Luke 20

The Authority of Jesus Challenged

20One ^vday ^was He was teaching ^xthe people in the temple complex and proclaiming the good news, ^ythe chief priests and the scribes, with the elders, ^zcame up 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 from men?”

⁵They discussed it among themselves: “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say, ‘Why didn’t you believe him?’ ⁶But if we say, ‘From men,’ all the people ^awill stone us, because they are convinced that John was a prophet.” ^b

⁷So they answered that they did not know its origin. ^c

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

The Parable of the Vineyard Owner

⁹Then ^dHe began to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard, ^eleased it to tenant farmers, and went away for a long time. ¹⁰At harvest time he sent a ^•slave 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 slave, 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 beloved ^fson. Perhaps ^gthey 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 the inheritance will be ours!’ ^h15So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.

“Therefore, what will the owner of the vineyard do to them? ¹⁶He will come and destroy ⁱthose farmers and give the vineyard to others.”

But when they heard this they said, “No—never!” ^j

¹⁷But He looked at them and said, “Then what is the meaning of this Scripture: ^kl

The stone that the builders rejected—

this has become the cornerstone? ^mno

¹⁸Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, and if it falls on anyone, it will grind him to powder!” ^p

¹⁹Then the scribes and the chief priests ^qlooked for a way to get their hands on Him ^rthat very hour, because they knew He had told this parable against them, but they feared the people. ^s

God and Caesar

²⁰They ^tuwatched closely ^vand sent spies ^wwho pretended to be righteous, ^xso they could catch Him in what He said, ^yzto hand Him ^aover to the governor’s ^brule and authority. ²¹They questioned Him, “Teacher, we know that You speak and teach correctly, ^cand You don’t show partiality, ^debut teach truthfully the way of God. ^f22Is it lawful ^gfor us to pay taxes ^hto Caesar ⁱor not?”

²³But detecting their craftiness, He said to them, ^j24“Show Me a ^•denarius. Whose image and inscription does it have?”

“Caesar’s,” they said.

²⁵“Well then,” He told them, “give back to Caesar ^kthe 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 ^lin public, ^mand being amazed at His answer, they became silent. ⁿ

The Sadducees and the Resurrection

²⁷Some ^oof the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, ^pcame 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. ^qr29Now there were seven brothers. The first took a wife and died without children. ³⁰Also the second ^s31and 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.” ^t

³⁴Jesus told them, “The sons of this age ^umarry and are given in marriage. ^v35But those who are counted worthy ^wto take part in that age ^xand in the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. ³⁶For they cannot die anymore, ^ybecause they are like angels and are sons of God, ^zsince they are sons 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. ^ab38He is not God of the dead but of the living, because all are living to ^cHim.” ^d

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

The Question about the Messiah

⁴¹Then ^eHe said to them, “How can they say that the ^•Messiah is the Son of David? ^f42For David himself says in the Book of Psalms: ^g

The Lord declared to my Lord,

‘Sit at My right hand

⁴³until I make Your enemies Your footstool.’ ^hi

⁴⁴David calls Him ‘Lord’; how then can the Messiah be his Son?” ^j

Warning against the Scribes

⁴⁵While ^kall the people were listening, He said to His disciples, ⁴⁶“Beware ^lof the scribes, who want to go around in long robes and who love greetings in the marketplaces, the front seats in the ^•synagogues, and the places of honor at banquets. ^m47They devour widows’ houses and say long prayers just for show. These will receive greater punishment.” ⁿ