1 One day, as Jesus was teaching the people in the temple and proclaiming the good news, the chief priests and scribes came up with the elders 2 and said to him, “Tell us, by what authority are you doing these things, or who gave you this authority?” 3 He answered them, “I too will ask you a question. Tell me: 4 Was John’s baptism from heaven or from people?” 5 They discussed it among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Why did you not believe him?’ 6 But if we say, ‘From people,’ all the people will stone us, for they are convinced that John was a prophet.” 7 So they answered that they did not 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, leased it to farmers, and went away for a long time. 10 At the proper season he sent a slave to the farmers, so they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the farmers beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 11 He sent another slave, but they beat and dishonored him too, and sent him away empty-handed. 12 He sent a third, but they wounded him and threw him out. 13 Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my beloved son. Perhaps they will respect him.’ 14 But when the farmers saw him, they reasoned with one another, saying, ‘This is the heir. Let us kill him so that the inheritance may be ours.’ 15 They threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? 16 He will come and destroy those farmers and give the vineyard to others.” When they heard this, they said, “May it never happen!”

17 He looked at them and said, “What then does this writing mean:

18 Everyone who falls on that stone will be shattered, but it will crush anyone on whom it falls.” 19 The scribes and chief priests sought to lay hands on him at that very hour, but they feared the people, for they knew he had told this parable against them.

20 They watched him and sent spies who pretended to be righteous, so that they could catch him in something he said and hand him over to the rule and authority of the governor. 21 They asked him, “Teacher, we know that you speak and teach rightly and show no partiality, but truly teach the way of God. 22 Is it lawful for us to pay tribute to Caesar, or not?” 23 But he perceived their craftiness and said to them, 24 “Show me a denarius. Whose image and inscription does it bear?” They answered, “Caesar’s.” 25 He said to them, “Then give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” 26 They could not catch him in anything he said before the people. Amazed at his answer, they became silent.

27 Some of the Sadducees, who deny that there is a resurrection, came up and asked him, 28 “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies, leaving a wife but no children, his brother must take the wife and raise up offspring for his brother. 29 Now there were seven brothers. The first took a wife and died childless; 30 and the second 31 and the third took her. Likewise all seven left no children and died. 32 Finally the woman also died. 33 In the resurrection, then, whose wife does she become? For all seven had her as wife.”

34 Jesus said to them, “The children of this age marry and are given in marriage. 35 But those considered worthy to attain that age and the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. 36 For they can no longer die, since they are equal to angels, and they are children of God, being children of the resurrection. 37 That the dead are raised, even Moses showed in the passage about the bush, where he calls the Lord ‘the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ 38 He is not God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive.” 39 Some of the scribes answered, “Teacher, you have spoken well.” 40 For they no longer dared ask him anything.

41 He said to them, “How do they say that the Christ is David’s son?

42 For David himself says in the book of Psalms,

44 David therefore calls him Lord. How then is he his son?”

45 As all the people were listening, he said to the disciples, 46 “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk about in long robes and love greetings in the marketplaces, the seats of honor in the synagogues, and places of honor at dinners. 47 They devour widows’ houses and make long prayers for a pretense. They will receive greater condemnation.”