Luke 20

The Authority of Jesus Is Questioned

1One day Jesus was teaching the people in the temple courtyard and announcing the good news to them. The chief priests, the teachers of the law, and the elders came up to him. 2“Tell us who gave you the right to do these things,” they asked together. “Who gave you this authority?”

3Jesus replied, “Let me ask you a question. Tell me, 4was John’s baptism from heaven, or did it come from people?”

5They talked it over among themselves and realized, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he’ll ask, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ 6But if we say, ‘From people,’ all the people will throw stones at us to kill us, because they believe John was a prophet.”

7So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know where John’s baptism came from.”

8Jesus replied, “Then I won’t tell you who gave me the right to do these things, either.”

The Story of the Renters

9Jesus went on to tell the people a story. “A man planted a vineyard,” he said. “He rented it out to some farmers, then he went away for a long time. 10At harvest time, he sent a slave to the renters to collect some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the renters beat that slave and sent him away with nothing. 11So the man sent another slave, but they beat him, too. They treated him badly and sent him away with nothing. 12The man sent a third slave, but the renters wounded him and threw him out.

13“Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What should I do? I have a son, and I love him. I’ll send him; maybe they’ll respect him.’

14“But when the renters saw the son, they talked the matter over. ‘This is the one who will receive all the owner’s property someday,’ they said. ‘Let’s kill him, and then everything will be ours.’ 15So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.

“What will the owner of that vineyard do to the renters? 16He will come and kill them and give the vineyard to others.”

When the people heard this, they said, “We hope this never happens!”

17Jesus looked right at them and said, “Then what’s the meaning of what has been written:

“ ‘The stone that the builders didn’t accept

has become the most important stone of all’?

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

19The teachers of the law and the chief priests looked for a way to arrest Jesus at once, because they knew he had told that story against them. But they were afraid of the people.

Is It Right to Pay the Royal Tax to Caesar?

20The religious leaders sent spies to keep a close watch on Jesus. The spies pretended to be sincere, but they were hoping that they could trap Jesus in something he said. Then they could hand him over to the power and authority of the governor. 21So the spies questioned Jesus. “Teacher,” they said, “we know that you speak and teach what is right. We know you don’t favor one person over another. You teach the way of God truthfully. 22So is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”

23Jesus knew they were trying to trick him, and he said to them, 24“Show me a silver coin. Whose picture and words are on it?”

“Caesar’s,” they replied.

25He said to them, “Then give back to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give back to God what belongs to God.”

26They weren’t able to trap him with what he had said there in front of all the people. They were amazed by his answer and had nothing more to say.

Marriage When the Dead Rise

27Some of the Sadducees, who don’t believe that people rise from the dead, came to Jesus with a question. 28“Teacher,” they said, “Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, that man must marry the widow in order to provide children to carry on his dead brother’s name. 29There were seven brothers. The first one married a woman and died without leaving any children. 30So the second brother married her, 31and then the third—one after another, the seven brothers married her, but they all died and none left any children. 32Finally, the woman died too. 33Now then, when the dead rise, whose wife will she be? All seven brothers were married to her.”

34Jesus answered, “People in this world get married and their parents give them in marriage. 35But it won’t be like that when the dead rise. Those who are considered worthy to take part in the world to come won’t get married, and they won’t be given in marriage. 36They won’t die anymore, because they will be like the angels. They are God’s children, because they are given a new form of life when the dead rise. 37But even Moses showed that the dead rise, in the story of the burning bush. The Lord said to him, ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ 38He is not the God of the dead, but of the living, because in his eyes, everyone is alive.”

39Some of the teachers of the law responded, “You have spoken well, teacher!” 40And no one dared to ask him any more questions.

Whose Son Is the Messiah?

41Then Jesus said to them, “Why do 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 put your enemies

under your control.” ’

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

Warning Against the Teachers of the Law

45While all the people were listening, Jesus said to his disciples, 46“Watch out for the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in long robes, to be greeted with respect in the marketplace, to have the most important seats in the synagogues, and to have the places of honor at banquets. 47But they cheat widows out of their houses and say long prayers to show off. God will punish them severely.”

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