THE AUTHORITY OF JESUS CHALLENGED

20 Oneae day as he was teachingaf the people in the temple and proclaiming the good news,ag the chief priests and the scribes, with the elders,ah came 2 and said to him, “Tell us, by what authority are you doing these things? Who is it who gave you this authority?”

3 He answered them, “I will also ask you a question. Tell me, 4 was the baptism of John from heaven or of human origin?”

5 They discussed it among themselves: “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Why didn’t you believe him?’ 6 But if we say, ‘Of human origin,’ all the peoplea will stone us, because they are convinced that John was a prophet.”b 7 So they answered that they did not know its origin.

8 And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

THE PARABLE OF THE VINEYARD OWNER

9 Nowc he began to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard,d leased it to tenant farmers, and went away for a long time. 10 At harvest time he sent a servant to the farmers so that they might give him some fruit from the vineyard. But the farmers beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 11 He sent yet another servant, but they beat that one too, treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed. 12 And he sent yet a third, but they wounded this one too and threw him out.

13 “Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What should I do? I will send my belovede son. PerhapsA they will respect him.’

14 “But when the tenant farmers saw him, they discussed it among themselves and said, ‘This is the heir. Let’s kill him, so that the inheritance will be ours.’f 15 So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.

“What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? 16 He will come and killg those farmers and give the vineyard to others.”

But when they heard this they said, “That must never happen!”h

17 But he looked at them and said, “Then what is the meaning of this Scripture:B,i

The stone that the builders rejected

has become the cornerstone?C,j

18 Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, but on whomever it falls, it will shatter him.”k

19 Then the scribes and the chief priestsl looked for a way to get their hands on himm that very hour, because they knew he had told this parable against them, but they feared the people.n

GOD AND CAESAR

20 Theyo watched closelyp and sent spiesq who pretended to be righteous,D so that they could catch him in what he said,r to hand hims over to the governor’st rule and authority. 21 They questioned him, “Teacher, we know that you speak and teach correctly,u and you don’t show partialityE,v but teach truthfully the way of God.w 22 Is it lawfulx for us to pay taxesy to Caesarz or not?”

23 But detecting their craftiness, he said to them,F 24 “Show me a denarius.G Whose image and inscription does it have?”

“Caesar’s,” they said.

25 “Well then,” he told them, “give to Caesaraa the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”

26 They were not able to catch him in what he said in public, and being amazed at his answer, they became silent.ab

THE SADDUCEES AND THE RESURRECTION

27 Someac of the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection,ad came up and questioned him: 28 “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother has a wife, and dies childless, his brother should take the wife and produce offspring for his brother.H,ae 29 Now there were seven brothers. The first took a wife and died without children. 30 Also the secondI 31 and the third took her. In the same way, all seven died and left no children. 32 Finally, the woman died too. 33 In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For all seven had married her.”

34 Jesus told them, “The children of this ageaf marry and are given in marriage.ag 35 But those who are counted worthyah to take part in that ageai and in the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. 36 For they can no longer die,aj because they are like angels and are children of God,ak since they are children of the resurrection. 37 Moses even indicated in the passage about the burning bush that the dead are raised, where he calls the Lord the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.J,al 38 He is not the God of the dead but of the living, because all are living toK him.”am

39 Some of the scribes answered, “Teacher, you have spoken well.” 40 And they no longer dared to ask him anything.

THE QUESTION ABOUT THE MESSIAH

41 Thenan he said to them, “How can they say that the Messiah is the son of David?ao 42 For David himself says in the Book of Psalms:a

The Lord declared to my Lord,

‘Sit at my right hand

43 until I make your enemies your footstool.’A,b

44 David calls him ‘Lord.’ How, then, can the Messiah be his son?”c

WARNING AGAINST THE SCRIBES

45 Whiled all the people were listening, he said to his disciples, 46 “Bewaree of the scribes, who want to go around in long robes and who love greetings in the marketplaces, the best seats in the synagogues, and the places of honor at banquets.f 47 They devour widows’ houses and say long prayers just for show. These will receive harsher judgment.”B