Luke 20

1One day Jesus was in the temple teaching people. Jesus told them the Good News. The chief priests and the teachers of the law, came to talk to Jesus

2The chief priests and the teachers of the law asked Jesus: Tell us what authority you have to do these things. Who gave you this authority?

3Jesus said to the chief priests and the teachers of the law: I will ask you one question.

4John the Baptist came, and he baptized people. Who sent John to do it? Was it God who sent John, or did the people send John?

5The chief priests and the teachers of the law talked to each other and said: If we say that John was sent by God, then Jesus will ask us: Why did you not believe what John said? Luke 20: 6 But if we say that John’s baptism was from someone else, the people will stone us to death. They all believe that John was a prophet.

7The chief priests and the teachers of the law said to Jesus: We don’t know who sent John.

8Then Jesus said to the chief priests and the teachers of the law: Then I will not tell you who told Me that I may do these things.

9Jesus told the people this story. Jesus said: A man planted a vineyard. Then he rented out the vineyard to other farmers and went on a journey for a long time to another country.

10When it was time to pick the grapes, the owner sent a servant to the farmers who rented his vineyard, and the owner asked the farmers to give the servant his share of the grapes. The farmers grabbed the servant and beat him and chased him away. The farmers gave the servant no grapes.

11The owner of the vineyard sent another servant to the farmers. The farmers took the 2nd servant and beat him also. The farmers dishonored him, and they gave him no grapes.

12The owner of the vineyard then sent a 3rd servant to the farmers, but the farmers beat him, and they threw the servant out of the vineyard.

13Then the owner of the vineyard said: What can I do? I will send my son that I love very much. I think they will respect my son. Luke:

14When the farmers saw it was the owner’s son, they said to each other: This son will inherit all the owner’s money and things one day. Let us kill him, then we will get everything.

15The farmers threw the owner’s son out of the vineyard, and they killed him. Jesus ask the farmers, What. do you think the owner of the vineyard will do to the farmers do?

16Jesus said. The owner will come and kill all those bad farmers and he will give the vineyard to other farmers. When the people heard this, they said: this will never happen.

17But Jesus looked into their eyes and said: If you say that this must never happen, what do these words in the book of Psalms mean? The stone that the builders did not want to use is now the most important stone in the building.

18Everyone who falls over this stone will die and break his legs. And if this stone falls on anyone, will scatter him like dust.

19The chief priests and the teachers of the law then tried to arrest Jesus immediately. The chief priests and the teachers of the law knew that Jesus told this parable to show that they were the same as the bad farmers. But the chief priests and the teachers of the law were afraid of the people, and they did not arrest Jesus.

20The chief priests and the teachers of the law waited for the right time to get Jesus. They sent people who were spies to Jesus. These spies told Jesus that they wanted to learn more from Him, but the leaders wanted Jesus to say something wrong against the Roman ruler so that they could punish Him.

21The spies then asked Jesus: Teacher, we know that what you say and teach is true. It doesn’t matter who is listening, you teach the same to all people. You always teach the truth about God’s way.

22Now tell us: Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar? Must we pay taxes to him or not?’

23But Jesus knew that these men were trying to trick him. Jesus said to them, why you trying test me?

24Jesus said show me a penny. Jesus asked the spies: Whose head and whose name is on this money? They answered Him: It is Caesar’s head and his name.

25Jesus said to the spies: That is right. Then you must give to Caesar what belongs to him, but you must also give to God what belongs to Him.

26The men were amazed at his wise answer. They could say nothing. They were not able to trick Jesus there in front of the people. He said nothing they could use against him.

27A few Sadducees (Sadducees believe that people will not rise from death.) came to Jesus. They said to Jesus:

28Teacher, Moses wrote that if a married man dies and had no children, his brother must marry his widow. Then they will have children for the dead brother

29Now, there were 7 brothers. The oldest brother married a woman, but he died, and they did not have any children.

30The 2nd brother then married the widow of the oldest brother, but he also died, and they did not have any children.

31The same happened with the 3rd brother. He also married her, and he died. It happened to all 7 brothers. All of them married this woman but they did not have any children. Luke 20;32 Later, the woman also died.

33Now we ask You, Jesus: Whose wife will this woman be when all the dead people rise and live again? Because all of these 7 brothers were married to her.

34Jesus said the Sadducees: In this life people get married.

35But when God is King, He will give life to all the people who have believed in Jesus and have died. Then people will not be married and they will not get married.

36They will be like the angels in heaven who do not die and who live with God in heaven. They will be children of God because God gave them life and He made them live again.

37Moses also said that people who have died will rise and live again. He wrote about it when he spoke about the burning bush. There God said to Moses: I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.

38God is not the God of dead people. He is the God of people who live.

39Some of the teachers of the Laws said to Jesus: Teacher, that is right. You have given a very good answer.

40From that day on the people were afraid to ask Jesus any more questions.

41Jesus asked teachers of the Laws: Why do people say the Christ is the Son of David?

42David says in the book of Psalms: The Lord God said to my Lord: Sit by me at my right side,

43I will make your enemies bow before You. You will put your feet on them.

44David said the Christ is his Lord. Now, how can the Christ be the Son of David if He is the Lord?

45Jesus said to his disciples and all the people who could hear Him:

46You must beware of the teachers of the Laws. They walk where all the people can see them, they have long clothes, and they want everyone to greet them and to respect them. They want to sit where the most important people sit in the synagogues and at the feasts.

47But these teachers of the Laws are people who cheat widows and take their houses. Then they try to make themselves look good by saying long prayers. God will punish them very much.