The Parable of the Tenants
aAnd he began to speak to them in parables. “A man planted ba vineyard cand put a fence around it and dug a pit for the winepress and built a tower, and dleased it to tenants and ewent into another country. 2 When the season came, he sent a servant to the tenants to get from them some of the fruit of the vineyard. 3 aAnd they took him and beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 4 aAgain bhe sent to them another servant, and cthey struck him on the head and dtreated him shamefully. 5 aAnd he sent another, and him they killed. And so with many others: some they beat, and some they killed. 6 He had still one other, aa beloved son. bFinally he sent him to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 7 But those tenants said to one another, a‘This is the heir. Come, blet us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ 8 And they took him and killed him and athrew him out of the vineyard. 9 What will the owner of the vineyard do? aHe will bcome and destroy the tenants and cgive the vineyard to others. 10 aHave you not read bthis Scripture:
c“‘The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
11 this was the Lord’s doing,
and it is marvelous in our eyes’?”
12 And athey were seeking to arrest him bbut feared the people, for they perceived that he had told the parable against them. So they cleft him and went away.
Paying Taxes to Caesar
13 aAnd they sent to him some of bthe Pharisees and some of bthe Herodians, to ctrap him in his talk. 14 And they came and said to him, “Teacher, awe know that you are true and do not care about anyone’s opinion. For byou are not swayed by appearances, but truly teach cthe way of God. Is it lawful to pay dtaxes to eCaesar, or not? Should we pay them, or should we not?” 15 But, knowing atheir hypocrisy, he said to them, “Why bput me to the test? Bring me ca denarius and let me look at it.” 16 And they brought one. And he said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” They said to him, “Caesar’s.” 17 Jesus said to them, a“Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” And they marveled at him.
The Sadducees Ask About the Resurrection
18 And aSadducees came to him, bwho say that there is no resurrection. And they asked him a question, saying, 19 “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that aif a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife, but leaves no child, the man must take the widow and raise up offspring for his brother. 20 There were seven brothers; the first took a wife, and when he died left no offspring. 21 And the second took her, and died, leaving no offspring. And the third likewise. 22 And the seven left no offspring. Last of all the woman also died. 23 In the resurrection, when they rise again, whose wife will she be? For the seven had her as wife.”
24 Jesus said to them, “Is this not the reason you are wrong, because ayou know neither the Scriptures nor bthe power of God? 25 For when they rise from the dead, they neither amarry nor aare given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. 26 And as for the dead being raised, ahave you not read in bthe book of Moses, in cthe passage about the bush, how God spoke to him, saying, d‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? 27 He is not God of the dead, but of the living. You are quite wrong.”
The Great Commandment
28 aAnd one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” 29 Jesus answered, “The most important is, a‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, bthe Lord is one. 30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 aThe second is this: b‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment cgreater than these.” 32 And the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher. You have truly said that ahe is one, and bthere is no other besides him. 33 And to love him with all the heart and with all athe understanding and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, bis much more than all cwhole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” 34 And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” aAnd after that no one dared to ask him any more questions.
Whose Son Is the Christ?
35 aAnd as bJesus taught in the temple, he said, “How can the scribes say that cthe Christ is the son of David? 36 David himself, ain the Holy Spirit, declared,
b“‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at my right hand,
until I put your enemies cunder your feet.”’
37 David himself calls him Lord. So ahow is he his son?” And the great throng bheard him gladly.
Beware of the Scribes
38 aAnd in his teaching he said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes and like greetings in the marketplaces 39 and have the best seats in the synagogues and athe places of honor at feasts, 40 awho devour widows’ houses and bfor a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.”
The Widow’s Offering
41 aAnd he sat down opposite bthe treasury and watched the people cputting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. 42 And a poor widow came and put in two asmall copper coins, which make a penny. 43 And he called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, athis poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. 44 For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her apoverty has put in everything she had, all bshe had to live on.”