The Parable of the Wicked Tenants (Matthew 21:33–46; Luke 20:9–18)
1 UDB Then Jesus began to tell them a parable. He said, "A certain man planted a vineyard. He built a fence around it. He made a stone tank to collect the grape juice. He also built a tower for someone to sit in to guard his vineyard. He leased the vineyard to some farmers to cultivate it, and then he went away to another country. BSB BSB: Then Jesus began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a wine vat, and built a watchtower. Then he rented it out to some tenants and went away on a journey.
2 UDB When the time came to harvest the grapes, the owner of the vineyard sent a servant to the men who had taken a lease on his vineyard because he wanted to receive from them his share of the grapes that the vineyard had produced. BSB BSB: At harvest time, he sent a servant to the tenants to collect his share of the fruit of the vineyard.
3 UDB But when the servant arrived, they grabbed him and beat the servant, and they did not give him any fruit. Then they sent him away. BSB BSB: But they seized the servant, beat him, and sent him away empty-handed.
4 UDB Later the owner sent another servant to them. But they beat that one on the head and they hurt him terribly, for which they should be ashamed. BSB BSB: Then he sent them another servant, and they struck him over the head and treated him shamefully.
5 UDB Later the owner sent still another servant. The farmers killed that servant. They also mistreated many other servants whom he sent. Some they beat and some they killed. BSB BSB: He sent still another, and this one they killed. He sent many others; some they beat and others they killed.
6 UDB The owner still had one other person with him, his son, whom he loved very much. So he sent his son to them because he thought that they would respect him. BSB BSB: Finally, having one beloved son, he sent him to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said.
7 UDB But when the farmers saw his son coming, they said to each other, 'Look! Here comes the owner's son, who will inherit the vineyard! So let us kill him in order that this vineyard will be ours!' BSB BSB: But the tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’
8 UDB They seized the owner's son and killed him. Then they threw his body outside the vineyard. BSB BSB: So they seized the son, killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard.
9 UDB So do you know what the owner of the vineyard will do? He will come and kill those evil men who had taken a lease on his vineyard. Then he will arrange for other people to take care of it. BSB BSB: What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others.
10 UDB Now think carefully about these words that you have read in the scriptures: 'The men who were building the building refused to use a certain stone. But the Lord has put that same stone in its proper place, and it has become the most important stone in the building! BSB BSB: Have you never read this Scripture: ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.
11 UDB The Lord has done this, and we marvel as we look at it.'" BSB BSB: This is from the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?”
12 UDB Then the Jewish leaders realized that Jesus was accusing them when he told this story about what those wicked people did. So they wanted to arrest him. But they were afraid of what the crowds of people would do if they did that. So they left him and went away. BSB BSB: At this, the leaders sought to arrest Jesus, for they knew that He had spoken this parable against them. But fearing the crowd, they left Him and went away.
Paying Taxes to Caesar (Matthew 22:15–22; Luke 20:19–26)
13 UDB The Jewish leaders sent to Jesus some Pharisees and some members of the party that supported Herod Antipas. They wanted to trick Jesus; they wanted to make him say something wrong so they could show people that he taught wrong things and they could bring charges against him. BSB BSB: Later, they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to catch Jesus in His words.
14 UDB After they arrived, they said to him, "Teacher, we know that you teach the truth. We also know that you are not concerned about what people say about you, even if an important person does not like what you say. Instead, you teach truthfully what God wants us to do. So tell us what you think about this matter: Is it right that we pay taxes to the Roman government, or not? Should we pay the taxes, or should we not pay them?" BSB BSB: “Teacher,” they said, “we know that You are honest and seek favor from no one. Indeed, You are impartial and teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not? Should we pay them or not?”
15 UDB Jesus knew that they did not really want to know what God wanted them to do. So he said to them, "I know that you are just trying to make me say something wrong for which you can accuse me. But I will answer your question anyway. Bring me a coin so that I might look at it." BSB BSB: But Jesus saw through their hypocrisy and said, “Why are you testing Me? Bring Me a denarius to inspect.”
16 UDB After they had brought him a coin, he asked them, "Whose picture is on this coin? And whose name is on it?" They replied, "It is a picture and the name of Caesar." BSB BSB: So they brought it, and He asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?” “Caesar’s,” they answered.
17 UDB Jesus said to them, "That is correct, so give to Caesar what belongs to him, and give to God what belongs to him." They were completely amazed by what he said. BSB BSB: Then Jesus told them, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” And they marveled at Him.
The Sadducees and the Resurrection (Matthew 22:23–33; Luke 20:27–40)
18 UDB Men who belong to the group of Sadducees deny what other Jews believe, that people become alive again after they die. Some Sadducees came to Jesus and asked him, BSB BSB: Then the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Jesus and questioned Him:
19 UDB "Teacher, Moses wrote for us Jews that if a man's brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, his brother should marry the widow and raise up a descendant for his brother. BSB BSB: “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man is to marry his brother’s widow and raise up offspring for him.
20 UDB So here is an example. There were seven brothers in one family. The oldest one married a woman, but he and his wife did not have any children. Then he later died. BSB BSB: Now there were seven brothers. The first one married and died, leaving no children.
21 UDB The second brother also married that woman, but he, too, did not have any children. Then he later died. The third brother did like his other brothers did. But he also did not have any children, and later died. BSB BSB: Then the second one married the widow, but he also died and left no children. And the third did likewise.
