Luke 20

The Authority of Jesus

1 Now onet day, as Jesust was teaching the people in the temple courtst and proclaimingt the gospel, the chief priests and the experts in the lawt with the elders came ups2 and said to him,t “Tell us: By what authorityt are you doing these things?s Or who it is who gave you this authority?”3 He answered them,t “I will also ask you a question, and you tell me:4 John’s baptisms – was it from heaven or from people?”ts5 Sot they discussed it with one another, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Why did you not believe him?’6 But if we say, ‘From people,’ all the people will stone us, because they are convinced that John was a prophet.”7 Sot they replied that they did not knows where it came from.

8 Thent Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell yous by whose authorityt I do these things.”

The Parable of the Tenants

9 Thent he began to tell the people this parable: “A mans planted a vineyard,s leased it to tenant farmers,s and went on a journey for a long time.10 When harvest time came, he sent a slaves to the tenants so that they would gives him his portion of the crop.t However, the tenants beat his slavets and sent him away empty-handed.11 Sot he sent another slave. They beat this one too, treated him outrageously, and sent him away empty-handed.s12 Sot he sent still a third. They even wounded this one, and threw him out.13 Thent the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What should I do? I will send my one dear son;ts perhaps they will respect him.’14 But when the tenants saw him, they said to one another, ‘This is the heir; let’s kill him so the inheritance will be ours!’15 Sot they threw him out of the vineyard and killeds him. What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them?16 He will come and destroys those tenants and give the vineyard to others.”s When the peoplet heard this, they said, “May this never happen!”s17 But Jesust looked straight at them and said, “Then what is the meaning of that which is written: ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone’?ts18 Everyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces,t and the one on whom it falls will be crushed.”ts

19 Thent the experts in the lawt and the chief priests wanted to arrestt him that very hour, because they realized he had told this parable against them. Butt they were afraid of the people.

Paying Taxes to Caesar

20 Thent they watched him carefully and sent spies who pretended to be sincere.t They wanted to take advantage of what he might sayt so that they could deliver him up to the authority and jurisdictiont of the governor.21 Thust they asked him, “Teacher, we know that you speak and teach correctly,t and show no partiality, but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth.s22 Is it rightt for us to pay the tribute taxt to Caesart or not?”23 But Jesust perceived their deceitt and said to them,24 “Show me a denarius.ts Whose imagets and inscription are on it?”t They said, “Caesar’s.”25 Sot he said to them, “Then give to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”s

26 Thust they were unable in the presence of the people to trapt him with his own words.t And stunnedt by his answer, they fell silent.

Marriage and the Resurrection

27 Now some Sadduceess (who contend that there is no resurrection)s came to him.28 They asked him,t “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies leaving a wife but no children, that mantmust marrytthe widow and father childrentfor his brother.s29 Now there were seven brothers. The first one married a womant and died without children.30 The seconds31 and then the third married her, and in this same way all seven died, leaving no children.32 Finally the woman died too.

33 In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be?s For all seven had married her.”t
34 Sot Jesus said to them, “The people of this aget marry and are given in marriage.35 But those who are regarded as worthy to share int that age and in the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage.s36 In fact, they can no longer die, because they are equal to angelss and are sons of God, since they aret sonst of the resurrection.37 But even Moses revealed that the dead are raisedt in the passage about the bush,s where he calls the Lord the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.s38 Now he is not God of the dead, but of the living,s for all live before him.”t39 Thent some of the experts in the lawt answered, “Teacher, you have spoken well!”s

40 For they did not dare any longer to asks him anything.

The Messiah: David’s Son and Lord

41 Buts he said to them, “How is it that they say that the Christts is David’s son?s

42 For David himself says in the book of Psalms,
‘The Lord said to myslord,
“Sit at my right hand,

43 until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.”’s

44 If David then calls him ‘Lord,’ how can he be his son?”t

Jesus Warns the Disciples against Pride

45 Ast all the people were listening, Jesust said to his disciples,46 “Bewaret of the experts in the law.t Theyt like walking around in long robes, and they love elaborate greetingss in the marketplaces and the best seatss in the synagoguess and the places of honor at banquets.

47 Theyt devours widows’ property,t and as a show make long prayers. They will receive a more severe punishment.”

LUKE 20

A Question //about Jesus' Authority

(Matthew 21.23-27; Mark 11.27-33)

1 One day, Jesus was teaching in the temple and telling the good news. So the chief priests, the teachers, and the nation's leaders

2 asked him, “What right do you have to do these things? Who gave you this authority?”
3 Jesus replied, “I want to ask you a question.

