Temple Controversies
Mt 21:23-27; Mk 11:27-33; Lk 20:1-8; Mt 21:28-32; Mk 12:1a; Mt 21:33-46; Mk 12:1b-12; Lk 20:9-19; ...
Parable of the Two Sons
(Mt 21:28-32; Mk 12:1a)
12:1He started telling them parables.
28“What do you think? A man had two sons. He went to the first, ‘Go work in the vineyard today.’
29“‘I don’t want to,’ but later he regretted it and went.
30“He went to the other son, and said the same thing.
“‘I’ll go,’ but didn’t.
31“Which one did the father’s will?”
They said, “The first.”
Jesus said,
“The tax collectors and prostitutes are going into God’s kingdom before you are. 32John came commanding you to live right, and you didn’t believe him; but tax collectors and prostitutes did. But you, when you saw that, didn’t even regret it later and believe him.
Parable of the Vineyard
(Mt 21:33-46; Mk 12:1b-12; Lk 20:9-19)
33“Listen to another parable. A landowner planted a vineyard, put a wall around it, dug a wine press with a trough under it, built a tower, rented it out to tenants, and went on an extended trip. 34When it came time for the fruit, 2he sent a servant to the tenants to receive the fruit of the vineyard. 3They took him and beat him up, and sent him away empty-handed. 4He sent another servant, and they beat him over the head and abused him, and sent him away with nothing. He sent a third. They wounded him, threw him out, and killed him. 5He sent many others. They beat up some of them and killed others. ‘What am I going to do?’
“Finally, he still had one, beloved Son. He sent him to them last, ‘Maybe they’ll respect my son.’ 38But when they saw him, they discussed among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come on, let’s kill him so the vineyard will belong to us.’ 39They took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. 40When the owner comes, what will he do to those tenants?”
41They said, “He’ll miserably destroy those evil men, and rent out the vineyard to other tenants that will pay him the fruit in its season.”
17Jesus looked at them and said, “What then is it that the scripture says,
42THE STONE THE BUILDERS REJECTED
HAS BECOME THE CORNERSTONE.
THIS HAS COME FROM THE LORD;
ISN’T IT AMAZING TO US?’” [Ps 118:22-23]
18Everybody that falls on that rock will get bruised. Whoever it falls on will get crushed. So, God will take the kingdom away from you, and give it to a nation that will produce its fruit.”
16The listeners said, “Surely not.”
45When the chief priests, scribes, and Pharisees heard his parables, they knew he aimed the parables at them. 46They were trying to find a way to seize him and arrest him right then; but they were scared to, because the people considered him a prophet; so they left.
Parable of the Wedding Garment
(Mt 22:1-14)
22:1Jesus spoke to them again in parables.
2“The kingdom of heaven is like a king that prepared a wedding banquet for his son. 3He sent servants to call the people that were invited, but they didn’t want to come. 4He sent some other servants, ‘Tell the ones that were invited, “I’ve prepared my banquet, I butchered my oxen and grain-fed calves, everything’s ready. Come to the banquet.”’ 5But they didn’t pay any attention, and went on with their affairs, one to his field, another to his business. 6The rest grabbed his servants, treated them disgracefully, and killed them.
7“The king was angry and sent troops to destroy those murderers and burn their town. 8Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding banquet is ready, but the people that were invited didn’t deserve it. 9So, go to the main roads and invite everybody you find.’ 10They went out in the roads and gathered everybody they found, good and bad, and the wedding banquet was filled with guests.
11“The king went in to inspect the guests, and saw a man that wasn’t dressed for a wedding. 12He said, ‘Friend, how’d you get in here without being dressed for a wedding?’ He was speechless. 13The king told the attendants, ‘Tie him up hand and foot, and throw him out in the dark. There’ll be bitter crying and gnashing of teeth out there. 14Many are called, but few are chosen.”
