CHAPTER 20
One
day
as Jesus
was teaching
the
people
in
the
temple courts
and
proclaiming the gospel,
the
chief priests
and
scribes,
together with
the
elders,
came up to Him.
“Tell
us,”
they said,
“by
what
authority
are You doing
these things,
and
who
gave
You
this
authority?”
They deliberated
among
themselves
and said,
“If
we say,
‘From
heaven,’
He will ask,
‘Why
did you not believe
him?’
But
if
we say,
‘From
men,’
all
the
people
will stone
us,
for
they are
convinced that
John
was
a prophet.”
Then
He proceeded
to tell
the
people
this
parable:
“A
man
planted
a vineyard,
rented
it out
to some tenants,
and
went away
for a long
time.
At harvest time,
he sent
a servant
to
the
tenants
to
collect
his share
of the
fruit
of the
vineyard.
But
the
tenants
beat the servant
and sent him away
empty-handed.
‘What
shall I do?’
asked
the
owner
of the
vineyard.
‘I will send
my
beloved
son.
Perhaps
they will respect
him.’
But when
the
tenants
saw
the son,
they discussed it
among
themselves
and said,
‘This
is
the
heir;
let us kill
him,
and
the
inheritance
will be
ours.'
So
they threw
him
out of
the
vineyard
and killed him.
What
then
will the
owner
of the
vineyard
do
to them?
He will come
and
kill
those
tenants,
and
will give
the
vineyard
to others.”
And
when the people heard this,
they said,
“May such a thing never happen!”
But
Jesus looked directly at
them
and said,
“Then
what
is
the meaning of
that which
is written:
‘The stone
the
builders
rejected
has become
the cornerstone’?
Everyone
who falls
on
this
stone
will be broken to pieces,
but
he on whom
it falls
will be crushed.”
When
the
scribes
and
chief priests
realized
that
Jesus had spoken
this
parable
against
them,
they sought
to arrest
Him
that very
hour.
But
they were afraid
of the
people.
So
they watched Him closely
and sent
spies
who pretended
to be
sincere.
They were hoping
to catch Him
in His
words
in order
to hand Him over
to the
rule
and
authority
of the
governor.
“Teacher,”
they inquired,
“we know
that
You speak
and
teach
correctly.
You show no partiality,
but
teach
the
way
of God
in accordance with
the truth.
And
they were unable
to trap Him in
His
words
before
the
people;
and
astonished
at
His
answer,
they fell silent.
“Teacher,”
they said,
“Moses
wrote
for us
that if
a man’s
brother
dies
and leaves
a wife
but
no children,
the man
should marry
his brother’s
widow
and
raise up
offspring
for
him.
But
those who are
considered worthy
to share
in
the
age to come
and
in the
resurrection
from
the dead
will neither
marry
nor
be given in marriage.
In fact,
they can
no
longer
die,
because
they are
like the angels.
And
since they are
sons
of the
resurrection,
they are
sons
of God.
Even
Moses
demonstrates
that
the
dead
are raised,
in the passage about
the
burning bush.
For
he calls
the Lord
‘the
God
of Abraham,
the God
of Isaac,
and
the God
of Jacob.'
“Beware
of
the
scribes.
They like
to walk around
in
long robes,
and
they love
the greetings
in
the
marketplaces,
the chief seats
in
the
synagogues,
and
the places of honor
at
banquets.
They
defraud
widows
of their
houses,
and
for a show
make lengthy prayers.
These men
will receive
greater
condemnation.”