Luke 20:3 - Prayer Tents

20One day he was teaching the people in the Temple, proclaiming the Message. The high priests, religion scholars, and leaders confrontedG2532G1096G1722G3391G1565G2250G846G1321G2992G1722G2411G2532G2097G749G2532G1122G2186G4862G42452him and demanded, "Show us your credentials. Who authorized you to speak and act like this?"G2532G2036G4314G846G3004G2036G2254G1722G4169G1849G4160G5023G2228G5101G2076G1325G4671G5026G18493Jesus answered, "First, let me ask you a question:G1161G611G2036G4314G846G2504G2065G2504G2065G5209G1520G3056G2532G2036G34274About the baptism of John—who authorized it, heaven or humans?"G908G2491G2258G1537G3772G2228G1537G4445They were on the spot, and knew it. They pulled back into a huddle and whispered, "If we say 'heaven,' he'll ask us why we didn't believe him;G1161G4817G4314G1438G3004G3754G1437G2036G1537G3772G2046G1302G3767G4100G846G37566if we say 'humans,' the people will tear us limb from limb, convinced as they are that John was God's prophet."G1161G1437G2036G1537G444G3956G2992G2642G2248G1063G2076G3982G2491G1511G43967They agreed to concede that round to Jesus and said they didn't know.G2532G611G1492G3361G1492G41598Jesus said, "Then neither will I answer your question."G2532G2424G2036G846G3761G3004G1473G5213G1722G4169G1849G4160G5023

The Story of Corrupt Farmhands

9Jesus told another story to the people: "A man planted a vineyard. He handed it over to farmhands and went off on a trip. He was gone a long time.G1161G756G3004G4314G2992G5026G3850G5100G444G5452G290G2532G1554G846G1554G1092G2532G589G2425G555010In time he sent a servant back to the farmhands to collect the profits, but they beat him up and sent him off empty-handed.G2532G1722G2540G649G1401G4314G1092G2443G1325G846G575G2590G290G1161G1092G1194G846G1821G275611He decided to try again and sent another servant. That one they beat black and blue, and sent him off empty-handed.G2532G4369G3992G2087G1401G1161G1194G2548G2532G818G1821G275612He tried a third time. They worked that servant over from head to foot and dumped him in the street.G2532G4369G3992G5154G1161G5135G5126G2532G154413"Then the owner of the vineyard said, 'I know what I'll do: I'll send my beloved son. They're bound to respect my son.'G1161G2036G2962G290G5101G4160G3992G3450G27G5207G2481G1788G1492G512614"But when the farmhands saw him coming, they quickly put their heads together. 'This is our chance—this is the heir! Let's kill him and have it all to ourselves.'G1161G1092G1492G846G1260G4314G1438G3004G3778G2076G2818G1205G615G846G2443G2817G1096G225715They killed him and threw him over the fence. "What do you think the owner of the vineyard will do?G2532G1544G846G1854G290G615G5101G3767G4160G2962G290G4160G84616Right. He'll come and clean house. Then he'll assign the care of the vineyard to others." Those who were listening said, "Oh, no! He'd never do that!"G2064G2532G622G5128G1092G2532G1325G290G243G1161G191G2036G3361G109617But Jesus didn't back down. "Why, then, do you think this was written: That stone the masons threw out— It's now the cornerstone!?G1161G1689G846G2036G5101G2076G5124G3767G1125G3037G3739G3618G593G3778G1096G2776G1519G113718"Anyone falling over that stone will break every bone in his body; if the stone falls on anyone, it will be a total smashup."G3956G4098G1909G1565G3037G4917G1161G1909G3739G302G4098G3039G846G303919The religion scholars and high priests wanted to lynch him on the spot, but they were intimidated by public opinion. They knew the story was about them.G2532G749G2532G1122G1722G846G5610G2212G1911G5495G1909G846G2532G5399G2992G1063G1097G3754G2036G5026G3850G4314G846

