The Word Am I

The Gospel According to St. Luke

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- Chapter 20 -

(Matthew 21:23–27; Mark 11:27–33)
1
And it happened that, on one of the days when he was teaching the people in the temple and preaching the Gospel, the leaders of the priests, and the scribes, gathered together with the elders,
2
and they spoke to him, saying: “Tell us, by what authority do you do these things? Or, who is it that has given you this authority?”
3
And in response, Jesus said to them: “I will also question you about one word. Respond to me:
4
The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men?”
5
So they discussed it among themselves, saying: “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Then why did you not believe him?’
6
But if we say, ‘Of men,’ the whole people will stone us. For they are certain that John was a prophet.”
7
And so they responded that they did not know where it was from.
8
And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

The Parable of the Wicked Tenants

(Matthew 21:33–46; Mark 12:1–12)
9
Then he began to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard, and he loaned it to settlers, and he was on a sojourn for a long time.
10
And in due time, he sent a servant to the farmers, so that they would give to him from the fruit of the vineyard. And they beat him and drove him away, empty-handed.
11
And he continued to send another servant. But beating him and treating him with contempt, they likewise sent him away, empty-handed.
12
And he continued to send a third. And wounding him also, they drove him away.
13
Then the lord of the vineyard said: ‘What shall I do? I will send my beloved son. Perhaps when they have seen him, they will respect him.’
14
And when the settlers had seen him, they discussed it among themselves, saying: ‘This one is the heir. Let us kill him, so that the inheritance will be ours.’
15
And forcing him outside of the vineyard, they killed him. What, then, will the lord of the vineyard do to them?”
16
“He will come and destroy those settlers, and he will give the vineyard to others.” And upon hearing this, they said to him, “Let it not be.”(a)
17
Then, gazing at them, he said: “Then what does this mean, which is written: ‘The stone which the builders have rejected, the same has become the head of the corner?’
18
Everyone who falls on that stone will be shattered. And anyone upon whom it falls will be crushed.”

Paying Taxes to Caesar

(Matthew 22:15–22; Mark 12:13–17)
19
And the leaders of the priests, and the scribes, were seeking to lay hands on him in that same hour, but they feared the people. For they realized that he had spoken this parable about them.
20
And being attentive, they sent traitors, who would pretend that they were just, so that they might catch him in his words and then hand him over to the power and authority of the procurator.
21
And they questioned him, saying: “Teacher, we know that you speak and teach correctly, and that you do not consider anyone’s status, but you teach the way of God in truth.
22
Is it lawful for us to pay the tribute to Caesar, or not?”
23
But realizing their deceitfulness, he said to them: “Why do you test me?
24
Show me a denarius. Whose image and inscription does it have?” In response, they said to him, “Caesar’s.”
25
And so, he said to them: “Then repay the things that are Caesar’s, to Caesar, and the things that are God’s, to God.”
26
And they were not able to contradict his word before the people. And being amazed at his answer, they were silent.

The Sadducees and the Resurrection

(Matthew 22:23–33; Mark 12:18–27)
27
Now some of the Sadducees, who deny that there is a resurrection, approached him. And they questioned him,
28
saying: “Teacher, Moses wrote for us: If any man’s brother will have died, having a wife, and if he does not have any children, then his brother should take her as his wife, and he should raise up offspring for his brother.
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And so there were seven brothers. And the first took a wife, and he died without sons.
30
And the next one married her, and he also died without a son.(b)
31
And the third married her, and similarly all seven, and none of them left behind any offspring, and they each died.
32
Last of all, the woman also died.
33
In the resurrection, then, whose wife will she be? For certainly all seven had her as a wife.”
34
And so, Jesus said to them: “The children of this age marry and are given in marriage.
35
Yet truly, those who shall be held worthy of that age, and of the resurrection from the dead, will neither be married, nor take wives.(c)
36
For they can no longer die. For they are equal to the Angels, and they are children of God, since they are children of the resurrection.
37
For in truth, the dead do rise again, as Moses also showed beside the bush, when he called the Lord: ‘The God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’
38
And so he is not the God of the dead, but of the living. For all are alive to him.”
39
Then some of the scribes, in response, said to him, “Teacher, you have spoken well.”
40
And they no longer dared to question him about anything.

