Matthew 21:20-46

Astonished, his disciples asked, “How did you make this fig tree instantly wither and die?” Jesus replied, “Listen to the truth. If you do not doubt God’s power and speak out of faith’s fullness, you can also speak to a tree and it will wither away. Even more than that, you could say to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and be thrown into the sea’ and it will be done. Everything you pray for with the fullness of faith you will receive!” After this Jesus went into the temple courts and taught the people. The leading priests and Jewish elders approached him and interrupted him and asked, “By what power do you do these things, and who granted you the authority to teach here?” Jesus answered them, “I too have a question to ask you. If you can answer this question, then I will tell you by what power I do these things. Where did John’s authority to baptize come from? From heaven or from people?” They stepped away and debated among themselves, saying, “How should we answer this? If we say from heaven, he will say to us, ‘Then why didn’t you respond to John and believe what he said?’ But if we deny that God gave John his authority, we’ll be mobbed by the people, for they’re convinced that John was God’s prophet.” So they finally answered, “We don’t know.” “Then neither will I tell you from where my power comes to do these things!” he replied. Jesus said to his critics, “Tell me what you think of this parable: “There once was a man with two sons. The father came to the first and said, ‘Son, I want you to go and work in the vineyard today.’ The son replied, ‘I’d rather not.’ But afterward, he deeply regretted what he said to his father, changed his mind, and decided to go to the vineyard. The father approached the second son and said the same thing to him. The son replied, ‘Father, I will go and do as you said.’ But he never did—he didn’t go to the vineyard. Tell me now, which of these two sons did the will of his father?” They answered him, “The first one.” Jesus said, “You’re right. For many sinners, tax collectors, and prostitutes are going into God’s kingdom realm ahead of you! John came to show you the path of righteousness, yet the despised and outcasts believed in him, but you did not. When you saw them turn, you neither repented of your ways nor believed his words.” “Pay close attention to this parable,” Jesus said. “There once was an honorable man who planted a vineyard. He built a fence around it, dug out a pit for pressing the grapes, and erected a watchtower. Afterward he leased the land to tenant farmers and then went a distance away. At harvest time he sent his servants to the tenants to collect the portion that was due him as the lord of the vineyard. But the tenants seized his servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. So the landowner sent other servants, even more than at first, but they were mistreated the same way. Finally, he sent his own son to them, and he said to himself, ‘Perhaps with my own son standing before them they will be ashamed of what they’ve done.’ But when the tenants saw the son, they said, ‘This is the heir! Let’s kill him and then we can have his inheritance!’ So they seized him, took him outside the vineyard, and murdered him. “You tell me, when the lord of the vineyard comes, what do you think he will do to those tenants?” They answered, “He will bring a horrible death to those who did this evil and he will completely destroy them. Then he’ll lease his vineyard to different tenants who will be faithful to give him the portion he deserves.” Jesus said to them, “Haven’t you ever read the Scripture that says: The very stone the builder rejected as flawed has now become the most important cornerstone. This was the Lord’s plan— isn’t it marvelous to behold? “This is why I say to you that the kingdom realm of God will be taken from you and given to a people who will bear its fruit. The one who comes against this stone will be broken, but the one on whom it falls will be pulverized!” When the leading priests and the Pharisees realized that the parable was referring to them, they were outraged and wanted to arrest him at once. But they were afraid of the reaction of the crowds, because the people considered him to be a prophet.