Question About Tribute to Caesar
(Mt 22:15-22; Mk 12:13-17; Lk 20:20-26)
15The Pharisees plotted how to trap Jesus in what he said. 20That way they could turn him over to the ruling authority of the governor.
16They sent their disciples with the Herodians, saying, “Rabbi, we know you’re straightforward and tell the truth. You don’t defer to anybody, but teach the way of God correctly without respect of persons. 17So tell us what you think: Is it lawful to pay tribute to Caesar or not?”
He saw through their deception, 18“Why are you testing me, you hypocrites? 19Show me the coin for paying the tribute.” They brought him a denarius to look at. 20“Whose image and inscription is this?”
“Caesar’s.”
“Pay Caesar what you owe Caesar, and pay God what you owe God.”
26They couldn’t make something out of his words in front of the people. They were dumbfounded at his answer, and didn’t say anything and left.
The Question About Resurrection
(Mt 22:23-33; Mk 12:18-27; Lk 20:27-40)
23That day some Sadducees—who say there’s no resurrection—approached him,
24“Rabbi, Moses wrote to us,
‘IF A MAN DIES WITHOUT CHILDREN, HIS BROTHER IS TO MARRY HIS WIFE AND RAISE UP DESCENDANTS FOR HIS BROTHER’ [Deut 25:5; Gen 38:8].
25“There were seven brothers with us, and the first died. Since he had no children, he left his wife to his brother. 30The second and 31third through the seventh married her and died, and didn’t leave any children. 27Last of all, the woman died. 28So, whose wife will she be in the resurrection? 33They all had her as a wife.”
29Jesus answered them,
“You’re mistaken, because you don’t know the scriptures or God’s power. 34People in this age get married. 35The ones considered worthy of receiving that age and the resurrection of the dead don’t get married. They’re like the angels in heaven. 36They can’t die anymore either, because they’re like angels. They’re like God and participate in the resurrection.
31“Now as to the resurrection of the dead, haven’t you read in the book of Moses in the bush passage how God spoke to him: 32‘I’M ABRAHAM, ISAAC, AND JACOB’S GOD’? [Ex 3:6, 15, 16] God’s not a God of the dead, but of the living, because everybody lives to him. You’re greatly mistaken.”
33When the crowd heard it, they were astonished at his teaching.
Question About the Most
Important Commandment
(Mt 22:34-40; Mk 12:28-34)
34When the Pharisees heard he’d silenced the Sadducees, they gathered around him. One scribe, 35[a lawyer,]ms asked, testing him, 36“Rabbi, which is the most important commandment in the law?”
37LLISTEN, ISRAEL, THE LORD YOUR GOD IS LORD ALONE.” “‘LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, SOUL, strength and MIND’ [Deut 6:5]. 38That’s the most important commandment. 39The second is like it, ‘LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF’ [Lev 19:18]. 40The whole law and the prophets hang on those two commandments. There’s no commandment more important than those.”
32The scribe said,
“Well put, Rabbi. You’re right that HE IS THE ONLY ONE; ‘THERE IS NO OTHER GOD BESIDES HIM’ [Deut 4:35; Is 45:21]. 33‘LOVING HIM WITH ALL YOUR HEART, MIND’ [Deut 6:5; Josh 22:5], and strength; and ‘LOVING YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF’ [Lev 19:18] is more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
34Jesus saw he made a sensible comment, “You’re not far from God’s kingdom.”
Nobody dared ask him any more questions.
Question About the Son of David
(Mt 22:41-46; Mk 12:35-37; Lk 20:41-44)
After he answered these questions, 41while the Pharisees were together, Jesus asked them as he was teaching in the temple, 42“What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is he?”
“David’s.”
43“How then in the Book of Psalms does David himself by inspiration of the Holy Spirit call him ‘Lord’:
44‘THE LORD SAID TO MY LORD,
“SIT ON MY RIGHT HAND
TILL I MAKE YOUR ENEMIES YOUR FOOTSTOOL”’?” [Ps 110:1]
45If David calls him ‘Lord,’ how can he be his son?” 46Nobody could answer him, and nobody dared ask him any more questions from that day on. The huge crowd loved it.