Whose Son Is the Christ?

(Matthew 22:41–46; Mark 12:35–37)
41
But he said to them: “How can they say that the Christ is the son of David?
42
Even David himself says, in the book of Psalms: ‘The Lord said to my Lord, sit at my right hand,
43
until I set your enemies as your footstool.’
44
Therefore, David calls him Lord. So how can he be his son?”

Beware of the Scribes

(Mark 12:38–40)
45
Now in the hearing of all the people, he said to his disciples:
46
“Be cautious of the scribes, who choose to walk in long robes, and who love greetings in the marketplace, and the first chairs in the synagogues, and the first places at table during feasts,
47
who devour the houses of widows, feigning long prayers. These will receive the greater damnation.”

Footnotes

(a)20:16 The word ‘absit’ (let it not be, or far be it) is basically the opposite of the word ‘fiat’ (let it be, or, so be it).(Conte)
(b)20:30 The bearing of male offspring was desired because lineage in ancient Judaism was through the male line. So, to carry on the brother’s name, a male offspring would be needed.(Conte)
(c)20:35 In other words, they will not still be married after death and resurrection, nor will they marry anew.(Conte)
(Matthew 21:23–27; Mark 11:27–33)
1
On one of those days, as he was teaching the people in the temple and preaching the Good News, the (a) priests and scribes came to him with the elders.
2
They asked him, “Tell us: by what authority do you do these things? Or who is giving you this authority?”
3
He answered them, “I also will ask you one question. Tell me:
4
the baptism of John, was it from heaven, or from men?”
5
They reasoned with themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Why didn’t you believe him?’
6
But if we say, ‘From men,’ all the people will stone us, for they are persuaded that John was a prophet.”
7
They answered that they didn’t know where it was from.
8
Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

The Parable of the Wicked Tenants

(Matthew 21:33–46; Mark 12:1–12)
9
He began to tell the people this parable: “A (b) man planted a vineyard and rented it out to some farmers, and went into another country for a long time.
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.
11
He sent yet another servant, and they also beat him and treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty.
12
He sent yet a third, and they also wounded him and threw him out.
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.’
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.’
15
Then they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. What therefore will the lord of the vineyard do to them?
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!”
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’? (c)
18
Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, but it will crush whomever it falls on to dust.”

Paying Taxes to Caesar

(Matthew 22:15–22; Mark 12:13–17)
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.
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.
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.
22
Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?”
23
But he perceived their craftiness, and said to them, “Why do you test me?
24
Show me a denarius. Whose image and inscription are on it?” They answered, “Caesar’s.”
25
He said to them, “Then give to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”
26
They weren’t able to trap him in his words before the people. They marveled at his answer and were silent.

The Sadducees and the Resurrection

(Matthew 22:23–33; Mark 12:18–27)
27
Some of the Sadducees came to him, those who deny that there is a resurrection.
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.
29
There were therefore seven brothers. The first took a wife, and died childless.
30
The second took her as wife, and he died childless.
31
The third took her, and likewise the seven all left no children, and died.
32
Afterward the woman also died.
33
Therefore in the resurrection whose wife of them will she be? For the seven had her as a wife.”
34
Jesus said to them, “The children of this age marry and are given in marriage.
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.
36
For they can’t die any more, for they are like the angels and are children of God, being children of the resurrection.
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.’ (d)
38
Now he is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for all are alive to him.”
39
Some of the scribes answered, “Teacher, you speak well.”
40
They didn’t dare to ask him any more questions.

Whose Son Is the Christ?

(Matthew 22:41–46; Mark 12:35–37)
41
He said to them, “Why do they say that the Christ is David’s son?
42
David himself says in the book of Psalms, ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand,
43
until I make your enemies the footstool of your feet.”’ (e)
44
“David therefore calls him Lord, so how is he his son?”

Beware of the Scribes

(Mark 12:38–40)
45
In the hearing of all the people, he 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;
47
who devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. These will receive greater condemnation.”

Footnotes

(a)20:1 TR adds “chief”
(b)20:9 NU (in brackets) and TR add “certain”
(c)20:17 ℘ Psalms 118:22
(d)20:37 ℘ Exodus 3:6
(e)20:43 ℘ Psalms 110:1
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