Parable of wicked tenants

1Then He began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard—put a hedge around it, dug a wine trough, built a tower—rented it to farmers and went on a journey.

2At the proper time he sent a slave to the farmers, that he might receive from them some of the fruit of the vineyard.

3But they took him, beat him, and sent him away empty-handed.

4Again he sent another slave to them, and that one they wounded in the head by stoning, ²³⁸and sent him away shamefully treated.

5Again he sent another, and him they killed; and many others, beating some and killing some.

6Finally, still having his one beloved son, he even sent him to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’

7But those farmers said to one another: ‘This is the heir. Come, let's kill him and the inheritance will be ours.’

8So they took him, killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard. ²³⁹

9“What therefore will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy those farmers, and give the vineyard to others.

10Have you not even read this Scripture: ‘The stone that the builders rejected, is the very one that became the cornerstone;

11this was the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?” ²⁴⁰

12So they started looking for a way to arrest Him, because they knew He had spoken the parable against them, but they were in fear of the crowd. Then they left Him and went away.

Render to Caesar

13Then they ²⁴¹sent some of the Pharisees and of the Herodians to Him, in order to trap Him with a question.

14Upon arriving they said to Him: “Teacher, we know that you are honest—you do not ‘protect’ anyone, because you do not consider the position of people, but teach the way of God in truth ²⁴²—is it right to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?

15Should we pay, or should we not?” But knowing their hypocrisy, He said to them: “Why are you testing me? Bring me a denarius to look at.”

16So they did, and He said to them, “Whose image and inscription is this?” They said to Him, “Caesar's.”

17Then Jesus answered them by saying, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.” ²⁴³And they marveled at Him.

A hypothetical situation12:18 If you ever have to deal with someone who wants to argue on the basis of a hypothetical situation—be careful! Like these Sadducees, they will have a hidden agenda.

18Then some Sadducees came to Him—they say there is no resurrection—and asked Him, saying:

19“Teacher, Moses wrote to us that if a man's brother dies and leaves behind a wife, but no children, then his brother should take that wife and raise up offspring for his brother.

20Well there were seven brothers. The first took a wife, and dying left no offspring.

21So the second one took her, and died; and neither did he leave any offspring. The third likewise.

22In fact, all seven took her, and left no offspring. Last of all the woman also died.

23In the resurrection, whenever they may rise, whose wife will she be?—because all seven had her as wife.”

24Then in answer Jesus said to them: “You do not know the Scriptures nor the power of God ²⁴⁴—is this not the reason that you err?

25Whenever people rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in the heavens. ²⁴⁵

26But concerning the dead, that they rise, have you not read in the book of Moses, about the Bush, how God spoke to him, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’?

27He is not the God of dead people, but the God of living ones. You are therefore badly mistaken.” ²⁴⁶

The greatest commandment

28Then one of the scribes came on the scene, heard them arguing, realized that He had answered them well, and asked Him, “Which is the first commandment of all?”

29Jesus answered him: ²⁴⁷“The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord your ²⁴⁸(pl) God, the Lord is one;

30and you (sg) shall love the Lord your (sg) God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ ²⁴⁹This is the first commandment. ²⁵⁰

31And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ ²⁵¹There is no other commandment greater than these.”

32So the scribe said to Him: “Well said, teacher; you said truly that He is one, and there is no other except He.

33And to love Him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the soul ²⁵²and with all the strength, and to love the neighbor as oneself, is more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

34Now when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, He said to him, “You are not far from the Kingdom of God.” ²⁵³And after that no one dared ask Him any question.

Is the Christ David's son?

35Then, teaching in the temple, Jesus reacted by saying: “How is it that the scribes say that the Messiah is David's son?

36Because David himself said by the Holy Spirit: ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I place your enemies
as a stool for your feet.” ’ ²⁵⁴

37Therefore David himself calls Him ‘Lord’; so how can He be his son?” The large crowd listened to Him with pleasure.

Down with hypocrisy!

38Then He said to them in His teaching: “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk about in long robes and to get greetings in the market places,

39and the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts;

40who devour the houses of widows, ²⁵⁵while praying long and loud for a show. These will receive a more severe judgment.”

A widow's offering

41Then Jesus sat down opposite the offering chest and started watching how the people were depositing money into the chest. Many rich people put in large amounts.

42A certain poor widow also came and put in two ‘lepta’, which equal a ‘quadrans’. ²⁵⁶

43So summoning His disciples He said to them: “I tell you assuredly that this poor widow has put more in the chest than all these contributors;

44because they all gave out of their excess, but she, out of her lack, put in all that she had, her whole livelihood.” ²⁵⁷