Denunciation of the Pharisees
(Mt 23:1-39; Mk 12:38-40; Lk 20:45-47)
Right in front of everybody, he told the crowd and his disciples,
2“The scribes and Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat. 3So do what they tell you, but don’t be like them; they say and don’t do. 4They strap heavy burdens on people’s shoulders, but they won’t move them with one of their fingers. Watch out for them. 5They do everything for show. They like to walk around in wide phylacteries and long robes with long tassels. 6They like places of honor at banquets, prominent seats in synagogues, 7greetings in marketplaces, and people calling them ‘Rabbi.’ 8Don’t you be called ‘Rabbi.’ You have one Rabbi; you’re all brothers. 9Don’t call anybody on earth your father. You have one Father, the One in heaven. 10Don’t be called leaders. You have one Leader, the Messiah. 11The greatest among you will be your servant. 12Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
47“They eat up widows’ houses, and offer long prayers for show. They’ll get a more severe condemnation.
13“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You lock up the kingdom of heaven in front of people. You don’t go in yourselves, or let them go in that are trying to. [14]ms
15“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You travel all over land and sea to make one proselyte. When he becomes one, you make him more destined for hell than you are.
16“Woe to you, blind guides that say, ‘Whoever swears by the sanctuary hasn’t taken a binding oath, but whoever swears by the gold of the sanctuary has taken a binding oath.’ 17Blind fools! Which is more basic, the gold or the sanctuary that sanctifies it?
18“Whoever swears by the altar hasn’t taken a binding oath, but whoever swears by the gift on the altar has taken a binding oath.’ 19You blind people! Which is more basic, the gift or the altar that sanctifies it? 20So whoever swears by the altar swears by it and everything on it. 21Whoever swears by the sanctuary swears by it and the One that lives there. 22Whoever swears by heaven swears by God’s throne and the One that sits on it.
23“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You tithe mint, dill, and cumin; and neglect the more important things in the law: justice, mercy, faith. You should’ve done these and not neglected those. 24Blind guides that strain out the gnat and swallow the camel!
25“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 26Blind Pharisees! Clean the inside of the cup first so the outside becomes clean too.
27“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You’re like whitewashed tombs that look beautiful on the outside, but inside they’re full of filth and dead men’s bones. 28You look good on the outside, but inside you’re full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
29“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You build the tombs of prophets and decorate the graves of good people. 30You say, ‘If we’d lived when our ancestors did, we wouldn’t have joined them in shedding the prophets’ blood. 31You testify against yourselves because you’re like the ones that murdered the prophets. 32Fill up then the measure of your ancestors. 33You snakes! You nest of vipers! How will you escape condemnation in hell? 34For this reason I’ll send you prophets, wise men, and scribes. Some you’ll kill and crucify; some you’ll flog in your synagogues and persecute from city to city. 35So on you will come all the innocent blood shed from Abel to Zechariah, son of Berechiah, the one you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar. 36I’m telling you, it will all come down on this generation!
37“Jerusalem! Jerusalem! that kills prophets and stones the ones I send you! How many times I’ve wanted to gather your people together the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you didn’t want to! 38I leave your house to you deserted. 39You won’t see me again till you say, ‘BLESSED IS THE ONE THAT’S COMING IN THE NAME OF THE LORD’” [Ps 118:26].
The Widow’s Mite
(Mk 12:41-44; Lk 21:1-4)
41He sat down across from the Treasury and watched people from the crowd put copper coins in the Treasury. Many rich people put in large amounts. He saw 42a poor widow come and put in two leptons, which equal a quadrans. 43He called his disciples over, “This poor widow put in more than anybody. 44They donated out of their abundance, but she donated out of her poverty—everything she had to live on.”