Renters of a Vineyard
(Matthew 21.33-46Luke 20.9-19)1 Jesus then told them this story:
A farmer once planted a vineyard. He built a wall around it and dug a pit to crush the grapes in. He also built a lookout tower. Then he rented out his vineyard and left the country.
2 When it was harvest time, he sent a servant to get his share of the grapes. 3 The renters grabbed the servant, beat him up, and sent him away without a thing.
4 The owner sent another servant, but the renters beat him on the head and insulted him terribly. 5 Then the man sent another servant, and they killed him. He kept sending servant after servant. They beat some of them and killed some.
6 The owner had a son he loved very much. Finally, he sent his son to the renters because he thought they would respect him. 7 But they said to themselves, “Someday he will own this vineyard. Let's kill him! That way we can have it all for ourselves.” 8 So they grabbed the owner's son, killed him, and threw his body out of the vineyard.
9 Jesus asked, “What do you think the owner of the vineyard will do? He will come and kill those renters and let someone else have his vineyard. 10 You surely know that the Scriptures say,
‘The stone the builders
tossed aside
is now the most important
stone of all.
11 This is something
the Lord has done,
and it is amazing to us.’ ”
12 The leaders knew that Jesus was really talking about them, and they wanted to arrest him. But because they were afraid of the crowd, they let him alone and left.
Paying Taxes
(Matthew 22.15-22Luke 20.20-26)13 The Pharisees got together with Herod's followers. Then they sent some men to trick Jesus into saying something wrong. 14 They went to him and said, “Teacher, we know that you are honest. You treat everyone with the same respect, no matter who they are. And you teach the truth about what God wants people to do. Tell us, should we pay taxes to the Emperor or not?”
15 Jesus knew what they were up to, and he said, “Why are you trying to test me? Show me a coin!”
16 They brought him a silver coin, and he asked, “Whose picture and name are on it?”
“The Emperor's,” they answered.
17 Then Jesus told them, “Give the Emperor what belongs to him and give God what belongs to God.” The men were amazed at Jesus.
Life in the Future World
(Matthew 22.23-33Luke 20.27-40)18 The Sadducees did not believe that people would rise to life after death. So some of them came to Jesus and said:
19 Teacher, Moses wrote that if a married man dies and has no children, his brother should marry the widow. Their first son would then be thought of as the son of the dead brother. 20 There were once seven brothers. The first one married, but died without having any children. 21 The second brother married his brother's widow, and he also died without having children. The same thing happened to the third brother, 22 and finally to all seven brothers. At last the woman died. 23 When God raises people from death, whose wife will this woman be? After all, she had been married to all seven brothers.
24 Jesus answered:
You are completely wrong! You don't know what the Scriptures teach. And you don't know anything about the power of God. 25 When God raises people to life, they won't marry. They will be like the angels in heaven. 26 You surely know about people being raised to life. You know that in the story about Moses and the burning bush, God said, “I am the God worshiped by Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” 27 He isn't the God of the dead, but of the living. You Sadducees are all wrong.
The Most Important Commandment
(Matthew 22.34-40Luke 10.25-28)28 One of the teachers of the Law of Moses came up while Jesus and the Sadducees were arguing. When he heard Jesus give a good answer, he asked him, “What is the most important commandment?”
29 Jesus answered, “The most important one says: ‘People of Israel, you have only one Lord and God. 30 You must love him with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.’ 31 The second most important commandment says: ‘Love others as much as you love yourself.’ No other commandment is more important than these.”
32 The man replied, “Teacher, you are certainly right to say there is only one God. 33 It is also true that we must love God with all our heart, mind, and strength, and that we must love others as much as we love ourselves. These commandments are more important than all the sacrifices and offerings that we could possibly make.”
34 When Jesus saw that the man had given a sensible answer, he told him, “You are not far from God's kingdom.” After this, no one dared ask Jesus any more questions.
About David's Son
(Matthew 22.41-46Luke 20.41-44)35 As Jesus was teaching in the temple, he said, “How can the teachers of the Law of Moses say the Messiah will come from the family of King David? 36 The Holy Spirit led David to say,
‘The Lord said to my Lord:
Sit at my right side
until I make your enemies
into a footstool for you.’
37 If David called the Messiah his Lord, how can the Messiah be his son?”
The large crowd enjoyed listening to Jesus teach.
Jesus Condemns the Pharisees and the Teachers of the Law of Moses
(Matthew 23.1-36Luke 20.45-47)38 As Jesus was teaching, he said:
Guard against the teachers of the Law of Moses! They love to walk around in long robes and be greeted in the market. 39 They like the front seats in the synagogues and the best seats at banquets. 40 But they cheat widows out of their homes and pray long prayers just to show off. They will be punished most of all.
A Widow's Offering
(Luke 21.1-4)41 Jesus was sitting in the temple near the offering box and watching people put in their gifts. He noticed that many rich people were giving a lot of money. 42 Finally, a poor widow came up and put in two coins worth only a few pennies. 43 Jesus told his disciples to gather around him. Then he said:
I tell you that this poor widow has put in more than all the others. 44 Everyone else gave what they didn't need. But she is very poor and gave everything she had. Now she doesn't have a cent to live on.
