Luke 20

The Question about Jesus' Authority

1 One day when Jesus was in the Temple teaching the people and preaching the Good News, the chief priests and the teachers of the Law, together with the elders, came

2 and said to him, “Tell us, what right do you have to do these things? Who gave you such right?”
3 Jesus answered them, “Now let me ask you a question. Tell me,

4 did John's right to baptize come from God or from human beings?”
5 They started to argue among themselves, “What shall we say? If we say, ‘From God,’ he will say, ‘Why, then, did you not believe John?’ 6 But if we say, ‘From human beings,’ this whole crowd here will stone us, because they are convinced that John was a prophet.”

7 So they answered, “We don't know where it came from.”

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

The Parable of the Tenants in the Vineyard

9 Then Jesus told the people this parable: “There was once a man who planted a vineyard, rented it out to tenants, and then left home for a long time. 10 When the time came to gather the grapes, he sent a slave to the tenants to receive from them his share of the harvest. But the tenants beat the slave and sent him back without a thing. 11 So he sent another slave; but the tenants beat him also, treated him shamefully, and sent him back without a thing. 12 Then he sent a third slave; the tenants wounded him, too, and threw him out. 13 Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my own dear son; surely they will respect him!’ 14 But when the tenants saw him, they said to one another, ‘This is the owner's son. Let's kill him, and his property 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 the tenants?” Jesus asked.

16 “He will come and kill those men, and turn the vineyard over to other tenants.” When the people heard this, they said, “Surely not!”
17 Jesus looked at them and asked, “What, then, does this scripture mean?
‘The stone which the builders rejected as worthless
turned out to be the most important of all.’

18 Everyone who falls on that stone will be cut to pieces; and if that stone falls on someone, that person will be crushed to dust.”

The Question about Paying Taxes

19 The teachers of the Law and the chief priests tried to arrest Jesus on the spot, because they knew that he had told this parable against them; but they were afraid of the people. 20 So they looked for an opportunity. They bribed some men to pretend they were sincere, and they sent them to trap Jesus with questions, so that they could hand him over to the authority and power of the Roman Governor. 21 These spies said to Jesus, “Teacher, we know that what you say and teach is right. We know that you pay no attention to anyone's status, but teach the truth about God's will for people.

22 Tell us, is it against our Law for us to pay taxes to the Roman Emperor, or not?”
23 But Jesus saw through their trick and said to them,

24 “Show me a silver coin. Whose face and name are these on it?” “The Emperor's,” they answered.

25 So Jesus said, “Well, then, pay to the Emperor what belongs to the Emperor, and pay to God what belongs to God.”

26 There before the people they could not catch him in a thing, so they kept quiet, amazed at his answer.

The Question about Rising from Death

27 Then some Sadducees, who say that people will not rise from death, came to Jesus and said, 28 “Teacher, Moses wrote this law for us: ‘If a man dies and leaves a wife but no children, that man's brother must marry the widow so that they can have children who will be considered the dead man's children.’ 29 Once there were seven brothers; the oldest got married and died without having children. 30 Then the second one married the woman, 31 and then the third. The same thing happened to all seven—they died without having children. 32 Last of all, the woman died.

33 Now, on the day when the dead rise to life, whose wife will she be? All seven of them had married her.”
34 Jesus answered them, “The men and women of this age marry, 35 but the men and women who are worthy to rise from death and live in the age to come will not then marry. 36 They will be like angels and cannot die. They are the children of God, because they have risen from death. 37 And Moses clearly proves that the dead are raised to life. In the passage about the burning bush he speaks of the Lord as ‘the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’

38 He is the God of the living, not of the dead, for to him all are alive.”
39 Some of the teachers of the Law spoke up, “A good answer, Teacher!”

40 For they did not dare ask him any more questions.

The Question about the Messiah

41 Jesus asked them, “How can it be said that the Messiah will be the descendant of David? 42 For David himself says in the book of Psalms,
‘The Lord said to my Lord:
Sit here at my right side
43 until I put your enemies as a footstool under your feet.’

