Matthew 22:23-40

Marriage at the Resurrection 23That same day the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him with a question. 24“Teacher,” they said, “Moses told us that if a man dies without having children, his brother must marry the widow and raise up offspring for him. 25Now there were seven brothers among us. The first one married and died, and since he had no children, he left his wife to his brother. 26The same thing happened to the second and third brother, right on down to the seventh. 27Finally, the woman died.

28Now then, at the resurrection, whose wife will she be of the seven, since all of them were married to her?” 29Jesus replied, “You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God. 30At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. 31But about the resurrection of the dead—have you not read what God said to you,

32‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’ Exodus 3:6 ? He is not the God of the dead but of the living.”

33When the crowds heard this, they were astonished at his teaching.

The Greatest Commandment 34Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. 35One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question:

36“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 37Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ Deut. 6:5 38This is the first and greatest commandment. 39And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ Lev. 19:18

40All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”