Luke 20
1 On one of those days, as he was teaching the people in the temple and preaching the Good News, the priests and scribes came to him with the elders.
One day [during that week, Jesus] was teaching the people in the Temple [courtyard] and telling them [God’s] good message. As he was doing that, the chief priests, the men who taught the [Jewish] laws, and [other Jewish] elders came to him.
2 They asked him, “Tell us: by what authority do you do these things? Or who is giving you this authority?”
They asked him, “Tell us, by what authority are you doing these things? Who authorized you to do things [like you did here yesterday]?”
3 He answered them, “I also will ask you one question. Tell me:
He replied, “I will also ask you a question. Tell me,
4 the baptism of John, was it from heaven, or from men?”
where did John [the Baptizer] get [his authority to] baptize [those who came to him]? [Did he get it] from God [MTY/EUP] or from people?”
5 They reasoned with themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Why didn’t you believe him?’
They discussed this among themselves. They said, “[If we(inc) say], ‘[It was] from God [MTY/EUP],’ he will say to us, ‘[Then] (you should have believed John’s [message]!/why did you not believe what John preached?) [RHQ]’
6 But if we say, ‘From men,’ all the people will stone us, for they are persuaded that John was a prophet.”
But if we say, ‘It was [from] people,’ the people [here] will [kill us by] throwing stones at us, because they [all] believe that John was a prophet [from God].”
7 They answered that they didn’t know where it was from.
So they replied, “We [(exc)] do not know where [John got his authority].”
8 Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”
Then Jesus said to them, “[Because you did not answer my question], I will not tell you who authorized me to do those things [here yesterday].”
9 He began to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard and rented it out to some farmers, and went into another country for a long time.
Then Jesus told the people this parable [to illustrate what God would do to the Jews who rejected the former prophets and himself]: “A [certain] man planted a vineyard. He rented the vineyard to some men [to care for it and to give him some of the grapes in return]. Then he went to another country and stayed there several years.
10 At the proper season, he sent a servant to the farmers to collect his share of the fruit of the vineyard. But the farmers beat him and sent him away empty.
When [the vines started producing] grapes, he sent a servant to the men who were taking care of the vineyard. He expected that they would give him some of the grapes that the vineyard had produced. But [after the servant arrived], they beat him and they did not give him any grapes. They [just] sent him away.
11 He sent yet another servant, and they also beat him and treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty.
[Later], [the owner] sent another servant. But they beat him and mistreated him [also]. They sent him away without giving him any grapes.
12 He sent yet a third, and they also wounded him and threw him out.
[Still later, the owner] sent another servant. That one they wounded and threw him out [of the vineyard].
13 The lord of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my beloved son. It may be that seeing him, they will respect him.’
So the owner of the vineyard thought to himself, ‘(I do not know what to do!/What shall I do?) [RHQ]’ [Then he had an idea. He thought to himself], ‘I will send my son, [whom I] love [very much]. Perhaps they will respect him [and give him my share of the grapes].’
14 “But when the farmers saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him, that the inheritance may be ours.’
[So he sent his son], but when the men who were caring for the vineyard saw him [coming], they said to each other, ‘Here [comes] the man who will [some day] inherit [the vineyard]. Let’s kill him so that this vineyard will be ours!’
15 Then they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. What therefore will the lord of the vineyard do to them?
So they dragged him outside the vineyard and they killed him. So (I will tell you what the owner of the vineyard will do to them!/do you know what the owner of the vineyard will do to them?) [RHQ]
16 He will come and destroy these farmers, and will give the vineyard to others.” When they heard that, they said, “May that never be!”
He will come and kill those men who were taking care of the vineyard. Then he will arrange for other people to take care of it.” When the people listening to Jesus heard that, they said, “[We would] not do anything like those wicked men did!”
17 But he looked at them and said, “Then what is this that is written, ‘The stone which the builders rejected was made the chief cornerstone’?
But Jesus looked directly at them and said, “You can say that, [but think about] the meaning of these words that are written {which [a prophet] wrote} [RHQ] [in the Scriptures], The men who were building a house rejected a certain stone. But others put that same stone in its proper place, and it has become the most important stone in the building [MET].
18 Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, but it will crush whomever it falls on to dust.”
[That stone represents me, the Messiah], and those who reject me are [like people who fall on this stone]. Everyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces {This stone will break to pieces everyone who falls on it}, and it will crush anyone on whom it falls.”
19 The chief priests and the scribes sought to lay hands on him that very hour, but they feared the people—for they knew he had spoken this parable against them.
The chief priests and the men who taught the [Jewish] laws realized that he was accusing them when he told the parable [about what those wicked men did]. So they immediately tried to find a way to seize [MTY] him, but [they did not seize him, because] they were afraid of [what] the people [there would do if they did that].
20 They watched him and sent out spies, who pretended to be righteous, that they might trap him in something he said, so as to deliver him up to the power and authority of the governor.
So they watched him carefully. They also hired (spies/secret agents) who pretended to be sincere. [But] they really wanted to get him to say something for [which they could accuse] him. They wanted to be able to turn him over to the authority of the governor [of the province. But they also knew that the Jews were disgusted with having to pay taxes to the government].
21 They asked him, “Teacher, we know that you say and teach what is right, and aren’t partial to anyone, but truly teach the way of God.
[So] one of them asked Jesus, “Teacher, we [(exc)] know that you [(sg)] speak and teach what is right. You tell the truth even if important people do not like it. You teach truthfully what God wants us to do.
22 Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?”
