The Authority of Jesus Challenged

1Onea day as he was teachingb the people in the temple and proclaiming the good news,c the chief priests and the scribes, with the elders,d came 2and said to him, “Tell us, by what authority are you doing these things? Who is it who gave you this authority? ”

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

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

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

The Parable of the Vineyard Owner

9Nowa he began to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard,b leased it to tenant farmers, and went away for a long time. 10At 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. 11He sent yet another servant, but they beat that one too, treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed. 12And 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 beloveda 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.’a 15So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.

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

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

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

The stone that the builders rejected

has become the cornerstone?b c

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

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

God and Caesar

20Theya watched closelyb and sent spiesc who pretended to be righteous,A so that they could catch him in what he said,d to hand hime over to the governor’sf rule and authority. 21They questioned him, “Teacher, we know that you speak and teach correctly,a and you don’t show partialitya b but teach truthfully the way of God.c 22Is it lawfula for us to pay taxesb to Caesarc or not? ”

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

“Caesar’s,” they said.

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

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

The Sadducees and the Resurrection

27Somea of the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection,b 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.a b 29Now there were seven brothers. The first took a wife and died without children. 30Also the secondA 31and the third took her. In the same way, all seven died and left no children. 32Finally, the woman died too. 33In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For all seven had married her.”

34Jesus told them, “The children of this agea marry and are given in marriage.b 35But those who are counted worthya to take part in that ageb and in the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. 36For they can no longer die,a because they are like angels and are children of God,b since they are children of the resurrection. 37Moses 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.a b 38He is not the God of the dead but of the living, because all are living toA him.”a

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

The Question about the Messiah

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

The Lord declared to my Lord,

‘Sit at my right hand

43until I make your enemies your footstool.’a b

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

Warning against the Scribes

45Whilea all the people were listening, he said to his disciples, 46“Bewarea 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.b 47They devour widows’ houses and say long prayers just for show. These will receive harsher judgment.”A