Matthew 20-23

1“For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard.

2He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard.

3About the third hour he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing.

4‘You also go into my vineyard,’ he said, ‘and I will pay you whatever is right.’

5So they went. He went out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour and did the same thing.

6About the eleventh hour he went out and found still others standing around. ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’ he asked.

7‘Because no one has hired us,’ they answered. So he told them, ‘You also go into my vineyard.’

8When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, starting with the last ones hired and moving on to the first.’

9The workers who were hired about the eleventh hour came and each received a denarius.

10So when the original workers came, they assumed they would receive more. But each of them also received a denarius.

11On receiving their pay, they began to grumble against the landowner.

12‘These men who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the scorching heat of the day.’

13But he answered one of them, ‘Friend, I am not being unfair to you. Did you not agree with me on one denarius?

14Take your pay and go. I want to give this last man the same as I gave you.

15Do I not have the right to do as I please with what is mine? Or are you envious because I am generous?’

16So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”

17As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, He took the twelve disciples aside and said,

18“Look, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes. They will condemn Him to death

19and will deliver Him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. And on the third day He will be raised to life.”

20Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus with her sons and knelt down to make a request of Him.

21“What do you want?” He inquired. She answered, “Declare that in Your kingdom one of these two sons of mine may sit at Your right hand, and the other at Your left.”

22“You do not know what you are asking,” Jesus replied. “Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?” “We can,” the brothers answered.

23“You will indeed drink My cup,” Jesus said. “But to sit at My right or left is not Mine to grant. These seats belong to those for whom My Father has prepared them.”

24When the ten heard about this, they were indignant with the two brothers.

25But Jesus called them aside and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their superiors exercise authority over them.

26It shall not be this way among you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,

27and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave—

28just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”

29As they were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed Him.

30And there were two blind men sitting beside the road. When they heard that Jesus was passing by, they cried out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”

31The crowd admonished them to be silent, but they cried out all the louder, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”

32Jesus stopped and called them. “What do you want Me to do for you?” He asked.

33“Lord,” they answered, “let our eyes be opened.”

34Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes, and at once they received their sight and followed Him.

1As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent out two disciples,

2saying to them, “Go into the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt beside her. Untie them and bring them to Me.

3If anyone questions you, tell him that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”

4This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:

5“Say to the Daughter of Zion, ‘See, your King comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”

6So the disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them.

7They brought the donkey and the colt and laid their cloaks on them, and Jesus sat on them.

8A massive crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.

9The crowds that went ahead of Him and those that followed were shouting: “Hosanna to the Son of David!” “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Hosanna in the highest!”

10When Jesus had entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?”

11The crowds replied, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”

12Then Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those selling doves.

13And He declared to them, “It is written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer.’ But you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’”

14The blind and the lame came to Him at the temple, and He healed them.

15But the chief priests and scribes were indignant when they saw the wonders He performed and the children shouting in the temple courts, “Hosanna to the Son of David!”

16“Do You hear what these children are saying?” they asked. “Yes,” Jesus answered. “Have you never read: ‘From the mouths of children and infants You have ordained praise’?”

17Then He left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where He spent the night.

18In the morning, as Jesus was returning to the city, He was hungry.

19Seeing a fig tree by the road, He went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. “May you never bear fruit again!” He said. And immediately the tree withered.

20When the disciples saw this, they marveled and asked, “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?”

21“Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “if you have faith and do not doubt, not only will you do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen.

22If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”

23When Jesus returned to the temple courts and began to teach, the chief priests and elders of the people came up to Him. “By what authority are You doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave You this authority?”

24“I will also ask you one question,” Jesus replied, “and if you answer Me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things.

25What was the source of John’s baptism? Was it from heaven or from men?” They deliberated among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will ask, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’

26But if we say, ‘From men,’ we are afraid of the people, for they all regard John as a prophet.”

27So they answered, “We do not know.” And Jesus replied, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.

28But what do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first one and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’

29‘I will not,’ he replied. But later he changed his mind and went.

30Then the man went to the second son and told him the same thing. ‘I will, sir,’ he said. But he did not go.

31Which of the two did the will of his father?” “The first,” they answered. Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God before you.

32For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.

33Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it, and built a tower. Then he rented it out to some tenants and went away on a journey.

34When the harvest time drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his share of the fruit.

35But the tenants seized his servants. They beat one, killed another, and stoned a third.

36Again, he sent other servants, more than the first group. But the tenants did the same to them.

37Finally, he sent his son to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said.

38But when the tenants saw the son, they said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and take his inheritance.’

39So they seized him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.

40Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard returns, what will he do to those tenants?”

41“He will bring those wretches to a wretched end,” they replied, “and will rent out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him his share of the fruit at harvest time.”

42Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. This is from the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?

43Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.

44He who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed.”

45When the chief priests and Pharisees heard His parables, they knew that Jesus was speaking about them.

46Although they wanted to arrest Him, they were afraid of the crowds, because the people regarded Him as a prophet.

1Once again, Jesus spoke to them in parables:

2“The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son.

3He sent his servants to call those he had invited to the banquet, but they refused to come.

4Again, he sent other servants and said, ‘Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner. My oxen and fattened cattle have been killed, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.’

5But they paid no attention and went away, one to his field, another to his business.

6The rest seized his servants, mistreated them, and killed them.

7The king was enraged, and he sent his troops to destroy those murderers and burn their city.

8Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited were not worthy.

9Go therefore to the crossroads and invite to the banquet as many as you can find.’

10So the servants went out into the streets and gathered everyone they could find, both evil and good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.

11But when the king came in to see the guests, he spotted a man who was not dressed in wedding clothes.

12‘Friend,’ he asked, ‘how did you get in here without wedding clothes?’ But the man was speechless.

13Then the king told the servants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

14For many are called, but few are chosen.”

15Then the Pharisees went out and conspired to trap Jesus in His words.

16They sent their disciples to Him along with the Herodians. “Teacher,” they said, “we know that You are honest and that You teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You seek favor from no one, because You pay no attention to external appearance.

17So tell us what You think: Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”

18But Jesus knew their evil intent and said, “You hypocrites, why are you testing Me?

19Show Me the coin used for the tax.” And they brought Him a denarius.

20“Whose image is this,” He asked, “and whose inscription?”

21“Caesar’s,” they answered. So Jesus told them, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”

22And when they heard this, they were amazed. So they left Him and went away.

23That same day the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Jesus and questioned Him.

24“Teacher,” they said, “Moses declared that if a man dies without having children, his brother is to marry the widow and raise up offspring for him.

25Now there were seven brothers among us. The first one married and died without having children. So he left his wife to his brother.

26The same thing happened to the second and third brothers, down to the seventh.

27And last of all, the woman died.

28In the resurrection, then, whose wife will she be of the seven? For all of them were married to her.”

29Jesus answered, “You are mistaken because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God.

30In the resurrection, people will neither marry nor be given in marriage. Instead, they will be like the angels in heaven.

31But concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what God said to you:

32‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not the God of the dead, but of the living.”

33When the crowds heard this, they were astonished at His teaching.

34And when the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they themselves gathered together.

35One of them, an expert in the law, tested Him with a question:

36“Teacher, which commandment is the greatest in the Law?”

37Jesus declared, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’

38This is the first and greatest commandment.

39And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’

40All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

41While the Pharisees were assembled, Jesus questioned them:

42“What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is He?” “David’s,” they answered.

43Jesus said to them, “How then does David in the Spirit call Him ‘Lord’? For he says:

44‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand until I put Your enemies under Your feet.”’

45So if David calls Him ‘Lord,’ how can He be David’s son?”

46No one was able to answer a word, and from that day on no one dared to question Him any further.

1Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples:

2“The scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat.

3So practice and observe everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.

4They tie up heavy, burdensome loads and lay them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.

5All their deeds are done for men to see. They broaden their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels.

6They love the places of honor at banquets, the chief seats in the synagogues,

7the greetings in the marketplaces, and the title of ‘Rabbi’ by which they are addressed.

8But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers.

9And do not call anyone on earth your father, for you have one Father, who is in heaven.

10Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Christ.

11The greatest among you shall be your servant.

12For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

13Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let in those who wish to enter.

15Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You traverse land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are.

16Woe to you, blind guides! You say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’

17You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes it sacred?

18And you say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gift on it, he is bound by his oath.’

19You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes it sacred?

20So then, he who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it.

21And he who swears by the temple swears by it and by the One who dwells in it.

22And he who swears by heaven swears by God’s throne and by the One who sits on it.

23Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You pay tithes of mint, dill, and cumin. But you have disregarded the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.

24You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.

25Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.

26Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, so that the outside may become clean as well.

27Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and every kind of impurity.

28In the same way, on the outside you appear to be righteous, but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.

29Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous.

30And you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partners with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’

31So you testify against yourselves that you are the sons of those who murdered the prophets.

32Fill up, then, the measure of the sin of your fathers.

33You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape the sentence of hell?

34Because of this, I am sending you prophets and wise men and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify, and others you will flog in your synagogues and persecute from town to town.

35And so upon you will come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.

36Truly I tell you, all these things will come upon this generation.

37O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were unwilling!

38Look, your house is left to you desolate.

39For I tell you that you will not see Me again until you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.’”