44 David called him ‘Lord’; how, then, can the Messiah be David's descendant?”

Jesus Warns against the Teachers of the Law

45 As all the people listened to him, Jesus said to his disciples, 46 “Be on your guard against the teachers of the Law, who like to walk around in their long robes and love to be greeted with respect in the marketplace; who choose the reserved seats in the synagogues and the best places at feasts;

47 who take advantage of widows and rob them of their homes, and then make a show of saying long prayers! Their punishment will be all the worse!”

Luke 20

1 And it came to pass, on one of the days, as he was teaching the people in the temple, and preaching the gospel, there came upon him the chief priests and the scribes with the elders;2 and they spake, saying unto him, Tell us: By what authority doest thou these things? or who is he that gave thee this authority?3 And he answered and said unto them, I also will ask you a question; and tell me:4 The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or from men?5 And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say, Why did ye not believe him?6 But if we shall say, From men; all the people will stone us: for they are persuaded that John was a prophet.7 And they answered, that they knew not whence it was.8 And Jesus said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.9 And he began to speak unto the people this parable: A man planted a vineyard, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into another country for a long time.10 And at the season he sent unto the husbandmen a servant, that they should give him of the fruit of the vineyard: but the husbandmen beat him, and sent him away empty.11 And he sent yet another servant: and him also they beat, and handled him shamefully, and sent him away empty.12 And he sent yet a third: and him also they wounded, and cast him forth.13 And the lord of the vineyard said, What shall I do? I will send my beloved son; it may be they will reverence him.14 But when the husbandmen saw him, they reasoned one with another, saying, This is the heir; let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours.15 And they cast him forth out of the vineyard, and killed him. What therefore will the lord of the vineyard do unto them?16 He will come and destroy these husbandmen, and will give the vineyard unto others. And when they heard it, they said, God forbid.17 But he looked upon them, and said, What then is this that is written, The stone which the builders rejected, The same was made the head of the corner?

18 Every one that falleth on that stone shall be broken to pieces; but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will scatter him as dust.19 And the scribes and the chief priests sought to lay hands on him in that very hour; and they feared the people: for they perceived that he spake this parable against them.20 And they watched him, and sent forth spies, who feigned themselves to be righteous, that they might take hold of his speech, so as to deliver him up to the rule and to the authority of the governor.21 And they asked him, saying, Teacher, we know that thou sayest and teachest rightly, and acceptest not the person of any, but of a truth teachest the way of God:22 Is it lawful for us to give tribute unto Caesar, or not?23 But he perceived their craftiness, and said unto them,24 Show me a denarius. Whose image and superscription hath it? And they said, Caesar’s.25 And he said unto them, Then render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and unto God the things that are God’s.26 And they were not able to take hold of the saying before the people: and they marvelled at his answer, and held their peace.27 And there came to him certain of the Sadducees, they that say that there is no resurrection;28 and they asked him, saying, Teacher, Moses wrote unto us, that if a man’s brother die, having a wife, and he be childless, his brother should take the wife, and raise up seed unto his brother.29 There were therefore seven brethren: and the first took a wife, and died childless;30 and the second:31 and the third took her; and likewise the seven also left no children, and died.32 Afterward the woman also died.33 In the resurrection therefore whose wife of them shall she be? for the seven had her to wife.34 And Jesus said unto them, The sons of this world marry, and are given in marriage:35 but they that are accounted worthy to attain to that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage:36 for neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.37 But that the dead are raised, even Moses showed, in the place concerning the Bush, when he calleth the Lord the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.38 Now he is not the God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto him.39 And certain of the scribes answering said, Teacher, thou hast well said.40 For they durst not any more ask him any question.41 And he said unto them, How say they that the Christ is David’s son?42 For David himself saith in the book of Psalms, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand,

43 Till I make thine enemies the footstool of thy feet.

44 David therefore calleth him Lord, and how is he his son?45 And in the hearing of all the people he said unto his disciples,46 Beware of the scribes, who desire to walk in long robes, and love salutations in the marketplaces, and chief seats in the synagogues, and chief places at feasts;47 who devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayers: these shall receive greater condemnation.