Story of the Vineyard

Then He began talking to them, using illustrations and examples:

“A man planted a vineyard, putting a fence around it. He built a tower for it, dug out the wine vat, then he leased it out to winegrowers and traveled to another country.

“Now at harvest time he sent a servant to the winegrowers, to collect some of the products of the vineyard from them. But they grabbed the man and beat him, and sent him away with nothing. So again the owner sent a different servant to them. They threw rocks at that one, hitting him in the head, and chased him away, yelling insults after him. When the owner sent yet another, they killed that servant. And so on, with many others. Some were beaten. Others were killed.

“Finally then, the owner of the vineyard had one son, his only son, whom he loved. He sent him last of all, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ But the winegrowers said to each other, ‘This is the heir! Come on, let’s kill him. Then the inheritance will be ours!’ So they captured him and killed him, and threw him outside of the vineyard.

“Now then, what will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the winegrowers, and he will entrust the vineyard to others.

“Have you never read this Scripture: ‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the very capstone. This has happened by the Lord’s hand, and it is amazing in our eyes?’”

The religious leaders wanted to get their hands on Him, then. But they were afraid of all the people gathered. Because they knew that His little story had been about them. So they left Him alone, and went away.

Dead Will Rise Again

But then they sent some Pharisees and Herodians to trap Him with words. When they arrived, they said to Him, “Teacher, we know that You are true to God, showing favors to no one. For You don’t try to please men, but honestly teach the way of God. Tell us, then, is it lawful to pay tribute taxes to Caesar, or not? Should we pay or should we refuse to pay?”

But Jesus, knowing their treachery said to them, “Why are you trying to trap Me? Bring Me a denarius [a Roman coin worth about a day's wage], so that I may see it.” So they handed Him one.

Then He asked them, “Whose image and lettering is here on this coin?”

And they said, “Caesar’s.”

And answering, Jesus said to them, “Then give back to Caesar whatever belongs to Caesar, and give to God that which belongs to God!” And they were awed by Him.

Sadducees approached Him next. (Now they claim there is no resurrection.) And they posed this question to Him, “Teacher, Moses wrote to us that if a man’s brother should die, leaving behind a wife but no child, then the surviving brother should take the wife in order to raise up children for the dead brother.” [In order that every family’s name and inheritance in the land of Israel should be preserved forever.]

“Now, there were seven brothers. And the first one took a wife but then died, without leaving any children. So the second brother married her, but he also died, leaving no children. Then the third one, likewise. And all seven brothers married her, but not one left an heir. Last of all, the wife also died. Now in the resurrection, when they rise again, whose wife will she be, since all seven brothers have married her?”

Jesus said to them, “Aren’t you going astray because you know neither the Scriptures, nor the power of God? For when people rise again from the dead, they will not marry, nor will they be given in marriage, but will be like the angels in heaven.

“Now as for the resurrection of the dead, have you not read in the book of Moses, where God spoke to him at the burning bush, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?’ He isn’t the God of the dead, but of the living. So then, you are very, very wrong.”

One of the Scribes, coming near, heard the discussion. When he saw that Jesus gave the Sadducees such a good answer, he asked Him, “What is greatest of all the commandments?”

And Jesus told him, “The greatest of all the commandments is, ‘Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength.

“There is also a second one, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ No command is greater than these.”

The Scribe said to Him, “Well said, Teacher! You declare the truth in saying that there is only one God, and no other besides Him.

“And to love God with all our heart, with all our understanding, with all our soul, and with all our strength, and to also love one’s neighbor as oneself — these are more important than any burnt offerings or sacrifices!”

When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, He told him, “You’re not far from the kingdom of God.”

After that no one dared to ask Him any more questions.

As Jesus taught in the temple, He said, “Why do the Scribes say that Messiah is the son of David? For David himself said, by the Holy Spirit, ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand until I put your enemies under your feet as a footstool.”’ If David himself calls Him Lord, then how is He David’s son?” And the large crowd gladly listened to Him.

He also said, in His teaching, “Watch out for the Scribes, the ones who love to walk around in fancy robes, who want to be recognized in the marketplaces, and who expect the highest positions in the synagogues, and seats of honor at dinners, who gobble up widows’ houses, and who put on a show by praying long prayers. They will receive more severe judgment.”

Then Jesus sat down across from the treasury. He watched the crowds putting their offerings into the temple treasury. Many were wealthy, putting in a lot of money. Then a poor widow came along who put in two small coins, not even a dollar.

Calling His disciples to Him, Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has given more to the treasury than anyone else has given. All of them give out of what they have left over. But in her poverty she gave everything. She put in everything she had to live on.”

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