The fig-tree cursed.

Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfectedd praise? 17 And he left them, and went out of the city into Bethany; and he lodged there.

18 Now, in the morning, as he returned into the city he hungered.

19 And when he saw a figtree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig-tree withered

Christ rebuketh the

these things? and who gave thee this authority?

24 And Jesus answered and said unto them, I also will ask you one thing, which if ye tell me, I in like wise will tell you by what authority I do these things.

25 The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men? And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, Why did ye not then believe him?

26 But if we shall say, Of men; we fear the people; for all hold John as a prophet.

d Perfected, procured praise. e Elders of the people, senators; the seventy, who composed the supreme council of the Jews.

27 And they answered Jesus, and said, We cannot tell. And he said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.

28 But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to-day in my vineyard.

29 He answered and said, I will not; but afterward he repented, and went.

30 And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir; and went not.

31 Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, the first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you.

32 For John came unto you in the way of righteousness,

6 And the remnanta took his servants, and intreated them spitefully, and slew them.

7 But when the king heard thereof he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burnt up their city.

8 Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy.

9 Go ye, therefore, into the highways, and, as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage.

10 So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all, as many as they found, both bad and good; and the wedding was furnished with guests.

a Remnant, the rest or remainder.

13 Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

14 For many are called, but few are chosen.

15 Then went the Pharisees, c and took counsel how they might entangle him in his talk.

16 And they sent out unto him their disciples with the Herodians,d saying, Master, we know that thou art true, and teaches the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man; for thou regardest not the person of men.

17 Tell us, therefore, what thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Cesar, e or not?

b In ancient times wedding-garments were often provided by the person who made the wedding; so that they who appeared without had no excuse; the king was therefore just in his command.

c Pharisees, see Matt. v. 20. d Herodians, Pártisans or friends of Herod.

e Is it lawful for us to give tribute to Cesar, the Roman emperor?

22 When they had heard these words they marvelled, and left him, and went their way.

23 The same day came to him the Sadducees, h which say that there is no resurrection, and asked him,

24 Saying, Master, Moses said, If a man die, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother.

f Their wickedness consisted in endeavouring, by indirect questions, to induce Jesus to tell them whether it were lawful for the Jews to obey the Roman emperor, or whether he himself had come to be their temporal prince to relieve them from the yoke of their enemies.

g Image and superscription. The current coin at this time in Judea had the head of Cesar and his name impressed upon it; the piece of money here called a penny, was a Roman coin, in value about 14 cents. b Sadducees, a Jewish sect, who denied the resurrection of the dead, and that there were angels or spirits.

of the dead.

25 Now, there were with us seven brethren; and the first, when he had married a wife, deceased; and having no issue,i left his wife unto his brother:

26 Likewise the second also, and the third, unto the seventh. 27 And last of all the waman died also.

28 Therefore, in the resurrection, whose wife shall she be of the seven? for they all had her.

29 Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures nor the power of God.

30 For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage; but are as the angels of God in heaven.

31 But, as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was

i Issue, children.

j As touching, concerning.

k Resurrection, &c. In the 31 and 32d verses our Saviour is reasoning to shew there was a future state, which the Sadducees denied. Jesus told them, that God proclaimed himself the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, long after they had been dead, (see Exodus iii. 6.) which he could not have done, unless they still existed in a future state; for he could not with any propriety style himself the God of those who were finally dead, or did not exist; he can be a God only of those who live either in this or a future state; therefore the Sadducees might have understood from the Old Testament, which they believed, that there was a future state, and might be a resurrection.