4 Who gave John the right to baptize? Was it God in heaven or merely some human being?”
5 They talked this over and said to each other, “We can't say God gave John this right. Jesus will ask us why we didn't believe John.

6 And we can't say it was merely some human who gave John the right to baptize. The crowd will stone us to death, because they think John was a prophet.”

7 So they told Jesus, “We don't know who gave John the right to baptize.”

8 Jesus replied, “Then I won't tell you who gave me the right to do what I do.”

Renters of a Vineyard

(Matthew 21.33-46; Mark 12.1-12)

9  t Jesus told the people this story:
A man once planted a vineyard and rented it out. Then he left the country for a long time. 10 When it was time to harvest the crop, he sent a servant to ask the renters for his share of the grapes. But they beat up the servant and sent him away without anything. 11 So the owner sent another servant. The renters also beat him up. They insulted him terribly and sent him away without a thing.

12 The owner sent a third servant. He was also beaten terribly and thrown out of the vineyard.

13 The owner then said to himself, “What am I going to do? I know what. I'll send my son, the one I love so much. They will surely respect him!”
14 When the renters saw the owner's son, they said to one another, “Someday he will own the vineyard. Let's kill him! Then we can have it all for ourselves.”

15 So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.
Jesus asked, “What do you think the owner of the vineyard will do?

16 I'll tell you what. He will come and kill those renters and let someone else have his vineyard.”
When the people heard this, they said, “This must never happen!”
17  t But Jesus looked straight at them and said, “Then what do the Scriptures mean when they say, ‘The stone the builders tossed aside is now the most important stone of all’?

18 Anyone who stumbles over this stone will get hurt, and anyone it falls on will be smashed to pieces.”

19 The chief priests and the teachers of the Law of Moses knew that Jesus was talking about them when he was telling this story. They wanted to arrest him right then, but they were afraid of the people.

Paying Taxes

(Matthew 22.15-22; Mark 12.13-17)

22 Tell us, should we pay taxes to the Emperor or not?”
23 Jesus knew they were trying to trick him. So he told them,

24 “Show me a coin.” Then he asked, “Whose picture and name are on it?”
“The Emperor's,” they answered.
25 Then he told them, “Give the Emperor what belongs to him and give God what belongs to God.”

26 Jesus' enemies could not catch him saying anything wrong there in front of the people. They were amazed at his answer and kept quiet.

Life in the Future World

(Matthew 22.23-33; Mark 12.18-27)

28 t and said:
Teacher, Moses wrote that if a married man dies and has no children, his brother should marry the widow. Their first son would then be thought of as the son of the dead brother.
29 There were once seven brothers. The first one married, but died without having any children. 30 The second one married his brother's widow, and he also died without having any children. 31 The same thing happened to the third one. Finally, all seven brothers married this woman and died without having any children. 32 At last the woman died.

33 When God raises people from death, whose wife will this woman be? All seven brothers had married her.

34 Jesus answered:
The people in this world get married. 35 But in the future world no one who is worthy to rise from death will either marry

36 or die. They will be like the angels and will be God's children, because they have been raised to life.
37  t In the story about the burning bush, Moses clearly shows that people will live again. He said, “The Lord is the God worshiped by Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”t

38 So the Lord isn't the God of the dead, but of the living. This means that everyone is alive as far as God is concerned.
39 Some of the teachers of the Law of Moses said, “Teacher, you have given a good answer!”

40 From then on, no one dared to ask Jesus any questions.

About David's Son

(Matthew 22.41-46; Mark 12.35-37)

42 t In the book of Psalms, David himself says,
‘The Lord said to my Lord,
Sit at my right sidet

43 until I make your enemies
into a footstool for you.’

44 David spoke of the Messiah as his Lord, so how can the Messiah be his son?”

Jesus and the Teachers //of the Law of Moses

(Matthew 23.1-36; Mark 12.38-40; Luke 11.37-54)

45 While everyone was listening to Jesus, he said to his disciples:
46 Guard against the teachers of the Law of Moses! They love to walk around in long robes, and they like to be greeted in the market. They want the front seats in the synagogues and the best seats at banquets. 47 But they cheat widows out of their homes and then pray long prayers just to show off. These teachers will be punished most of all.