1 One day, as he was teaching the people in the temple and preaching the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes with the elders came up 2 and said to him, “Tell us by what authority you do these things, or who it is that gave you this authority.”  3 He answered them, “I also will ask you a question; now tell me, 4 Was the baptism of John from heaven or from men?” 5 And they discussed it with one another, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Why did you not believe him?’ 6 But if we say, ‘From men,’ all the people will stone us; for they are convinced that John was a prophet.”  7 So they answered that they did not know whence it was.  8 And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

20:1 και εγενετο εν μια των ημερων εκεινων διδασκοντος αυτου τον λαον εν τω ιερω και ευαγγελιζομενου επεστησαν οι ιερεις και οι γραμματεις συν τοις πρεσβυτεροις 20:2 και ειπον προς αυτον λεγοντες ειπε ημιν εν ποια εξουσια ταυτα ποιεις η τις εστιν ο δους σοι την εξουσιαν ταυτην 20:3 αποκριθεις δε ειπεν προς αυτους ερωτησω υμας καγω ενα λογον και ειπατε μοι  20:4 το βαπτισμα ιωαννου εξ ουρανου ην η εξ ανθρωπων 20:5 οι δε συνελογισαντο προς εαυτους λεγοντες οτι εαν ειπωμεν εξ ουρανου ερει δια τι ουκ επιστευσατε αυτω 20:6 εαν δε ειπωμεν εξ ανθρωπων πας ο λαος καταλιθασει ημας πεπεισμενος γαρ εστιν ιωαννην προφητην ειναι 20:7 και απεκριθησαν μη ειδεναι ποθεν 20:8 και ο ιησους ειπεν αυτοις ουδε εγω λεγω υμιν εν ποια εξουσια ταυτα ποιω

John Dominic Crossan, “Parables of Action,” In Parables, p. 86-96

9      Isaiah 5:1
17    Psalm 118:22

18        Christian Wiman,  Zero at the Bone, p. 94

9 And he began to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard, and let it out to tenants, and went into another country for a long while.  10 When the time came, he sent a servant to the tenants, that they should give him some of the fruit of the vineyard; but the tenants beat him, and sent him away empty-handed.  11 And he sent another servant; him also they beat and treated shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed.  12 And he sent yet a third; this one they wounded and cast out.  13 Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my beloved son; it may be they will respect him.’  14 But when the tenants saw him, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir; let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours.’  15 And they cast him out of the vineyard and killed him. What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them?  16 He will come and destroy those tenants, and give the vineyard to others.” When they heard this, they said, “God forbid!”  17 But he looked at them and said, “What then is this that is written: ‘The very stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner’?  18 Every one who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces; but when it falls on any one it will crush him.”  19 The scribes and the chief priests tried to lay hands on him at that very hour, but they feared the people; for they perceived that he had told this parable against them.

20:9 ηρξατο δε προς τον λαον λεγειν την παραβολην ταυτην ανθρωπος εφυτευσεν αμπελωνα και εξεδοτο αυτον γεωργοις και απεδημησεν χρονους ικανους 20:10 και εν καιρω απεστειλεν προς τους γεωργους δουλον ινα απο του καρπου του αμπελωνος δωσιν αυτω οι δε γεωργοι δειραντες αυτον εξαπεστειλαν κενον 20:11 και προσεθετο πεμψαι ετερον δουλον οι δε κακεινον δειραντες και ατιμασαντες εξαπεστειλαν κενον 20:12 και προσεθετο πεμψαι τριτον οι δε και τουτον τραυματισαντες εξεβαλον 20:13 ειπεν δε ο κυριος του αμπελωνος τι ποιησω πεμψω τον υιον μου τον αγαπητον ισως τουτον ιδοντες εντραπησονται 20:14 ιδοντες δε αυτον οι γεωργοι διελογιζοντο προς εαυτους λεγοντες ουτος εστιν ο κληρονομος δευτε αποκτεινωμεν αυτον ινα ημων γενηται η κληρονομια 20:15 και εκβαλοντες αυτον εξω του αμπελωνος απεκτειναν τι ουν ποιησει αυτοις ο κυριος του αμπελωνος 20:16 ελευσεται και απολεσει τους γεωργους τουτους και δωσει τον αμπελωνα αλλοις ακουσαντες δε ειπον μη γενοιτο 20:17 ο δε εμβλεψας αυτοις ειπεν τι ουν εστιν το γεγραμμενον τουτο λιθον ον απεδοκιμασαν οι οικοδομουντες ουτος εγενηθη εις κεφαλην γωνιας 20:18 πας ο πεσων επ εκεινον τον λιθον συνθλασθησεται εφ ον δ αν πεση λικμησει αυτον 20:19 και εζητησαν οι αρχιερεις και οι γραμματεις επιβαλειν επ αυτον τας χειρας εν αυτη τη ωρα και εφοβηθησαν εγνωσαν γαρ οτι προς αυτους την παραβολην ταυτην ειπεν

