The Authority of
Jesus
Questioned
1 One day as Jesus was
teaching
the people
in the
temple
courts and
proclaiming
the good
news, the
chief
priests
and the
teachers
of the
law,
together
with the
elders,
came up to
him.
2 “Tell us
by what
authority
you are
doing
these
things,”
they said.
“Who gave
you this
authority?”
3 He replied, “I will also
ask you a
question.
Tell me:
4 John’s
baptism—was
it from
heaven, or
of human
origin?”
5 They discussed it among
themselves
and said,
“If we
say, ‘From
heaven,’
he will
ask, ‘Why
didn’t you
believe
him?’
6 But
if we say,
‘Of human
origin,’
all the
people
will stone
us,
because
they are
persuaded
that John
was a
prophet.”
7 So they answered, “We
don’t know
where it
was from.”
8 Jesus said, “Neither
will I
tell you
by what
authority
I am doing
these
things.”
The Parable of the
Tenants
9 He went on to tell the
people
this
parable:
“A man
planted a
vineyard,
rented it
to some
farmers
and went
away for a
long time.
10 At
harvest
time he
sent a
servant to
the
tenants so
they would
give him
some of
the fruit
of the
vineyard.
But the
tenants
beat him
and sent
him away
empty-handed.
11 He sent
another
servant,
but that
one also
they beat
and
treated
shamefully
and sent
away
empty-handed.
12 He sent
still a
third, and
they
wounded
him and
threw him
out.
13 “Then the owner of the
vineyard
said,
‘What
shall I
do? I will
send my
son, whom
I love;
perhaps
they will
respect
him.’
14 “But when the tenants
saw him,
they
talked the
matter
over.
‘This is
the heir,’
they said.
‘Let’s
kill him,
and the
inheritance
will be
ours.’
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 kill
those
tenants
and give
the
vineyard
to
others.”
When the people heard
this, they
said, “God
forbid!”
17 Jesus looked directly
at them
and asked,
“Then what
is the
meaning of
that which
is
written:
“‘The stone the builders
rejected
has
become the
cornerstone’?
18 Everyone who falls on
that stone
will be
broken to
pieces;
anyone on
whom it
falls will
be
crushed.”
19 The teachers of the law
and the
chief
priests
looked for
a way to
arrest him
immediately,
because
they knew
he had
spoken
this
parable
against
them. But
they were
afraid of
the
people.
Paying Taxes to
Caesar
20 Keeping a close watch
on him,
they sent
spies, who
pretended
to be
sincere.
They hoped
to catch
Jesus in
something
he said,
so that
they might
hand him
over to
the power
and
authority
of the
governor.
21 So the
spies
questioned
him:
“Teacher,
we know
that you
speak and
teach what
is right,
and that
you do not
show
partiality
but teach
the way of
God in
accordance
with the
truth.
22 Is
it right
for us to
pay taxes
to Caesar
or not?”
23 He saw through their
duplicity
and said
to them,
24 “Show
me a
denarius.
Whose
image and
inscription
are on
it?”
“Caesar’s,” they replied.
25 He said to them, “Then
give back
to Caesar
what is
Caesar’s,
and to God
what is
God’s.”
26 They were unable to
trap him
in what he
had said
there in
public.
And
astonished
by his
answer,
they
became
silent.
The Resurrection
and
Marriage
27 Some of the Sadducees,
who say
there is
no
resurrection,
came to
Jesus with
a
question.
28 “Teacher,”
they said,
“Moses
wrote for
us that if
a man’s
brother
dies and
leaves a
wife but
no
children,
the man
must marry
the widow
and raise
up
offspring
for his
brother.
29 Now
there were
seven
brothers.
The first
one
married a
woman and
died
childless.
30 The
second
31 and
then the
third
married
her, and
in the
same way
the seven
died,
leaving no
children.
32 Finally,
the woman
died too.
33 Now
then, at
the
resurrection
whose wife
will she
be, since
the seven
were
married to
her?”
34 Jesus replied, “The
people of
this age
marry and
are given
in
marriage.
35 But
those who
are
considered
worthy of
taking
part in
the age to
come and
in the
resurrection
from the
dead will
neither
marry nor
be given
in
marriage,
36 and
they can
no longer
die; for
they are
like the
angels.
They are
God’s
children,
since they
are
children
of the
resurrection.
37 But in
the
account of
the
burning
bush, even
Moses
showed
that the
dead rise,
for he
calls the
Lord ‘the
God of
Abraham,
and the
God of
Isaac, and
the God of
Jacob.’
38 He is
not the
God of the
dead, but
of the
living,
for to him
all are
alive.”
39 Some of the teachers of
the law
responded,
“Well
said,
teacher!”
40 And no
one dared
to ask him
any more
questions.
Whose Son Is the
Messiah?
41 Then Jesus said to
them, “Why
is it said
that the
Messiah is
the son of
David?
42 David
himself
declares
in the
Book of
Psalms:
“‘The Lord said to my
Lord:
“Sit
at my
right hand
43 until I
make your
enemies
a
footstool
for your
feet.”’
44 David calls him ‘Lord.’
How then
can he be
his son?”
Warning Against the
Teachers
of the Law
45 While all the people
were
listening,
Jesus said
to his
disciples,
46 “Beware
of the
teachers
of the
law. They
like to
walk
around in
flowing
robes and
love to be
greeted
with
respect in
the
marketplaces
and have
the most
important
seats in
the
synagogues
and the
places of
honor at
banquets.
47 They
devour
widows’
houses and
for a show
make
lengthy
prayers.
These men
will be
punished
most
severely.”