The Word Am I

The Gospel According to St. Matthew

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- Chapter 21 -

(Zechariah 9:9–13; Mark 11:1–11; Luke 19:28–40; John 12:12–19)
1
As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent out two disciples,
2
saying to them, “Go into the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt beside her. Untie them and bring them to Me.
3
If anyone questions you, tell him that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”
4
This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:
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“Say to the Daughter of Zion, ‘See, your King comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”(a)
6
So the disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them.
7
They brought the donkey and the colt and laid their cloaks on them, and Jesus sat on them.
8
A massive crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.
9
The crowds that went ahead of Him and those that followed were shouting: “Hosanna to the Son of David!”(b) “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!”(c) “Hosanna in the highest!”(d)
10
When Jesus had entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?”
11
The crowds replied, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”

Jesus Cleanses the Temple

(Mark 11:15–19; Luke 19:45–48; John 2:12–25)
12
Then Jesus entered the temple courts (e) and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those selling doves.
13
And He declared to them, “It is written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer.’(f) But you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’(g)”
14
The blind and the lame came to Him at the temple, and He healed them.
15
But the chief priests and scribes were indignant when they saw the wonders He performed and the children shouting in the temple courts, “Hosanna to the Son of David!”
16
“Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked. “Yes,” Jesus answered. “Have you never read: ‘From the mouths of children and infants You have ordained praise’(h)?”
17
Then He left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where He spent the night.

The Barren Fig Tree

(Mark 11:12–14; Mark 11:20–25)
18
In the morning, as Jesus was returning to the city, He was hungry.
19
Seeing a fig tree by the road, He went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. “May you never bear fruit again!” He said. And immediately the tree withered.
20
When the disciples saw this, they marveled and asked, “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?”
21
“Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “if you have faith and do not doubt, not only will you do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen.
22
If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”

Jesus’ Authority Challenged

(Mark 11:27–33; Luke 20:1–8)
23
When Jesus returned to the temple courts and began to teach, the chief priests and elders of the people came up to Him. “By what authority are You doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave You this authority?”
24
“I will also ask you one question,” Jesus replied, “and if you answer Me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things.
25
What was the source of John’s baptism? Was it from heaven or from men?” They deliberated among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will ask, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’
26
But if we say, ‘From men,’ we are afraid of the people, for they all regard John as a prophet.”
27
So they answered, “We do not know.” And Jesus replied, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.

The Parable of the Two Sons

28
But what do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first one and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’
29
‘I will not,’ he replied. But later he changed his mind and went.(i)
30
Then the man went to the second son and told him the same thing. ‘I will, sir,’ he said. But he did not go.
31
Which of the two did the will of his father?” “The first,(j)” they answered. Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God before you.
32
For John came to you in a righteous way and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.

The Parable of the Wicked Tenants

(Mark 12:1–12; Luke 20:9–18)
33
Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it, and built a tower. Then he rented it out to some tenants and went away on a journey.
34
When the harvest time drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his share of the fruit.
35
But the tenants seized his servants. They beat one, killed another, and stoned a third.
36
Again, he sent other servants, more than the first group. But the tenants did the same to them.
37
Finally, he sent his son to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said.
38
But when the tenants saw the son, they said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and take his inheritance.’
39
So they seized him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.
40
Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard returns, what will he do to those tenants?”
41
“He will bring those wretches to a wretched end,” they replied, “and will rent out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him his share of the fruit at harvest time.”
42
Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. This is from the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes’(k)?
43
Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.
44
He who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed.(l)”
45
When the chief priests and Pharisees heard His parables, they knew that Jesus was speaking about them.
46
Although they wanted to arrest Him, they were afraid of the crowds, because the people regarded Him as a prophet.

Footnotes

(a)21:5 Zechariah 9:9
(b)21:9 Hosanna is a transliteration of the Hebrew Hosia-na, meaning Save, we pray or Save now, which became a shout of praise; see Psalms 118:25; also in verse 15.
(c)21:9 Psalms 118:26
(d)21:9 Or “Hosanna in the highest heaven!” See Psalms 118:25 and Psalms 148:1.
(e)21:12 Literally the temple; also in verses 15 and 23; BYZ and TR the temple of God
(f)21:13 Isaiah 56:7
(g)21:13 Jeremiah 7:11
(h)21:16 Psalms 8:2 (see also LXX)
(i)21:29 NE and WH But he went.
(j)21:31 NE and WH The latter
(k)21:42 Psalms 118:22–23
(l)21:44 Tischendorf and some early manuscripts do not include verse 44; see also Luke 20:18.
(Zechariah 9:9–13; Mark 11:1–11; Luke 19:28–40; John 12:12–19)
1
When they came near to Jerusalem and came to Bethsphage,(a) to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples,
2
saying to them, “Go into the village that is opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me.
3
If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and immediately he will send them.”
4
All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through the prophet, saying,
5
“Tell the daughter of Zion, behold, your King comes to you, humble, and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”(b)
6
The disciples went and did just as Jesus commanded them,
7
and brought the donkey and the colt and laid their clothes on them; and he sat on them.
8
A very great multitude spread their clothes on the road. Others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.
9
The multitudes who went in front of him, and those who followed, kept shouting, “Hosanna (c) to the son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” (d)
10
When he had come into Jerusalem, all the city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?”
11
The multitudes said, “This is the prophet, Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.”

