Luke 20:1–26

The Authority of Jesus Challenged

20^hOne day, ⁱas Jesus¹ was teaching the people in the temple and preaching the gospel, ^jthe chief priests and the scribes with the elders came up ²and said to him, “Tell us ^kby what authority you do these things, or who it is that gave you this authority.” ³He answered them, “I also will ask you a question. Now tell me, ⁴was the baptism of John ^lfrom heaven or from man?” ⁵And they discussed it with one another, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ^m‘Why did you not believe him?’ ⁶But if we say, ‘From man,’ all the people will stone us to death, for they are convinced that John was ⁿa prophet.” ⁷So they answered that they did not know where it came from. ⁸And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

The Parable of the Wicked Tenants

^9oAnd he began to tell the people this parable: “A man planted ^pa vineyard and ^qlet it out to tenants and ^rwent into another country for a long while. ¹⁰When the time came, he sent a servant² to the tenants, so that ^qthey would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. ^sBut the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed. ^11tAnd ^she sent another servant. But they also beat and ^utreated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed. ^12sAnd he sent yet a third. This one also they wounded and cast out. ¹³Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my ^vbeloved son; perhaps they will respect him.’ ¹⁴But when the tenants saw him, they said to themselves, ^w‘This is the heir. ^xLet us kill him, so that the inheritance may be ours.’ ¹⁵And they ^ythrew him out of the vineyard and killed him. What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? ^16zHe will ^acome and destroy those tenants and ^bgive the vineyard to others.” When they heard this, they said, “Surely not!” ¹⁷But he ^clooked directly at them and said, “What then is this that is written:

^d“ ‘The stone that the builders rejected

has become the cornerstone’?³

^18eEveryone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, and when it falls ^fon anyone, it will crush him.”

Paying Taxes to Caesar

^19hThe scribes and the chief priests sought to lay hands on him at that very hour, for they perceived that he had told this parable against them, but they feared the people. ²⁰ⁱSo they ^jwatched him and sent spies, who ^kpretended to be sincere, that they might ^lcatch him in something he said, so as to deliver him up to the authority and jurisdiction of ^mthe governor. ²¹So they asked him, “Teacher, we know that you speak and teach rightly, and ^oshow no partiality,⁴ but truly teach ^pthe way of God. ²²Is it lawful for us to give ^qtribute to ^rCaesar, or not?” ²³But he perceived their ^scraftiness, and said to them, ²⁴“Show me ^ta denarius.⁵ Whose likeness and inscription does it have?” They said, “Caesar’s.” ²⁵He said to them, “Then ^urender to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” ²⁶And they were not able in the presence of the people ^vto catch him in what he said, but marveling at his answer they became silent.