LukeChapter 20

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¹One day Jesus was teaching the people in the temple courts. He was telling them the good news. Then the chief priests and scribes came up to him, along with the elders. ²"Tell us," they said. "What authority do you have to do these things? Who gave you this authority?" ³Jesus answered, "I will ask you a question too. Tell me this: ⁴John's baptism, did it come from heaven, or from people?" ⁵They talked it over among themselves. They said, "If we say, 'From heaven,' he will ask, 'Then why didn't you believe John?' ⁶But if we say, 'From people,' all the people will stone us. That's because they are sure that John was a prophet." ⁷So they answered that they didn't know where it came from. ⁸Then Jesus said, "Then I won't tell you what authority I have to do these things either." ⁹Then Jesus went on to tell the people this story: "A man planted a vineyard. He rented it out to some farmers and went away for a long time. ¹⁰At harvest time, he sent a servant to the farmers. The servant was to collect the owner's share of the grapes. But the farmers beat the servant and sent him away with nothing. ¹¹So the owner sent another servant. But they beat him too and treated him shamefully. They sent him away with nothing. ¹²Then he sent a third servant. But they hurt him badly and threw him out. ¹³The owner of the vineyard said, 'What should I do? I will send my son, whom I love. Maybe they will respect him.' ¹⁴But when the farmers saw the son, they talked it over among themselves. 'This is the one who will get the vineyard someday,' they said. 'Let's kill him. Then it will be ours.' ¹⁵So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. So what will the owner of the vineyard do to them? ¹⁶He will come and kill those farmers. Then he will give the vineyard to others." When the people heard this, they said, "May that never happen!" ¹⁷But Jesus looked right at them and said, "Then what does this Scripture mean? 'The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.' ¹⁸Everyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces. And anyone it falls on will be crushed." ¹⁹The scribes and chief priests knew that Jesus had told this story against them. So they wanted to arrest him right then. But they were afraid of the people. ²⁰So they watched Jesus closely. They sent spies who pretended to be honest. They hoped to trap him by something he said. Then they could hand him over to the power and authority of the governor. ²¹The spies asked him, "Teacher, we know that what you say and teach is right. You don't play favorites. You teach the way of God truthfully. ²²Does the law allow us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?" ²³But Jesus saw through their tricks. He said to them, ²⁴"Show me a denarius. Whose picture and name are on it?" "Caesar's," they answered.a ²⁵So Jesus told them, "Then give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar. And give to God what belongs to God." ²⁶They couldn't trap him by anything he said in front of the people. They were amazed at his answer, and they became silent. ²⁷Then some of the Sadducees came to ask Jesus a question. The Sadducees say that no one rises from the dead. ²⁸"Teacher," they said, "Moses wrote a law for us. Suppose a man's brother dies and leaves a wife but no children. Then the man must marry his brother's widow. He must have children for his brother. ²⁹Now there were seven brothers. The first one got married, but he died without children. ³⁰Then the second brother married the widow, ³¹and then the third. In the same way, all seven died and left no children. ³²Last of all, the woman died too. ³³So when the dead rise again, whose wife will she be? All seven were married to her." ³⁴Jesus answered, "The people of this age get married and are given to be married. ³⁵But some will be counted worthy to share in the age to come and in the rising from the dead. Those people won't marry or be given to be married. ³⁶In fact, they can't die anymore, because they are like the angels. They are children of the resurrection, so they are God's children.b ³⁷Even Moses shows that the dead are raised. He shows it in the story about the burning bush. There he calls the Lord 'the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.' ³⁸He is not the God of the dead. He is the God of the living, because to him all are alive." ³⁹Some of the scribes said, "Teacher, you have spoken well!" ⁴⁰After that, they didn't dare to ask him any more questions. ⁴¹Then Jesus said, "How can people say that the Messiah is the Son of David? ⁴²David himself says in the book of Psalms, 'The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit at my right hand ⁴³until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet."' ⁴⁴So David calls him 'Lord.' Then how can he be David's son?" ⁴⁵All the people were listening. Then Jesus said to his disciples, ⁴⁶"Watch out for the scribes. They like to walk around in long robes. They love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces. They love the most important seats in the synagogues. And they love the places of honor at feasts. ⁴⁷They cheat widows out of their houses. Then they make long prayers to show off. These men will be punished all the more."