Jesus Cleanses the Temple

(Mark 11:15–19; Luke 19:45–48; John 2:12–25)
12
Jesus entered into the temple of God and drove out all of those who sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the money changers’ tables and the seats of those who sold the doves.
13
He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ (e) but you have made it a den of robbers!” (f)
14
The lame and the blind came to him in the temple, and he healed them.
15
But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children who were crying in the temple and saying, “Hosanna to the son of David!” they were indignant,
16
and said to him, “Do you hear what these are saying?” Jesus said to them, “Yes. Did you never read, ‘Out of the mouth of children and nursing babies, you have perfected praise’?” (g)
17
He left them and went out of the city to Bethany, and camped there.

The Barren Fig Tree

(Mark 11:12–14; Mark 11:20–25)
18
Now in the morning, as he returned to the city, he was hungry.
19
Seeing a fig tree by the road, he came to it and found nothing on it but leaves. He said to it, “Let there be no fruit from you forever!” Immediately the fig tree withered away.
20
When the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, “How did the fig tree immediately wither away?”
21
Jesus answered them, “Most certainly I tell you, if you have faith and don’t doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you told this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ it would be done.
22
All things, whatever you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”

Jesus’ Authority Challenged

(Mark 11:27–33; Luke 20:1–8)
23
When he had come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority do you do these things? Who gave you this authority?”
24
Jesus answered them, “I also will ask you one question, which if you tell me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things.
25
The baptism of John, where was it from? From heaven or from men?” They reasoned with themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’
26
But if we say, ‘From men,’ we fear the multitude, for all hold John as a prophet.”
27
They answered Jesus, and said, “We don’t know.” He also said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.

The Parable of the Two Sons

28
But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first, and said, ‘Son, go work today in my vineyard.’
29
He answered, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he changed his mind, and went.
30
He came to the second, and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I’m going, sir,’ but he didn’t go.
31
Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said to him, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Most certainly I tell you that the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering into God’s Kingdom before you.
32
For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you didn’t believe him; but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. When you saw it, you didn’t even repent afterward, that you might believe him.

The Parable of the Wicked Tenants

(Mark 12:1–12; Luke 20:9–18)
33
“Hear another parable. There was a man who was a master of a household who planted a vineyard, set a hedge about it, dug a wine press in it, built a tower, leased it out to farmers, and went into another country.
34
When the season for the fruit came near, he sent his servants to the farmers to receive his fruit.
35
The farmers took his servants, beat one, killed another, and stoned another.
36
Again, he sent other servants more than the first; and they treated them the same way.
37
But afterward he sent to them his son, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’
38
But the farmers, when they saw the son, said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and seize his inheritance.’
39
So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard, then killed him.
40
When therefore the lord of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those farmers?”
41
They told him, “He will miserably destroy those miserable men, and will lease out the vineyard to other farmers who will give him the fruit in its season.”
42
Jesus said to them, “Did you never read in the Scriptures, ‘The stone which the builders rejected was made the head of the corner. This was from the Lord. It is marvelous in our eyes’? (h)
43
“Therefore I tell you, God’s Kingdom will be taken away from you and will be given to a nation producing its fruit.
44
He who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but on whomever it will fall, it will scatter him as dust.”
45
When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he spoke about them.
46
When they sought to seize him, they feared the multitudes, because they considered him to be a prophet.

Footnotes

(a)21:1 TR &NU read “Bethphage” instead of “Bethsphage”
(b)21:5 ℘ Zechariah 9:9
(c)21:9 “Hosanna” means “save us” or “help us, we pray”.
(d)21:9 ℘ Psalms 118:26
(e)21:13 ℘ Isaiah 56:7
(f)21:13 ℘ Jeremiah 7:11
(g)21:16 ℘ Psalms 8:2
(h)21:42 ℘ Psalms 118:22-23
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