Luke
Summary
While teaching in the Temple in Jerusalem, Jesus defends His own divine authority through a series of masterful responses to the inquiries of His opponents: demonstrating His superior understanding of God’s purposes and exposing their underlying motives. He delivers the Parable of the Wicked Vinedressers to expose the religious leaders’ systematic rejection of God’s messengers and to declare the inclusion of the Gentiles in the Kingdom. As Jesus addresses questions regarding the payment of taxes and the reality of the resurrection: He reasserts His divine sovereignty and the supremacy of the "God of the living." The chapter concludes with Jesus posing a challenging question regarding the identity of the Messiah as the "Son of David" and His "LORD": while delivering a solemn warning against the spiritual pride and hypocrisy of the scribes: as He redefines true religious leadership as a matter of the heart.
Now it happened on one of those days, as He taught the people in the temple and preached the gospel, that the chief priests and the scribes, together with the elders, confronted Him
And spoke to him, saying, Tell us, by what authority do you these things? or who is he that gave you this authority?
But He answered and said to them, "I also will ask you one thing, and answer Me:"
"The baptism of John: was it from heaven or from men?"
And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say, Why then believed you him not?
But and if we say, Of men; all the people will stone us: for they be persuaded that John was a prophet.
And they answered, that they could not tell Where it was.
And Jesus said to them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.
Then He began to tell the people this parable: "A certain man planted a vineyard, leased it to vinedressers, and went into a far country for a long time."
And at the season he sent a servant to the farmers, that they should give him of the fruit of the vineyard: but the farmers beat him, and sent him away empty.
And again he sent another servant: and they beat him also, and entreated him shamefully, and sent him away empty.
And again he sent a third: and they wounded him also, and cast him out.
Then said the lord of the vineyard, What shall I do? I will send my beloved son: it may be they will reverence him when they see him.
But when the farmers saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying, This is the heir: come, let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours.
So they cast him out of the vineyard, and killed him. What therefore shall the lord of the vineyard do to them?
He shall come and destroy these farmers, and shall give the vineyard to others. And when they heard it, they said, God forbid.
Then He looked at them and said, "What then is this that is written: 'The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone'?"
whoever shall fall upon that stone shall be broken; but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.
And the chief priests and the scribes the same hour sought to lay hands on him; and they feared the people: for they perceived that he had spoken this parable against them.
And they watched him, and sent forth spies, who should feign themselves just men, that they might take hold of his words, that so they might deliver him to the power and authority of the governor.
And they asked him, saying, Master, we know that you say and teachest rightly, neither acceptest you the person of any, but teachest the way of God truly:
Is it lawful for us to give tribute to Caesar, or no?
But he perceived their craftiness, and said to them, Why tempt you me?
show me a penny. Whose image and superscription has it? They answered and said, Caesar’s.
And He said to them, "Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s."
And they could not take hold of his words before the people: and they marvelled at his answer, and held their peace.
Then came to him certain of the Sadducees, who deny that there is any resurrection; and they asked him,
Saying, Master, Moses wrote to us, If any man’s brother die, having a wife, and he die without children, that his brother should take his wife, and raise up seed to his brother.
There were therefore seven brothers: and the first took a wife, and died without children.
And the second took her to wife, and he died childless.
And the third took her; and in like manner the seven also: and they left no children, and died.
Last of all the woman died also.
Therefore in the resurrection whose wife of them is she? for seven had her to wife.
And Jesus answering said to them, The children of this world marry, and are given in marriage:
But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage:
Neither can they die any more: for they are equal to the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection.
Now that the dead are raised, even Moses showed at the bush, when he calls the Lord the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.
"For He is not the God of the dead but of the living, for all live to Him."
Then certain of the scribes answering said, Master, you have well said.
And after that they dared not ask him any question at all.
And he said to them, How say they that Christ is David’s son?
And David himself says in the book of Psalms, The LORD said to my Lord, Sit you on my right hand,
Till I make your enemies your footstool.
David therefore calls him Lord, how is he then his son?
Then in the audience of all the people he said to his disciples,
Beware of the scribes, who desire to walk in long robes, and love greetings in the markets, and the highest seats in the synagogues, and the chief rooms at feasts;
Which devour widows’ houses, and for a show make long prayers: the same shall receive greater damnation.