“In a family of seven brothers,” they continued, “the oldest took a wife but died without children. 26The next brother married her, but he also died with no children. A third brother married her, and like his other brothers, he died with no children. The same happened to all seven of them, 27and, last of all, the woman also crossed over to death. 28So, when they all come back to life in the new world, whose wife will she be, since all seven brothers married her?”
29“You are asking the wrong question,” Creator Sets Free (Jesus) answered back. “You do not understand the Sacred Teachings or the power of the Great Spirit. 30When the dead rise to life, there will be no marriage, for they will be like the spirit-messengers from the spirit-world above.”
31Then he added, “You say you do not believe the dead will rise again. But have you not read what was told by the Maker of Life: 32‘I am the Great Spirit of Father of Many Nations (Abraham), of He Made Us Laugh (Isaac), and of Heel Grabber (Jacob)’#22:32 Exodus 3:6?
“He is not the Great Spirit of the dead but of the living.”
33All the people who heard him were amazed by his teaching.
THE GREATEST OF THE INSTRUCTIONS
34When the Separated Ones (Pharisees) heard how he silenced the Upright Ones (Sadducees), they put their heads together and came up with a plan. 35One of them, who was an expert in tribal law, would put him to the test.
36The expert came to him. “Wisdomkeeper,” he asked, “which instruction in our tribal law stands first?”
37Creator Sets Free (Jesus) answered him, “‘You must love the Great Spirit from deep within, with the strength of your arms, the thoughts of your mind, and the courage of your heart.’#22:37 Deuteronomy 6:5 38This is the first and greatest instruction.
39“The second is like the first,” he added. “‘You must love your fellow human beings in the same way you love yourselves.’#22:39 Leviticus 19:18 40The Law and the words of the prophets all find their full meaning in these two instructions.”
HE SILENCES HIS ADVERSARIES
41While the Separated Ones (Pharisees) were still gathered near him, he asked them this question, 42“How do you see the Chosen One? Who is he descended from?”
“He is the son who is descended from Much Loved One (David),” they answered.
43“How can the scroll keepers call him the descendant of Much Loved One (David),” he asked, “when Much Loved One (David) himself, speaking by the power of the Spirit, called the Chosen One his Honored Chief? 44For in the book of Sacred Songs he said, ‘The Honored Chief said to my Honored Chief, “Sit down beside me at my right hand, my place of greatest honor, until I defeat and humble all your enemies”#22:44 Psalm 110:1’?”
He paused to let them think about his words.
45Then he said, “If Much Loved One (David) calls the Chosen One, ‘My Honored Chief,’ how can the Chosen One be his descendant?”
46None of the spiritual leaders could answer him. From that time on, no one dared to challenge him with another question.
His great wisdom had silenced the ones who were against him.
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Copyright ©2023 InterVarsity Press