Jesus’ Authority is Challenged

(Matthew 21:23-27; Mark 11:27-33)

1One day, while Jesusa was teaching the people in the Temple and telling them the good news, the high priests and the scribes came with the elders 2and asked him, “Tell us: By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?”

3He answered them, “I, too, will ask you a question.b Tell me: 4Was John’s authority to baptizec from heaven or from humans?”

5They discussed this among themselves: “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ 6But if we say, ‘From humans,’ all the people will stone us to death, because they are convinced that John was a prophet.” 7So they answered that they didn’t know where it was from.

8Then Jesus told them, “Then I won’t tell you by what authority I’m doing these things.”

The Parable about the Tenant Farmers

(Matthew 21:33-46; Mark 12:1-12)

9Then he began to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard, leased it to tenant farmers, and went abroad for a long time. 10At the right time he sent a servant to the farmers in order to get his share of the produce of the vineyard. But the farmers beat him and sent him back empty-handed. 11He sent another servant, and they beat him, too, treated him shamefully, and sent him back empty-handed. 12Then he sent a third, and they wounded him and threw him out, too.

13“Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What should I do? I’ll send my son whom I love. Maybe they’ll respect him.’ 14But when the farmers saw him, they talked it over among themselves and said, ‘This is the heir. Let’s kill him so that the inheritance will be ours!’ 15So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. Now what will the owner of the vineyard do to them? 16He will come and destroy those farmers and give the vineyard to others.”

Those who heard him said, “That must never happen!”

17But Jesusd looked at them and asked, “What does this text mean:

‘The stone that the builders rejected

has become the cornerstone’?e

18Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, and it will crush anyone on whom it falls.”

19When the scribes and the high priests realized that Jesusf had told this parable about them, they wanted to arrest him right then, but they were afraid of the crowd.

A Question about Paying Taxes

(Matthew 22:15-22; Mark 12:13-17)

20So they watched him closely and sent spies who pretended to be honest men in order to trap him in what he would say. They wanted to hand him over to the jurisdictiong of the governor, 21so they asked him, “Teacher, we know that you’re right in what you say and teach, and that you don’t favor any individual, but teach the way of God truthfully. 22Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”

23But he discerned their craftiness and responded to them, 24“Show me a denarius. Whose face and name does it have?”

“Caesar’s,” they replied.

25So he told them, “Then give back to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”

26So they couldn’t catch him before the people in what he said. Amazed at his answer, they became silent.

A Question about the Resurrection

(Matthew 22:23-33; Mark 12:18-27)

27Now some Sadducees, who claim there is no resurrection, came to Jesush 28and asked him, “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife but no child, the mani should marry the widow and have children for his brother. 29Now there were seven brothers. The first one married and died childless. 30Then the second 31and the third married her. In the same way, all seven died and left no children. 32Finally, the woman died, too. 33Now in the resurrection, whose wife will the woman be, since the seven had married her?”

34Jesus told them, “Those who belong to this age marry and are married, 35but those who are considered worthy of a place in that age and in the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. 36Nor can they die anymore, because they are like the angels and, since they share in the resurrection, are God’s children. 37Even Moses demonstrated in the story about the bush that the dead are raised, when he calls the Lord, ‘the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’j 38He is not the God of the dead, but of the living, because he considers all people to be alive to him.”

39Then some of the scribes replied, “Teacher, you have given a fine answer.” 40Then they no longer dared to ask him another question.

A Question about David’s Son

(Matthew 22:41-46; Mark 12:35-37)

41Then he asked them, “How can peoplek say that the Messiahl is David’s son? 42Because David himself in the book of Psalms says,

‘The Lordm told my Lord,

“Sit at my right hand,

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

44So David calls him ‘Lord.’ Then how can he be his son?”

Jesus Denounces the Scribes

(Matthew 23:1-36; Mark 12:38-40; Luke 11:37-54)

45While all the people were listening, he told his disciples, 46“Beware of the scribes! They like to walk around in long robes and love to be greeted in the marketplaces and to have the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. 47They devour widows’ houseso and say long prayers to cover it up. They will receive greater condemnation!”