CHRIST IN THE TEMPLE REPLYING TO THE PHARISEES AND SADDUCEES.
1 [19:47]AND he taught daily in the temple; and the chief priests, and
scribes, and the first of the people sought to destroy him. [19:48]And
they found nothing that they could do; for all the people were
attentive to hear him. [20:1]And on one of those days, as he was
teaching the people in the temple, and proclaiming the good news, the
chief priests and scribes, with the elders, came upon him, [20:2]and
spoke to him saying, Tell us by what authority you do these things? and
who gave you this authority? [20:3]And he answered and said to them, I
also will ask you a question; and tell me, [20:4]Was the baptism of
John from heaven, or from men? [20:5]And they reasoned with themselves,
saying, If we say, From heaven, he will say, Why did you not believe
him? [20:6]But if we say, From men, all the people will stone us; for
they are persuaded that John is a prophet. [20:7]And they answered,
They did not know whence. [20:8]And Jesus said to them, Neither do I
tell you by what authority I do these things.
2 [20:9]And he spoke to the people this parable; A man planted a
vineyard, and let it out to husbandmen, and went abroad for a long
time. [20:10]And at the time he sent to the husbandmen a servant, that
they should give him of the fruit of the vineyard; and the husbandmen
beat him, and sent him away empty. [20:11] And again he sent another
servant; and they beat him, and treated him shamefully, and sent him
away empty. [20:12]And again he sent a third; and they wounded him, and
cast him out. [20:13]And the lord of the vineyard said, What shall I
do? I will send my beloved son; doubtless, when they see him they will
respect him. [20:14]But seeing him, the husbandmen reasoned with
themselves, saying, This is the heir; let us kill him, that the
inheritance may be ours. [20:15]And they cast him out of the vineyard,
and killed him. What, therefore, will the lord of the vineyard do to
them? [20:16]He will come and destroy those husbandmen, and let the
vineyard to others. And hearing this, they said, By no means.
[20:17]And he looked at them and said, What, then, is this which is
written? The stone which the builders rejected has become the head of a
corner; [20:18]every one that falls on that stone shall be bruised; but
on whomsoever it shall fall it shall crush him to atoms. [20:19]And the
scribes and chief priests sought to lay hands on him at that time; and
they feared the people; for they knew that he spoke this parable to
them.
3 [20:20]And they sent spies to watch him, who pretended to be
righteous men, that they might take advantage of his speech, to deliver
him to the power and authority of the procurator. [20:21]And they
asked him saying, Teacher, we know that you speak and teach correctly,
and respect no person, but teach the way of God in truth. [20:22]Is it
lawful for us to pay tribute to Caesar, or not? [20:23]And perceiving
their craftiness, he said to them, [20:24]Show me a denarius [14
cents]. Whose figure and inscription has it? And they answered and
said, Caesar's. [20:25]And he said to them, Render therefore Caesar's
dues to Caesar, and God's to God. [20:26]And they were not able to take
advantage of his word before the people; and they wondered at his
answer, and were silent.
4 [20:27]And some of the Sadducees came forward, who deny that there is
a resurrection, and asked him, [20:28]saying, Teacher, Moses wrote to
us, that if one's brother dies, having a wife, and dies childless, his
brother shall take his wife and raise up children for his brother.
[20:29]There were, therefore, seven brothers; and the first took a
wife, and died childless; [20:30]and the second and third took her;
[20:31]and in like manner also the seven; [and they] left no children,
and died. [20:32]And last, the woman died also. [20:33]In the
resurrection, therefore, which of them has her for a wife? for the
seven had her for a wife. [20:34]And Jesus said to them, The children
of this life marry and are married; [20:35]but those who are judged
worthy to attain that life, and the resurrection of the dead, neither
marry nor are married; [20:36]neither can they die any more; for they
are equal to the angels, and are sons of God, being sons of the
resurrection. [20:37]But that the dead are raised, even Moses showed at
the bush, when he called the Lord, The God of Abraham, and God of
Isaac, and God of Jacob. [20:38]But God is not [a God] of the dead,
but of the living; for all live to him. [20:39]And some of the scribes
answered and said, Teacher, you have spoken well. [20:40]And they dared
not question him any more.
5 [20:41]And he said to them, How do they say that the Christ is the
son of David? [20:42]And David himself says in the book of Psalms, The
Lord said to my Lord, Sit on my right hand, [20:43]till I make your
enemies your footstool. [20:44]David, therefore, calls him Lord; and
how is he his son?
6 [20:45]And in the hearing of all the people he said to them,
[20:46]Beware of the scribes, who delight to walk in long robes, and
love salutations in the markets, and the first seats in the synagogues,
and the first places at feasts; [20:47]who devour widows' houses, and
for a pretence make long prayers; they shall receive a greater judgment.
7 [21:1]And looking up he saw the rich casting their gifts into the
treasury. [21:2]And he saw also a certain poor widow cast in there two
lepta [4 mills]. [21:3]And he said, I tell you truly, that this poor
widow has cast in more than all; [21:4]for all these have cast among
the gifts from their abundance; but she from her want has cast in all
the living she had.