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20:1-19 And it happened that on one of the days that he
was teaching the people in the temple and telling them about the good news,
the chief priests and the scribes as well as the elders came upon him. They spoke out saying to him "Tell
us by what authority you do these things.
Who is the one who has authorised this?" And answering he said to them. "I will ask a word from you. Tell me.
The baptism of John. was it from
heaven or was it from men?"
They debated amongst themselves saying "If we say it was from
heaven then he will say "Why then did you not believe him?" And if we say from men, the people will
stone us. They were persuaded that
John was a prophet." And so
they answered that they did not know.
And Jesus said to them . "Neither will I tell you by what
authority I do these things."
And he began to tell the people this parable. "There was a man who planted a vineyard.
He let it out to husbandmen and went away for a long time. And eventually he sent a slave to the
husbandmen so that they would give him the fruit of the vineyard. But the husbandmen beat him and sent him
away empty- handed. He sent another
slave. But they also
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beat
that one and insulted him and sent him away empty-handed. He (the husbandman) sent a third. But they threw this one out also,
wounding him. The owner of the
vineyard said. "What can I do?
I will send my beloved son.
Perhaps they will have regard for him." But on seeing him the husbandmen debated
with one another saying. "This is the heir. Let us kill him that we may have the
inheritance." And throwing him outside the vineyard they killed
him. Now what will the owner of the
vineyard therefore do to them.? He
will come and destroy these husbandman and give the vineyard to
others." And hearing this they
(the priests etc ) said "May this not be." And he looking at them said
"Consider what has been written. "The stone which is rejected by
the ones doing the building - this came to be the head cornerstone. And everyone falling on that stone will
be broken to pieces. But on whoever
it falls, it will crush him to powder." And the scribes and the chief priests
wanted to lay their hands on him at that time. But they feared the people. They knew that he had told this parable
as something being aimed at them (the priests and scribes and elders).
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