The In-Dept Study of the Bible
Luke 20
1 On one of those days, as he was
teaching the people in the temple and preaching
the Good News, the† priests and scribes
came to him with the elders.
2 They asked him, “Tell us: by what authority
do you do these things? Or who is
giving you this authority?”
3 He answered them, “I also will ask you
one question. Tell me:
4 the baptism of John, was it from
heaven, or from men?”
5 They reasoned with themselves, saying,
“If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say,
‘Why didn’t you believe him?’
6 But if we say, ‘From men,’ all the people
will stone us, for they are persuaded that
John was a prophet.”
7 They answered that they didn’t know
where it was from.
8 Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell
you by what authority I do these things.”
9 He began to tell the people this parable:
“A ‡ man planted a vineyard and rented
it out to some farmers, and went into
another country for a long time.
10 At the proper season, he sent a servant
to the farmers to collect his share of the
fruit of the vineyard. But the farmers beat
him and sent him away empty.
11 He sent yet another servant, and they
also beat him and treated him shamefully,
and sent him away empty.
12 He sent yet a third, and they also
wounded him and threw him out.
13 The lord of the vineyard said, ‘What
shall I do? I will send my beloved son. It
may be that seeing him, they will respect him.’
14 “But when the farmers saw him, they
reasoned among themselves, saying, ‘This
is the heir. Come, let’s kill him, that the
inheritance may be ours.’
15 Then they threw him out of the vineyard
and killed him. What therefore will
the lord of the vineyard do to them?
16 He will come and destroy these farmers,
and will give the vineyard to others.”
When they heard that, they said, “May
that never be!”
17 But he looked at them and said, “Then
what is this that is written,
‘The stone which the builders rejected
was made the chief cornerstone’?*
18 Everyone who falls on that stone will be
broken to pieces, but it will crush
whomever it falls on to dust.”
19 The chief priests and the scribes
sought to lay hands on him that very
hour, but they feared the people—for they knew
he had spoken this parable against them.
20 They watched him and sent out spies,
who pretended to be righteous, that they
might trap him in something he said, so
as to deliver him up to the power and
authority of the governor.
21 They asked him, “Teacher, we know
that you say and teach what is right, and
aren’t partialto anyone, buttruly teach the
way of God.
22 Is itlawfulfor us to pay taxes to Caesar,
or not?”
23 But he perceived their craftiness, and
said to them, “Why do you test me?
24 Show me a denarius. Whose image
and inscription are on it?”
They answered, “Caesar’s.”
25 He said to them, “Then give to Caesar
the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the
things that are God’s.”
26 They weren’t able to trap him in his
words before the people. They marveled
at his answer and were silent.
27 Some of the Sadducees came to him,
those who deny that there is a
resurrection.
28 They asked him, “Teacher, Moses
wrote tous thatif aman’s brother dieshaving
a wife, and he is childless, his brother
should take the wife and raise up children
for his brother.
29 There were therefore seven brothers.
The first took a wife, and died childless.
30 The second took her as wife, and he
died childless.
31 The third took her, and likewise the
seven all left no children, and died.
32 Afterward the woman also died.
33 Therefore in the resurrection whose
wife ofthem will she be? For the seven had
her as a wife.”
34 Jesus said to them, “The children of
this age marry and are given in marriage.
35 But those who are considered worthy
to attain to that age and the resurrection
from the dead neither marry nor are given
in marriage.
36 For they can’t die any more, for they
are like the angels and are children of God,
being children of the resurrection.
37 But that the dead are raised, even
Moses showed at the bush, when he called
the Lord ‘The God of Abraham, the God of
Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ *
38 Now he is not the God of the dead, but
of the living, for all are alive to him.”
39 Some of the scribes answered,
“Teacher, you speak well.”
40 They didn’t dare to ask him any more
questions.
41 He said to them, “Why do they say that
the Christ is David’s son?
42 David himself says in the book of
Psalms, ‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at my right hand,
43 until I make your enemies the footstool
of your feet.” ’ *
44 “David therefore calls him Lord, so
how is he his son?”
45 In the hearing of all the people, he said
to his disciples,
46 “Beware of those scribes who like to
walk in long robes, and love greetings in
the marketplaces, the best seats in the
synagogues, and the best places at feasts;
47 who devour widows’ houses, and for
a pretense make long prayers. These will
receive greater condemnation.”