1 And he began to speake vnto them in parables, A certaine man planted a vineyard, and copassed it with an hedge, and digged a pit for the winepresse, and built a tower in it, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a strange countrey. 2 And at the time, he sent to the husbandmen a seruant, that he might receiue of the husbandmen of the fruite of the vineyard. 3 But they tooke him, and beat him, and sent him away emptie. 4 And againe he sent vnto them another seruant, and at him they cast stones, and brake his head, and sent him away shamefully handled. 5 And againe he sent another, and him they slew, and many other, beating some, and killing some. 6 Yet had he one sonne, his deare beloued: him also he sent the last vnto them, saying, They will reuerence my sonne. 7 But ye husbandmen said among themselues, This is the heire: come, let vs kill him, and the inheritance shalbe ours. 8 So they tooke him, and killed him, and cast him out of the vineyard. 9 What shall then the Lord of the vineyard doe? He will come and destroy these husbandmen, and giue the vineyard to others. 10 Haue ye not read so much as this Scripture? The stone which the builders did refuse, is made the head of the corner. 11 This was done of the Lord, and it is marueilous in our eyes. 12 Then they went about to take him, but they feared the people: for they perceiued that he spake that parable against them: therefore they left him, and went their way. 13 And they sent vnto him certaine of the Pharises, and of ye Herodians that they might take him in his talke. 14 And when they came, they saide vnto him, Master, we know that thou art true, and carest for no man: for thou considerest not the person of men, but teachest the way of God truely, Is it lawfull to giue tribute to Cesar, or not? 15 Should we giue it, or should we not giue it? but he knew their hypocrisie, and said vnto them, Why tempt ye me? Bring me a peny, that I may see it. 16 So they brought it, and he said vnto them, Whose is this image and superscription? and they said vnto him, Cesars. 17 Then Iesus answered, and saide vnto them, Giue to Cesar the things that are Cesars, and to God, those that are Gods: and they marueiled at him. 18 Then came the Sadduces vnto him, (which say, there is no resurrection) and they asked him, saying, 19 Master, Moses wrote vnto vs, If any mans brother die, and leaue his wife, and leaue no children, that his brother should take his wife, and rayse vp seede vnto his brother. 20 There were seuen brethren, and the first tooke a wife, and when he died, left no issue. 21 Then the seconde tooke her, and he died, neither did he yet leaue issue, and the third likewise: 22 So those seuen had her, and left no yssue: last of all the wife died also. 23 In the resurrection then, when they shall rise againe, whose wife shall she be of them? for seuen had her to wife. 24 Then Iesus answered, and saide vnto them, Are ye not therefore deceiued, because ye knowe not the Scriptures, neither the power of God? 25 For when they shall rise againe from the dead, neither men marry, nor wiues are married, but are as the Angels which are in heauen. 26 And as touching the dead, that they shall rise againe, haue ye not read in the booke of Moses, howe in the bush God spake vnto him, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Iacob? 27 God is not ye God of the dead, but the God of the liuing. Ye are therefore greatly deceiued. 28 Then came one of the Scribes that had heard them disputing together, and perceiuing that he had answered them well, he asked him, Which is the first commandement of all? 29 Iesus answered him, The first of all the commandements is, Heare, Israel, The Lord our God is the onely Lord. 30 Thou shalt therefore loue the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soule, and with all thy minde, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandement. 31 And the second is like, that is, Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe. There is none other commandement greater then these. 32 Then that Scribe said vnto him, Well, Master, thou hast saide the trueth, that there is one God, and that there is none but he, 33 And to loue him with all the heart, and with all the vnderstanding, and with all the soule, and with all the strength, and to loue his neighbour as himselfe, is more then all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices. 34 Then when Iesus saw that he answered discreetely, he saide vnto him, Thou art not farre from the kingdome of God. And no man after that durst aske him any question. 35 And Iesus answered and said teaching in the Temple, Howe say the Scribes that Christ is the sonne of Dauid? 36 For Dauid himselfe said by ye holy Ghost, The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footestoole. 37 Then Dauid himselfe calleth him Lord: by what meanes is he then his sonne? and much people heard him gladly. 38 Moreouer he saide vnto them in his doctrine, Beware of the Scribes which loue to goe in long robes, and loue salutations in the markets, 39 And the chiefe seates in the Synagogues, and the first roumes at feastes, 40 Which deuoure widowes houses, euen vnder a colour of long prayers. These shall receiue the greater damnation. 41 And as Iesus sate ouer against the treasurie, he beheld how the people cast money into the treasurie, and many rich men cast in much. 42 And there came a certaine poore widowe, and she threw in two mites, which make a quadrin. 43 Then he called vnto him his disciples, and said vnto them, Verely I say vnto you, that this poore widowe hath cast more in, then all they which haue cast into the treasurie. 44 For they all did cast in of their superfluitie: but she of her pouertie did cast in all that she had, euen all her liuing.