The leaders of the priests, scribes, and elders questioned Jesus about the authority by which he did things, but he responded by asking them about the origin of John's baptism, which they refused to answer. Jesus then told a parable about a vineyard owner whose son was killed by the settlers, and he said the owner would destroy the settlers and give the vineyard to others. The leaders realized the parable was about them and sought to arrest Jesus, but they feared the people. They then sent traitors to catch Jesus in his words, asking him if it was lawful to pay tribute to Caesar, but Jesus responded by saying to repay Caesar's things to Caesar and God's things to God. Jesus also responded to the Sadducees' question about the resurrection, saying that in the resurrection, people will not be married, and he used Moses' writings to prove that the dead do rise again. Finally, Jesus warned his disciples to be cautious of the scribes who seek power and wealth, and who will receive greater damnation.
1 And it happened that, on one of the days when he was teaching the people in the temple and preaching the Gospel, the leaders of the priests, and the scribes, gathered together with the elders 2 and they spoke to him, saying: "Tell us, by what authority do you do these things? Or, who is it that has given you this authority? 3 And in response, Jesus said to them: "I will also question you about one word. Respond to me 4 The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men? 5 So they discussed it among themselves, saying: "If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Then why did you not believe him? 6 But if we say, ‘Of men,’ the whole people will stone us. For they are certain that John was a prophet. 7 And so they responded that they did not know where it was from 8 And Jesus said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things. 9 Then he began to tell the people this parable: "A man planted a vineyard, and he loaned it to settlers, and he was on a sojourn for a long time 10 And in due time, he sent a servant to the farmers, so that they would give to him from the fruit of the vineyard. And they beat him and drove him away, empty-handed 11 And he continued to send another servant. But beating him and treating him with contempt, they likewise sent him away, empty-handed 12 And he continued to send a third. And wounding him also, they drove him away 13 Then the lord of the vineyard said: ‘What shall I do? I will send my beloved son. Perhaps when they have seen him, they will respect him. 14 And when the settlers had seen him, they discussed it among themselves, saying: ‘This one is the heir. Let us kill him, so that the inheritance will be ours. 15 And forcing him outside of the vineyard, they killed him. What, then, will the lord of the vineyard do to them? 16 "He will come and destroy those settlers, and he will give the vineyard to others." And upon hearing this, they said to him, "Let it not be. 17 Then, gazing at them, he said: "Then what does this mean, which is written: ‘The stone which the builders have rejected, the same has become the head of the corner? 18 Everyone who falls on that stone will be shattered. And anyone upon whom it falls will be crushed. 19 And the leaders of the priests, and the scribes, were seeking to lay hands on him in that same hour, but they feared the people. For they realized that he had spoken this parable about them 20 And being attentive, they sent traitors, who would pretend that they were just, so that they might catch him in his words and then hand him over to the power and authority of the procurator 21 And they questioned him, saying: "Teacher, we know that you speak and teach correctly, and that you do not consider anyone’s status, but you teach the way of God in truth 22 Is it lawful for us to pay the tribute to Caesar, or not? 23 But realizing their deceitfulness, he said to them: "Why do you test me 24 Show me a denarius. Whose image and inscription does it have?" In response, they said to him, "Caesar’s. 25 And so, he said to them: "Then repay the things that are Caesar’s, to Caesar, and the things that are God’s, to God. 26 And they were not able to contradict his word before the people. And being amazed at his answer, they were silent 27 Now some of the Sadducees, who deny that there is a resurrection, approached him. And they questioned him 28 saying: "Teacher, Moses wrote for us: If any man’s brother will have died, having a wife, and if he does not have any children, then his brother should take her as his wife, and he should raise up offspring for his brother 29 And so there were seven brothers. And the first took a wife, and he died without sons 30 And the next one married her, and he also died without a son 31 And the third married her, and similarly all seven, and none of them left behind any offspring, and they each died 32 Last of all, the woman also died 33 In the resurrection, then, whose wife will she be? For certainly all seven had her as a wife. 34 And so, Jesus said to them: "The children of this age marry and are given in marriage 35 Yet truly, those who shall be held worthy of that age, and of the resurrection from the dead, will neither be married, nor take wives 36 For they can no longer die. For they are equal to the Angels, and they are children of God, since they are children of the resurrection 37 For in truth, the dead do rise again, as Moses also showed beside the bush, when he called the Lord: ‘The God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. 38 And so he is not the God of the dead, but of the living. For all are alive to him. 39 Then some of the scribes, in response, said to him, "Teacher, you have spoken well. 40 And they no longer dared to question him about anything 41 But he said to them: "How can they say that the Christ is the son of David 42 Even David himself says, in the book of Psalms: ‘The Lord said to my Lord, sit at my right hand 43 until I set your enemies as your footstool. 44 Therefore, David calls him Lord. So how can he be his son? 45 Now in the hearing of all the people, he said to his disciples 46 "Be cautious of the scribes, who choose to walk in long robes, and who love greetings in the marketplace, and the first chairs in the synagogues, and the first places at table during feasts 47 who devour the houses of widows, feigning long prayers. These will receive the greater damnation.