Helmut Thielicke, “How Can God and Politics Mix?,” How to Believe Again, p. 152-168

20 So they watched him, and sent spies, who pretended to be sincere, that they might take hold of what he said, so as to deliver him up to the authority and jurisdiction of the governor.  21 They asked him, “Teacher, we know that you speak and teach rightly, and show no partiality, but truly teach the way of God.  22 Is it lawful for us to give tribute to Caesar, or not?” 23 But he perceived their craftiness, and said to them, 24 “Show me a coin. Whose likeness and inscription has it?” They said, “Caesar’s.”  25 He said to them, “Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”  26 And they were not able in the presence of the people to catch him by what he said; but marveling at his answer they were silent.

20:20 και παρατηρησαντες απεστειλαν εγκαθετους υποκρινομενους εαυτους δικαιους ειναι ινα επιλαβωνται αυτου λογου εις το παραδουναι αυτον τη αρχη και τη εξουσια του ηγεμονος 20:21 και επηρωτησαν αυτον λεγοντες διδασκαλε οιδαμεν οτι ορθως λεγεις και διδασκεις και ου λαμβανεις προσωπον αλλ επ αληθειας την οδον του θεου διδασκεις 20:22 εξεστιν ημιν καισαρι φορον δουναι η ου 20:23 κατανοησας δε αυτων την πανουργιαν ειπεν προς αυτους τι με πειραζετε 20:24 επιδειξατε μοι δηναριον τινος εχει εικονα και επιγραφην αποκριθεντες δε ειπον καισαρος 20:25 ο δε ειπεν αυτοις αποδοτε τοινυν τα καισαρος καισαρι και τα του θεου τω θεω 20:26 και ουκ ισχυσαν επιλαβεσθαι αυτου ρηματος εναντιον του λαου και θαυμασαντες επι τη αποκρισει αυτου εσιγησαν

Dom Helder Camara, Through the Gospel, p. 133
Andrew Greeley, “Who Said Marriage Was Easy?,” When Life Hurts, p. 165-168
Thomas R. Haney, Today’s Spirituality, p. 16

27    Acts 23:8
28    Deuteronomy 25:5
37    Exodus 3:6

27-28     Jacob Milgrom, “The Most Basic Law in the Bible,” Bible Review (August 1995), p. 17 f.

38        Wendell Berry, “2013:  XIV,” Another Day, p. 20

38        Francis Patrick Sullivan, “Lost Faith,” A Time To Sow, p. 198

27 There came to him some Sadducees, those who say that there is no resurrection, 28 and they asked him a question, saying, “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies, having a wife but no children, the man must take the wife and raise up children for his brother.  29 Now there were seven brothers; the first took a wife, and died without children; 30 and the second 31 and the third took her, and likewise all seven left no children and died.  32 Afterward the woman also died.  33 In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For the seven had her as wife.”

