Farmers Who Murdered Their Boss’s Son
1Jesus started teaching the people by using stories known as parables. “A man planted a vineyard, then he put a fence around it. He dug a hole and put in a winepress. He built a lookout tower too. After he had done all that, he rented the vineyard to sharecroppers and then went on a trip. 2When it came time to harvest the grapes, he sent one of his servants to collect his share of the crop.3“But the sharecroppers didn’t share. They beat the servant and chased him off without giving him anything. 4So the owner of the vineyard sent another servant. But the sharecroppers hit him in the head and abused him in humiliating ways.
5“Once again the owner sent a servant. Sharecroppers killed that one. They either beat or killed other servants the owner sent as well.
6“The vineyard owner had only one person left to send: a son he loved very much. He sent that son in one last effort. He said to himself, ‘Surely they’ll show some respect to my son.’
7“But the sharecroppers, talking among themselves, said, ‘This guy is going to inherit the vineyard. Let’s kill him. Then there’s no one left to inherit it. We’ll get to keep it.’ 8They grabbed him, killed him, and dragged his body off the property.
9“What do you think the vineyard owner will do about that? I’ll tell you. He’ll come charging onto that vineyard. He’ll kill the sharecroppers. And he’ll rent the vineyard to other farmers. 10Haven’t you read this in the Scripture?
“‘The stone that the builders said wasn’t good enough to use
has now become the most important stone of all: the cornerstone.
and what he has produced is a beautiful sight to see.’” [1] 12Jewish leaders wanted to arrest Jesus on the spot because they were sure the parable was about them. But they were afraid of what the crowd would do to them. So they walked away.
Trick Question about Taxes
13Jewish leaders convinced some Pharisees and Herodians [2] to try tricking Jesus into saying something that would get him in trouble. 14They walked over to Jesus and said, “Teacher, we know that you tell it like it is—fair and balanced and true. You say what God wants you to say. So tell us this, is it legal to pay taxes to Caesar? Yes or no.”15Jesus knew what these hypocrites were up to. He said, “Oh come on now, why are you trying to trap me with a question like this? Bring me a coin. [3] Let me take a look at it.” 16So they brought one. And he said, “Whose picture is engraved on this?”
They said, “Caesar.”
17Jesus said, “Give Caesar what belongs to Caesar. Give God what belongs to God.” That answer left the Jewish leaders amazed.
Trick Question about Marriage in Heaven
18Some Sadducees came over to talk with Jesus. They represented a Jewish group that says there’s no such thing as resurrection and life after death. They asked Jesus a question about that. 19“Teacher, Moses wrote that if a married man dies without leaving his wife any children, the dead man’s brother is supposed to marry the widow, give her children, and raise the kids as his brother’s. 20There were seven brothers in a family. The first one got married, but he died without giving his wife any children. 21The second brother married her, but he died without giving her any children. The same thing happened with the third brother. 22Not one of the seven brothers produced a child for this woman. Eventually, she died too. 23In the life to come after the resurrection, to which one of these seven men will the woman be married? Here, she had been married to all seven.”24Jesus said, “You’re wrong. And isn’t that because you don’t know the Bible and you don’t have a clue about how powerful God is? 25People who rise from the dead don’t get married. In that way, they’re like the angels. 26Now about resurrection itself, haven’t you read the story of the burning bush [4] in the book Moses wrote? When God spoke to Moses, he said, ‘I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob’? 27He’s not the God of the dead. [5] He’s the God of the living. You are so incredibly wrong.”
God’s Most Important Rule
28One of the experts in Jewish law, known as scribes, overheard this conversation. He was so impressed with how Jesus answered the question that he asked Jesus a question of his own. “Out of all the commandments in our Jewish law, which one is most important?”29Jesus said, “The most important law is this one:
“‘Listen to me. Every one of you in Israel.
The Lord our God is the one and only God.
with all the heart you’ve got in you,
all the spirit in your soul,
all your strength, and all your mind.’ [6] 31“The second most important law is this:
“‘You have to love your neighbor [7]
every bit as much as you love yourself.’ [8]
“There are no laws more important than these two.”
34Jesus could see that the man responded well, so he told him, “You are very close to the kingdom of God.” After that conversation, no one else dared to test him with a trick question.
Messiah Must Be Related to David? Really?
35When Jesus resumed teaching in the Temple, he asked, “Why do the scribes, experts in the Jewish law, say that the Messiah is going to be a descendant of David? 36David himself, inspired by the Holy Spirit, said,“‘The Lord God told the lord king, [9]
“Sit here at my right side
while I turn your enemies
into a footstool so you can kick back and relax.”’ [10]
Watch out for Strutting Scholars
38As Jesus continued teaching, he said, “Watch out for those religion scholars called scribes. They like to parade around in their formal robes. They love it when people greet them respectfully out in public. 39And they sure do like those reserved seats in the front of the synagogues, and the best seats around a banquet table.40“Yet these are the same people who figure out ways to confiscate the property of widows, cheating them out of their homes. Then they have the nerve to go out in public and pray long prayers. When it comes time to punish these folks, they’ll get something extra.”
A Widow Gives Her Two Cents
41Jesus sat down in the Temple courtyard, near the Temple treasury. He started to watch the people as they came along and dropped their money into the donation box. There were a lot of rich people who put in a lot of money. 42Then along came a widow who dropped in two coins, the smallest coins in circulation. [11]43Jesus called the disciples over and said, “I’m telling you the truth, gentlemen, this poor widow has poured more into that offering than all the others put together. 44Those rich folks pulled from their discretionary income. But this woman who has nothing but a basket full of neediness and two cents to her name has given all the money she has.”