22 UDB Eventually all seven brothers married that woman one by one, but no one had any children, and one by one they died. Afterwards the woman died, too. BSB BSB: In this way, none of the seven left any children. And last of all, the woman died.
23 UDB Now on the day when people will become alive again after they die, whose wife will that woman be? Keep in mind that she had been married to all seven brothers!" BSB BSB: In the resurrection, then, whose wife will she be? For all seven were married to her.”
24 UDB Jesus replied to them, "You are certainly wrong. You do not know what the scriptures teach about this. You also do not understand God's power to make people alive again. BSB BSB: Jesus said to them, “Aren’t you mistaken, because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God?
25 UDB That woman will not be the wife of any of those brothers, because when people become alive again, instead of men having wives and women having husbands, they will be like the angels in heaven. Angels do not marry. BSB BSB: When the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage. Instead, they will be like the angels in heaven.
26 UDB But let me talk about people becoming alive again after they die. In the book that Moses wrote, he wrote about people who have died; I am sure that you have read it. When Moses was looking at the bush that was burning, God said to him, 'I am the God whom Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob worship.' BSB BSB: But concerning the dead rising, have you not read about the burning bush in the Book of Moses, how God told him, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? 27 UDB Now it is not dead people who worship God. It is living people who worship him. So when you say that dead people do not become alive again, you are very wrong." BSB BSB: He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You are badly mistaken!”
The Greatest Commandment (Deuteronomy 6:1–19; Matthew 22:34–40)
30 UDB You must love the Lord your God in all that you want and feel, in all that you think, and in all that you do!' BSB BSB: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’
31 UDB The next most important commandment is: 'You must love the people around you as much as you love yourself.' No other commandment is more important than these two!" BSB BSB: The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.”
32 UDB The man said to Jesus, "Teacher, you have answered well. You correctly said that God is the only God and that there is no other God. BSB BSB: “Right, Teacher,” the scribe replied. “You have stated correctly that God is One and there is no other but Him,
33 UDB You have also said correctly that we should love God in all that we want and feel, in all that we think, and in all that we do. And you have said correctly that we must love people with whom we come in contact as much as we love ourselves. And you have also correctly said that doing these things pleases God more than offering animals to him or burning other sacrifices." BSB BSB: and to love Him with all your heart and with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself. This is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
34 UDB Jesus realized that this man had answered wisely. So he said to him, "You are close to becoming one of God's people." After that, the Jewish leaders were afraid to ask him any more questions like that to try to trick him. BSB BSB: When Jesus saw that the man had answered wisely, He said, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And no one dared to question Him any further.
Whose Son Is the Christ? (Matthew 22:41–46; Luke 20:41–44)
35 UDB Later, while Jesus was teaching in the temple area, he said to the people, "How is it that those who teach the law say—and they are correct in saying—that the Christ is the son of David? BSB BSB: While Jesus was teaching in the temple courts, He asked, “How can the scribes say that the Christ is the Son of David?
36 UDB The Holy Spirit caused David to say about the Christ, 'God said to my Lord, "Sit here beside me at my right hand, in the place where I will highly honor you above everyone else! Sit here while I completely defeat your enemies!"' BSB BSB: Speaking by the Holy Spirit, David himself declared: ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand until I put Your enemies under Your feet.”’
37 UDB In this Psalm of David he refers to the Christ as 'Lord.' But how—as the teachers of the law correctly say—can the Christ also be the descendant of David?" Many people listened to him gladly as he taught these things. BSB BSB: David himself calls Him ‘Lord.’ So how can He be David’s son?” And the large crowd listened to Him with delight.
Beware of the Scribes (Luke 20:45–47)
38 UDB While Jesus was teaching the people, he said to them, "Beware that you do not act like the men who teach our laws. They like people to honor them, so they put on long robes and walk around in order to show people how important they are. They also like people to greet them respectfully in the marketplaces. BSB BSB: In His teaching Jesus also said, “Watch out for the scribes. They like to walk around in long robes, to receive greetings in the marketplaces,
39 UDB They like to sit in the most important seats in the synagogues. At festivals, they like to sit in the seats where the most honored people sit. BSB BSB: and to have the chief seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets.
40 UDB They swindle the houses and property of widows by cheating them. Then they pretend that they are good by praying long prayers in public. God will certainly punish them severely!" BSB BSB: They defraud widows of their houses, and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will receive greater condemnation.”
The Widow’s Offering (Luke 21:1–4)
41 UDB Later, Jesus sat down in the temple area opposite the boxes in which people put offerings. As he was sitting there, he watched as they put money in one of the boxes. Many rich people put in large amounts of money. BSB BSB: As Jesus was sitting opposite the treasury, He watched the crowd putting money into it. And many rich people put in large amounts.
42 UDB Then a poor widow came along and put in two small copper coins, which had a very small value. BSB BSB: Then one poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which amounted to a small fraction of a denarius.
43 UDB Jesus gathered his disciples around him and said to them, "The truth is that those other people have a lot of money, but they gave only a small part of it. But this woman, who is very poor, has put in all the money that she had to pay for the things she needed for today. So this poor widow has put more money into the box than all the others!" BSB BSB: Jesus called His disciples to Him and said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more than all the others into the treasury.