Paying Taxes

20Watching for a chance to get him, they sent spies who posed as honest inquirers, hoping to trick him into saying something that would get him in trouble with the law.G2532G3906G649G1455G5271G1511G1438G1342G2443G1949G846G3056G1519G3860G846G746G2532G1849G223221So they asked him, "Teacher, we know that you're honest and straightforward when you teach, that you don't pander to anyone but teach the way of God accurately.G2532G1905G846G3004G1320G1492G3754G3004G2532G1321G3723G2532G3756G2983G4383G235G1321G3598G2316G225G190922Tell us: Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not?"G1832G2254G1325G5411G2541G2228G375623He knew they were laying for him and said,G1161G2657G846G3834G2036G4314G846G5101G3985G316524"Show me a coin. Now, this engraving, who does it look like and what does it say?"G1925G3427G1220G5101G1504G2532G1923G2192G611G1161G2036G254125"Caesar," they said. Jesus said, "Then give Caesar what is his and give God what is his."G1161G2036G846G591G5106G2541G3588G2541G2532G2316G3588G231626Try as they might, they couldn't trap him into saying anything incriminating. His answer caught them off guard and left them speechless.G2532G2480G3756G1949G846G4487G1726G2992G2532G2296G1909G846G612G4601

All Intimacies Will Be with God

27Some Sadducees came up. This is the Jewish party that denies any possibility of resurrection. They asked,G1161G4334G5100G4523G3588G483G1511G3361G386G1905G84628"Teacher, Moses wrote us that if a man dies and leaves a wife but no child, his brother is obligated to take the widow to wife and get her with child.G3004G1320G3475G1125G2254G1437G5100G80G599G2192G1135G2532G3778G599G815G2443G846G80G2983G1135G2532G1817G4690G846G8029Well, there once were seven brothers. The first took a wife. He died childless.G2258G3767G2033G80G2532G4413G2983G1135G599G81530The second married her and died,G2532G1208G2983G1135G2532G3778G599G81531then the third, and eventually all seven had their turn, but no child.G2532G5154G2983G846G1161G5615G2033G2532G2641G3756G5043G2532G59932After all that, the wife died.G1161G5305G3956G1135G599G253233That wife, now—in the resurrection whose wife is she? All seven married her."G3767G1722G386G5101G1135G846G1096G1063G2033G2192G846G113534Jesus said, "Marriage is a major preoccupation here,G2532G2424G611G2036G846G5207G5127G165G1060G2532G154835but not there. Those who are included in the resurrection of the dead will no longer be concerned with marriageG1161G2661G5177G1565G165G2532G386G1537G3498G3777G1060G3777G154836nor, of course, with death. They will have better things to think about, if you can believe it. All ecstasies and intimacies then will be with God.G3777G1063G1410G599G2089G1063G1526G2465G2532G1526G5207G2316G5607G5207G38637Even Moses exclaimed about resurrection at the burning bush, saying, 'God: God of Abraham, God of Isaac, God of Jacob!'G1161G3754G3498G1453G2532G3475G3377G1909G942G5613G3004G2962G2316G11G2532G2316G2464G2532G2316G238438God isn't the God of dead men, but of the living. To him all are alive."G1161G2076G3756G2316G3498G235G2198G1063G3956G2198G84639Some of the religion scholars said, "Teacher, that's a great answer!"G1161G5100G1122G611G2036G1320G2573G203640For a while, anyway, no one dared put questions to him.G1161G3765G5111G3765G1905G846G376241Then he put a question to them: "How is it that they say that the Messiah is David's son?G1161G2036G4314G846G4459G3004G5547G1511G1138G520742In the Book of Psalms, David clearly says, God said to my Master, "Sit here at my right handG2532G1138G846G3004G1722G976G5568G2962G2036G3450G2962G2521G1537G3450G118843until I put your enemies under your feet."G2193G302G5087G4675G2190G4675G4228G528644"David here designates the Messiah as 'my Master'—so how can the Messiah also be his 'son'?"G1138G3767G2564G846G2962G4459G2076G2532G846G520745With everybody listening, Jesus spoke to his disciples.G1161G191G3956G2992G2036G846G310146"Watch out for the religion scholars. They love to walk around in academic gowns, preen in the radiance of public flattery, bask in prominent positions, sit at the head table at every church function.G4337G575G1122G3588G2309G4043G1722G4749G2532G5368G783G1722G58G2532G4410G1722G4864G2532G4411G1722G117347And all the time they are exploiting the weak and helpless. The longer their prayers, the worse they get. But they'll pay for it in the end."G3739G2719G5503G3614G2532G4392G4336G3117G4336G3778G2983G4055G2917