The Aquarian Gospel of Jesus the Christ

21 Then Jesus said, If you will tell me not, then I will tell you not who gave me power to drive the robbers from the house of God.

22 And then he spoke a parable to them; he said, A man once made a feast inviting all the rich and honored people of the land.

23 But when they came, they found the door into the banquet hall was low, and they could enter not except they bowed their heads and fell down on their knees.

24 These people would not bow their heads and fall down on their knees, and so they went away; they went not to the feast.

25 And then the man sent forth his messengers to bid the common folks, and those of low estate, to come and feast with him.

26 These people gladly came; they bowed their heads and fell down on their knees, and came into the banquet hall and it was full, and every one rejoiced.

27 And then the master said, Behold, you priests and scribes, and Pharisees! the Lord of heaven and earth has spread a sumptuous feast, and you were bidden first of all;

28 But you have found the door into the banquet hall so low that you must bow your heads and fall down on your knees to enter in, and you have scorned the king who made the feast, refused to bow your heads and fall down on your knees, and you have gone your way;

29 But now God calls again; the common folks and those of low estate have come in multitudes, have entered in unto the feast and all rejoice.

30 I tell you, men, that publicans and courtesans go through the gates into the kingdom of the God of heaven, and you are left without.

31 John came to you in righteousness; he brought the truth, but you believed him not.

32 But publicans and courtesans believed, and were baptized and now have entered in unto the feast.

33 I tell you now, as I have told you many times, The many have been called, but chosen are the few.

CHAPTER 154

Jesus teaches in the temple court. The parable of the householder and wicked husbandmen. Parable of the marriage feast and the guest without a wedding robe.

The multitudes would hear what Jesus had to say, and so they built a platform in the temple court, and Jesus stood upon the place and taught. He spoke in parables; he said,

2 A man possessed a vast estate; he planted out a vineyard, placed a hedge about it, built a tower, installed the press for making wine.

3 He placed his vineyard in the hands of husbandmen and then he journeyed to a distant land.

4 Now, in the vintage time the man sent forth a servant to receive and bring to him his portion of the fruitage of the vines.

5 The husbandmen came forth and beat the man; laid forty lashes on his back and cast him out beyond the vineyard gate.

6 And then the owner sent another man to bring to him his own. The husbandmen laid hold of him and sorely wounded him and cast him from the vineyard, leaving him half dead beside the way.

7 The owner sent another man to bring to him his own. The husbandmen seized hold of him and with a javelin they pierced his heart; then buried him beyond the hedge.

8 The owner was aggrieved. He thought within himself, What shall I do? and then he said, This will I do. My only son is here, and I will send him to the husbandmen,

9 They surely will respect my son and send me what is mine.

10 He sent his son; the husbandmen took counsel with themselves; they said, This is the only heir to all this wealth, and if we take his life the vast inheritance is ours.

11 They took his life and cast him out beyond the vineyard hedge.

12 The days will come; the owner will return to reckon with the husbandmen, and he will seize them every one, and cast them into scorching fires where they shall stay until they pay the debts they owe.

13 And he will place his vineyard in the care of honest men.

14 Then turning to the priests and scribes he said, Did not your prophets say,

15 The stone the builders cast away became the capstone of the arch?

16 You men who pose as men of God, as husbandmen, lo, you have stoned and killed the messengers of God, his prophets and his seers, and now you seek to slay his son.

17 I tell you men, the kingdom shall be snatched away from you, and shall be given unto people who are not a people now, and to a nation that is not a nation now.

18 And men whose speech you cannot understand, will stand between the living and the dead, and show the way to life.

19 The chief priests and the Pharisees were deeply moved with anger when they heard this parable, and would have seized the Lord and done him harm, but they were sore afraid; they feared the multitude.

20 And Jesus spoke another parable; he said, The kingdom is alike a certain king who made a feast in honor of the marriage of his son.

21 He sent his servants forth to call the people who had been invited to the feast.

22 The servants called; but then the people would not come.

23 And then the king sent other messengers abroad to say, Behold, my tables now are spread; my oxen and my fatlings are prepared.

24 The choicest viands and the richest wines are on my boards; come to the marriage feast.

25 The people laughed and treated with disdain his call, and went their way, one to his farm, another to his merchandise;

26 And others seized the servants of the king; abused them shamefully; and some of them they killed.

27 And then the king sent forth his soldiery who slew the murderers and burned their towns.

28 And then the king sent other servants forth; to them he said, Go to the corners of the streets, the partings of the ways, and to the marts of trade and say,

29 Whoever will may come up to the marriage feast.

30 The servants went their way and called; and lo, the banquet hall was filled with guests.

31 But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man who had not on a wedding robe; he called to him and said,

32 Friend, why are you here without a wedding robe? Would you dishonor thus my son?

33 The man was dumb; he answered not.

34 And then the king said to his guards, Take you this man and bind him hand and foot and cast him out into the darkness of the night.

35 The many have been called, but none are chosen to be guests who have not clad themselves in wedding robes.