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21:23-46
On
his coming into the temple to teach the chief priests and the elders of
the people approached him saying “By what authority do you do these things
and who gave this authority to you.?” Answering Jesus said to them “I also will question you with a word. If you tell me the answer I will also
tell you by what authority I do these things. The baptism of John. Where did it come from, from heaven or
from men?” They reasoned amongst themselves saying “If we say it was from
heaven then he will say to us ‘Why then did you not believe him.’ But if we say “From men” we are afraid of
the crowd for they will all have John as a prophet.” So they said “We do not know.” Then he
said to them Neither will I tell
you by what authority I do these things. How does it seem to you? A man had two children. He approached the first and he said
“Child go to work in the vineyard today.” But he answering said “I go
Lord”. But he did not. And then approaching the second the man
said similarly. And the second
answering said “I will not”. But
later on repenting, he went. Which
of the two did the will of the father?
They said “The latter.” Jesus says to them “Truly I tell you the tax-collectors and
the harlots are going before you into the kingdom of God. For John came to you in a way of
righteousness and you did not believe him.
But the tax-collectors and the harlots believed him. But you on seeing did not repent later so
as to believe him.
Listen
to another parable. A man who was a
housemaster planted a vineyard and put a hedge
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around
it and dug a winepress in it and built a tower. He let it out to husbandmen and
departed. And when the time of the
harvest drew near he sent his slaves to the husbandmen to receive its
fruits. And taking his slaves they
flogged this one, they killed that one and they stoned another. Again he sent other slaves, more than the
first ones and they did the same to them.
But later he sent his son to them saying. “They will respect my son.” But on seeing the son the husbandmen said
amongst themselves. “This is the
heir. Come let us kill him and let
us take possession of his inheritance.”
And taking him they cast him outside the vineyard and killed.
him. When therefore the lord of the
vineyard comes, what will he do to those husbandmen. They said to him “As they are bad men he will destroy them
and he will give out the vineyard to other husbandmen who will render to
him its fruits in due season.” Jesus says to them. “Did you never read in the Scriptures. “A
stone which is rejected by the builders has become the corner-stone. This has come from the Lord and it is a
marvel in our eyes.” Therefore I
tell you the Kingdom
of God will be taken
from you and will be given to a nation producing its fruits. And the one falling on the stone will be
broken to pieces. But on whomever it
falls, it will crush him to powder.”
And hearing this the chief priests and the Pharisees knew the
parables he told were concerning them.
They sought to seize him but they
feared the crowds who held him as a prophet.
(Note:
The parable explains the first part)
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