Luke 20:1-18.
Luke 20.1-18
A Question about Jesus' Authority
One day, Jesus was teaching in the temple and telling the good news.
So the chief priests, the teachers, and the nation's leaders asked
him, "What right do you have to do these things? Who gave you this
authority?" Jesus replied, "I want to ask you a question. Who gave
John the right to baptize? Was it God in heaven or merely some human
being?" They talked this over and said to each other, "We can't say
that God gave John this right. Jesus will ask us why we didn't believe
John. And we can't say that it was merely some human who gave John
the right to baptize. The crowd will stone us to death, because they
think John was a prophet." So they told Jesus, "We don't know who gave
John the right to baptize." Jesus replied, "Then I won't tell you who
gave me the right to do what I do."
Renters of a Vineyard
Jesus told the people this story: A man once planted a vineyard and
rented it out. Then he left the country for a long time. When it was
time to harvest the crop, he sent a servant to ask the renters for his
share of the grapes. But they beat up the servant and sent him away
without anything. So the owner sent another servant. The renters also
beat him up. They insulted him terribly and sent him away without a
thing. The owner sent a third servant. He was also beaten terribly
and thrown out of the vineyard. The owner then said to himself, "What
am I going to do? I know what. I'll send my son, the one I love so
much. They will surely respect him!" When the renters saw the owner's
son, they said to one another, "Someday he will own the vineyard.
Let's kill him! Then we can have it all for ourselves." So they threw
him out of the vineyard and killed him. Jesus asked, "What do you
think the owner of the vineyard will do? I'll tell you what. He will
come and kill those renters and let someone else have his vineyard."
When the people heard this, they said, "This must never happen!" But
Jesus looked straight at them and said, "Then what do the Scriptures
mean when they say, 'The stone that the builders tossed aside is now
the most important stone of all'? Anyone who stumbles over this stone
will get hurt, and anyone it falls on will be smashed to pieces."
Father God, forgive my sins. Thank you for sending Jesus Christ down
to die on the cross and for shedding his blood for me. Three days
later you resurrected him. I accept that. I invite Jesus Christ into
my heart as my Lord and savior. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.
God bless you.
A Question about Jesus' Authority
One day, Jesus was teaching in the temple and telling the good news.
So the chief priests, the teachers, and the nation's leaders asked
him, "What right do you have to do these things? Who gave you this
authority?" Jesus replied, "I want to ask you a question. Who gave
John the right to baptize? Was it God in heaven or merely some human
being?" They talked this over and said to each other, "We can't say
that God gave John this right. Jesus will ask us why we didn't believe
John. And we can't say that it was merely some human who gave John
the right to baptize. The crowd will stone us to death, because they
think John was a prophet." So they told Jesus, "We don't know who gave
John the right to baptize." Jesus replied, "Then I won't tell you who
gave me the right to do what I do."
Renters of a Vineyard
Jesus told the people this story: A man once planted a vineyard and
rented it out. Then he left the country for a long time. When it was
time to harvest the crop, he sent a servant to ask the renters for his
share of the grapes. But they beat up the servant and sent him away
without anything. So the owner sent another servant. The renters also
beat him up. They insulted him terribly and sent him away without a
thing. The owner sent a third servant. He was also beaten terribly
and thrown out of the vineyard. The owner then said to himself, "What
am I going to do? I know what. I'll send my son, the one I love so
much. They will surely respect him!" When the renters saw the owner's
son, they said to one another, "Someday he will own the vineyard.
Let's kill him! Then we can have it all for ourselves." So they threw
him out of the vineyard and killed him. Jesus asked, "What do you
think the owner of the vineyard will do? I'll tell you what. He will
come and kill those renters and let someone else have his vineyard."
When the people heard this, they said, "This must never happen!" But
Jesus looked straight at them and said, "Then what do the Scriptures
mean when they say, 'The stone that the builders tossed aside is now
the most important stone of all'? Anyone who stumbles over this stone
will get hurt, and anyone it falls on will be smashed to pieces."
Father God, forgive my sins. Thank you for sending Jesus Christ down
to die on the cross and for shedding his blood for me. Three days
later you resurrected him. I accept that. I invite Jesus Christ into
my heart as my Lord and savior. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.
God bless you.
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