Study Desk

The Authority of Jesus Questioned^(a)

One day as Jesus was teaching the people in the temple courts^(b) and proclaiming the good news,^(c) the chief priests and the teachers of the law, together with the elders, came up to him.

"Tell us by what authority you are doing these things," they said. "Who gave you this authority?"^(d)

He replied, "I will also ask you a question. Tell me:

John's baptism^(e)—was it from heaven, or of human origin?"

They discussed it among themselves and said, "If we say, ‘From heaven,' he will ask, ‘Why didn't you believe him?'

But if we say, ‘Of human origin,' all the people^(f) will stone us, because they are persuaded that John was a prophet."^(g)

So they answered, "We don't know where it was from."

Jesus said, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things."

He went on to tell the people this parable: "A man planted a vineyard,⁽ⁱ⁾ rented it to some farmers and went away for a long time.^(j)

At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants so they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed.

He sent another servant, but that one also they beat and treated shamefully and sent away empty-handed.

He sent still a third, and they wounded him and threw him out.

"Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my son, whom I love;^(k) perhaps they will respect him.'

"But when the tenants saw him, they talked the matter over. ‘This is the heir,' they said. ‘Let's kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.'

So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. "What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them?

He will come and kill those tenants^(l) and give the vineyard to others." When the people heard this, they said, "God forbid!"

Jesus looked directly at them and asked, "Then what is the meaning of that which is written: "‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone'^[a]?^(m)

Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed."⁽ⁿ⁾

The teachers of the law and the chief priests looked for a way to arrest him^(o) immediately, because they knew he had spoken this parable against them. But they were afraid of the people.^(p)

Keeping a close watch on him, they sent spies, who pretended to be sincere. They hoped to catch Jesus in something he said,^(r) so that they might hand him over to the power and authority of the governor.^(s)

So the spies questioned him: "Teacher, we know that you speak and teach what is right, and that you do not show partiality but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth.^(t)

Is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?"

He saw through their duplicity and said to them,

"Show me a denarius. Whose image and inscription are on it?" "Caesar's," they replied.

He said to them, "Then give back to Caesar what is Caesar's,^(u) and to God what is God's."

They were unable to trap him in what he had said there in public. And astonished by his answer, they became silent.