[So tell us what you think about this matter]: Is it right that we pay taxes to the Roman government [MTY], or not?”
23 But he perceived their craftiness, and said to them, “Why do you test me?
But Jesus knew that they were trying to trick him [to get him into trouble, either with the Jews, who hated to pay those taxes, or with the Roman government]. So he said to them,
24 Show me a denarius. Whose image and inscription are on it?” They answered, “Caesar’s.”
“Show me a [Roman] coin. [Then tell me] whose picture is on it. And [tell me whose] name is on it.” They [showed him a coin and] said, “It has the picture and name of Caesar, [the head of the Roman government].”
25 He said to them, “Then give to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”
He said to them, “In that case, give to the government [MTY] what they [require], and give to God what he [requires].”
26 They weren’t able to trap him in his words before the people. They marveled at his answer and were silent.
While the people were there, the [spies] were unable to find fault with him for what he said. And they were amazed at his answer. So they said nothing.
27 Some of the Sadducees came to him, those who deny that there is a resurrection.
Some Sadducees came to [Jesus]. They are a Jewish sect who do not believe that people will become alive again after they die.
28 They asked him, “Teacher, Moses wrote to us that if a man’s brother dies having a wife, and he is childless, his brother should take the wife and raise up children for his brother.
They [wanted to] ask [Jesus] a question [in order to discredit the idea that dead people will live again]. One of them said [to Jesus], “Teacher, Moses wrote for us [Jews] about situations where a man who has a wife but no children. If the man dies, his brother should marry the [dead man’s] widow so that she can have a child by him. People [will consider] that the child is the descendant of the man [who died], [and in that way the dead man will have descendants].
29 There were therefore seven brothers. The first took a wife, and died childless.
Well, there were seven brothers in one family. The oldest one married, but he and his wife did not bear any children. Later he died.
30 The second took her as wife, and he died childless.
The second [brother followed this law and married the widow, but the same thing happened to him].
31 The third took her, and likewise the seven all left no children, and died.
Then the third [brother] married her, [but the same thing happened again]. All seven [brothers, one by one, married that woman], [but] they had no children, and [one by one] they died.
32 Afterward the woman also died.
Afterwards, the woman died, too.
33 Therefore in the resurrection whose wife of them will she be? For the seven had her as a wife.”
Therefore, [if it is true that there will be a time] when dead people will become alive again, whose wife [do you think that woman] will be [then]? ([Keep in mind that she was married to all seven brothers!/It will be impossible to decide because] she was married to all seven brothers!) [RHQ]”
Jesus replied to them, “Men who live here in this world take wives, or are given wives [by their parents] {their [parents] choose wives [for them]}. (aiōn g165)
35 But those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. (aiōn g165)
But the men whom God considers worthy of [being in heaven after] they become alive again will not be married. (aiōn g165)
36 For they can’t die any more, for they are like the angels and are children of God, being children of the resurrection.
[You need to know also that] they cannot die any more, because they will be [immortal] [SIM] like angels. [The fact that God has caused] them to be alive again [will show] that they are God’s children.
37 But that the dead are raised, even Moses showed at the bush, when he called the Lord ‘The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’
But [as for people] becoming alive again after they die, Moses wrote something about that. In the place where [he wrote about] the [burning] bush, he mentions the Lord as being the God whom Abraham [worships] and the God whom Isaac [worships] and the God whom Jacob [worships].
38 Now he is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for all are alive to him.”
It is not dead people who worship God. It is living people who worship him. [Abraham, Isaac and Jacob died long before Moses lived, but God said that they were still worshipping him, so we(inc) know their spirits were still alive]! All [people] whose [spirits] are alive [again after they die continue to live to honor God]!”
39 Some of the scribes answered, “Teacher, you speak well.”
Some of the men who taught the [Jewish] laws replied, “Teacher, you [(sg)] have answered very well!”
40 They didn’t dare to ask him any more questions.
After that, they no longer dared to ask him any more questions [like that to try to trap him].
41 He said to them, “Why do they say that the Christ is David’s son?
Then Jesus said to them, “I will show you (OR, prove to you) that people [are wrong who] say that the Messiah is [merely] a descendant of [King] David! [RHQ]
42 David himself says in the book of Psalms, ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand,
Because David himself wrote [about the Messiah] in the book of Psalms, God said to my Lord, Sit [here beside me] on my right, [where I will highly honor you(sg)] [MTY].
43 until I make your enemies the footstool of your feet.”’
[Sit here] while I completely defeat your enemies.
44 “David therefore calls him Lord, so how is he his son?”
King David calls [the Messiah] ‘[my] Lord’! So ([the Messiah] cannot be [just someone] descended from [King] David!/how can the Messiah be [just] someone descended from [King] David?) [RHQ] [What I just said proves that he is much greater than David, isn’t that right]?”
45 In the hearing of all the people, he said to his disciples,
While all the [other] people were listening, [Jesus] said to his disciples,
46 “Beware of those scribes who like to walk in long robes, and love greetings in the marketplaces, the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts;
“Beware that [you do not act like] the men who teach our [Jewish] laws. They like to put on long robes and walk around [to make people think that they are very important]. [They] also like [people to] greet them [respectfully] in the marketplaces. They like [to sit in] the most important places in the Jewish meeting places. At dinner parties [they like to sit in] the seats where the most honored people sit.
47 who devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. These will receive greater condemnation.”
They swindle [MET] the houses [and property] of widows. [Then] they pretend they are good, as they pray [long] prayers [publicly. God] will [certainly] punish them very severely.”