34 And Jesus said to them, “The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage; 35 but those who are accounted worthy to attain to that age and to the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage, 36 for they cannot die any more, because they are equal to angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.  37 But that the dead are raised, even Moses showed, in the passage about the bush, where he calls the Lord the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.  38 Now he is not God of the dead, but of the living; for all live to him.”  39 And some of the scribes answered, “Teacher, you have spoken well.”  40 For they no longer dared to ask him any question.

20:27 προσελθοντες δε τινες των σαδδουκαιων οι αντιλεγοντες αναστασιν μη ειναι επηρωτησαν αυτον 20:28 λεγοντες διδασκαλε μωσης εγραψεν ημιν εαν τινος αδελφος αποθανη εχων γυναικα και ουτος ατεκνος αποθανη ινα λαβη ο αδελφος αυτου την γυναικα και εξαναστηση σπερμα τω αδελφω αυτου 20:29 επτα ουν αδελφοι ησαν και ο πρωτος λαβων γυναικα απεθανεν ατεκνος 20:30 και ελαβεν ο δευτερος την γυναικα και ουτος απεθανεν ατεκνος 20:31 και ο τριτος ελαβεν αυτην ωσαυτως ωσαυτως δε και οι επτα ου κατελιπον τεκνα και απεθανον 20:32 υστερον [δε] παντων απεθανεν και η γυνη 20:33 εν τη ουν αναστασει τινος αυτων γινεται γυνη οι γαρ επτα εσχον αυτην γυναικα 20:34 και αποκριθεις ειπεν αυτοις ο ιησους οι υιοι του αιωνος τουτου γαμουσιν και εκγαμισκονται 20:35 οι δε καταξιωθεντες του αιωνος εκεινου τυχειν και της αναστασεως της εκ νεκρων ουτε γαμουσιν ουτε εκγαμιζονται 20:36 ουτε γαρ αποθανειν ετι δυνανται ισαγγελοι γαρ εισιν και υιοι εισιν του θεου της αναστασεως υιοι οντες 20:37 οτι δε εγειρονται οι νεκροι και μωσης εμηνυσεν επι της βατου ως λεγει κυριον τον θεον αβρααμ και τον θεον ισαακ και τον θεον ιακωβ 20:38 θεος δε ουκ εστιν νεκρων αλλα ζωντων παντες γαρ αυτω ζωσιν 20:39 αποκριθεντες δε τινες των γραμματεων ειπον διδασκαλε καλως ειπας 20:40 ουκετι δε ετολμων επερωταν αυτον ουδεν

42-43     Psalm 110:1

41 But he said to them, “How can they say that the Christ is David’s son?  42 For David himself says in the Book of Psalms, ‘The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand, 43 till I make thy enemies a stool for thy feet.’  44 David thus calls him Lord; so how is he his son?”

20:41 ειπεν δε προς αυτους πως λεγουσιν τον χριστον υιον δαυιδ ειναι 20:42 και αυτος δαυιδ λεγει εν βιβλω ψαλμων ειπεν ο κυριος τω κυριω μου καθου εκ δεξιων μου  20:43 εως αν θω τους εχθρους σου υποποδιον των ποδων σου 20:44 δαυιδ ουν κυριον αυτον καλει και πως υιος αυτου εστιν 20:45 ακουοντος δε παντος του λαου ειπεν τοις μαθηταις αυτου 20:46 προσεχετε απο των γραμματεων των θελοντων περιπατειν εν στολαις και φιλουντων ασπασμους εν ταις αγοραις και πρωτοκαθεδριας εν ταις συναγωγαις και πρωτοκλισιας εν τοις δειπνοις 20:47 οι κατεσθιουσιν τας οικιας των χηρων και προφασει μακρα προσευχονται ουτοι ληψονται περισσοτερον κριμα

45 And in the hearing of all the people he said to his disciples, 46 “Beware of the scribes, who like to go about in long robes, and love salutations in the market places and the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, 47 who devour widows’ houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.”