1 Un notika, kad Viņš kādā dienā Templī mācīja ļaudis un sludināja evaņģēliju, Viņam piestājās augstie priesteri un rakstu mācītāji kopā ar vecajiem 2 un jautāja Viņam: "Saki mums, ar kādām tiesībām Tu to dari, vai kas Tevi uz to ir pilnvarojis?" 3 Bet Viņš tiem atteica: "Arī Es jums vienu vārdu vaicāšu: 4 sakait man, Jāņa kristība - vai tā bija no debesīm vai no cilvēkiem?" 5 Bet tie savā starpā sāka spriest: "Ja mēs teiksim: no debesīm, - Viņš sacīs: kāpēc tad jūs viņam neticējāt? 6 Bet, ja mēs teiksim: no cilvēkiem, - visa tauta metīs uz mums akmeņus, jo viņa ir pārliecināta, ka Jānis ir pravietis." 7 Un tie atbildēja: "Mēs nezinām, no kurienes." 8 Tad Jēzus viņiem sacīja: "Tad arī Es jums nesaku, kā pilnvarā Es šīs lietas daru." 9 Bet ļaudīm Viņš sāka stāstīt šādu līdzību: "Kāds cilvēks stādīja vīnadārzu un izdeva to dārzniekiem, bet pats uz ilgāku laiku aizgāja dzīvot uz citurieni. 10 Kad bija pienācis laiks, viņš pie dārzniekiem sūtīja savu kalpu, lai viņi tam dotu no vīnadārza augļiem. Bet tie to sita un aizsūtīja tukšām rokām atpakaļ. 11 Tad viņš nosūtīja otru kalpu, bet arī šo viņi sita, apsmēja un sūtīja atpakaļ tukšā. 12 Vēl trešo viņš sūtīja. Bet arī šo tie sasita līdz asinīm un izmeta ārā. 13 Tad vīnadārza īpašnieks sacīja: ko man darīt? Es sūtīšu savu mīļo dēlu, varbūt tie viņu bīsies. 14 Bet dārznieki, to ieraudzījuši, sprieda savā starpā: šis ir tas mantinieks. Nokausim to, lai viņa mantojums nāk mūsu rokās. 15 Un viņi to izmeta ārā no vīnadārza un nokāva. Ko nu gan darīs viņiem vīnadārza īpašnieks? 16 Viņš nāks, nomaitās šos dārzniekus un vīnadārzu izdos citiem." Klausītāji sacīja: "To tik ne." 17 Bet Viņš tos uzlūkoja un sacīja: "Kā tad ir rakstīts: akmens, kuru namdari atmetuši, kļuvis par stūra akmeni. 18 Ikviens, kas uz to kritīs, sašķīdīs, bet, uz ko tas kritīs, to tas sadragās." 19 Bet rakstu mācītāji un augstie priesteri, kas saprata, ka Viņš līdzību bija teicis par viņiem, no tā brīža centās pielikt rokas pie Viņa. Bet tiem bija bailes no tautas. 20 Tad tie glūnēja uz Viņu un sūtīja izlūkus, kam vajadzēja izlikties nevainīgiem, lai tie Viņu pieķertu kādā vārdā un To varētu nodot valdībai un zemes soģa varai. 21 Tie griezās pie Viņa ar šādu jautājumu: "Mācītāj, mēs zinām, ka Tu runā un māci pareizi un negribi iztapt cilvēkiem, bet pēc patiesības māci Dieva ceļu. 22 Saki, vai mums ir brīv ķeizaram nodevas dot vai ne?" 23 Bet Viņš noprata viņu viltību un sacīja tiem: 24 "Parādait Man vienu denāriju! Kā attēls un uzraksts tam ir?" Viņi atbildēja: "Ķeizara." 25 Tad Viņš tiem atbildēja: "Tad nu dodiet ķeizaram, kas ķeizaram pieder, un Dievam, kas Dievam pieder!" 26 Tā viņiem neizdevās To noķert Viņa vārdos tautas priekšā, un, izbrīnījušies par Viņa atbildi, tie apklusa. 27 Bet pienāca vēl kādi no saduķejiem, kas noliedz augšāmcelšanos, un griezās pie Viņa, 28 jautādami: "Mācītāj, Mozus mums devis priekšrakstu: ja kam nomirst brālis, atstādams sievu, un viņam nav bērnu, tam jāapprec brāļa sieva, lai radītu savam brālim pēcnācējus. 29 Bija septiņi brāļi. Pirmais apprecējās, bet nomira bez bērniem, 30 tad viņa sievu apprecēja otrs. 31 Un pēc tam trešais, tāpat visi līdz septītam, un tie visi mira, neatstādami bērnu. 32 Beidzot nomira arī sieva. 33 Kā sieva nu viņa būs pie augšāmcelšanās, kad viņa ir bijusi par sievu visiem septiņiem?" 34 Jēzus viņam atbildēja: "Šinī dzīvē ļaudis precē un tiek precēti, 35 bet, kas tiks atrasti par cienīgiem ieiet viņā dzīvē un uzcelties no nāves, ne tie precēs, ne tiks precēti. 36 Un arī mirt tie vairs nevar, jo viņi ir līdzīgi eņģeļiem un ir Dieva bērni, būdami augšāmcelšanās bērni. 37 Bet, ka mirušie celsies augšām, uz to arī Mozus aizrādījis stāstā par ērkšķu krūmu, kur viņš Dievu sauc par Ābrahāma, Īzāka un Jēkaba Dievu. 38 Tātad Dievs nav mirušo, bet dzīvo Dievs, jo Viņa priekšā visi ir dzīvi." 39 Tad kādi no rakstu mācītājiem sacīja: "Mācītāj, Tu labi esi atbildējis!" 40 Un viņi vairs neko neuzdrošinājās Viņam jautāt. 41 Bet Viņš tiem teica: "Kā var sacīt, Kristus esot Dāvida dēls? 42 Jo Dāvids pats saka psalmu grāmatā: Tas Kungs sacīja uz manu Kungu: sēdies pie Manas labās rokas, 43 tiekāms Es Tavus ienaidniekus lieku par pameslu Tavām kājām. 44 Tātad Dāvids Viņu sauc par Kungu; kā tad Viņš var būt viņa dēls?" 45 Un, visiem ļaudīm dzirdot, Viņš sacīja Saviem mācekļiem: 46 "Sargaities no rakstu mācītājiem, jo tie mīl apkārt staigāt garos svārkos un saņemt sveicienus tirgus laukumos un viņiem patīk ieņemt goda vietas sinagogās un viesībās. 47 Viņi apēd atraitņu namus, aizbildinādamies ar savām garajām lūgšanām. Viņi dabūs daudz smagāku sodu!"
A Question about Jesus' Authority
(Matthew 21.23-27Mark 11.27-33)1 One day, Jesus was teaching in the temple and telling the good news. So the chief priests, the teachers, and the nation's leaders 2 asked him, “What right do you have to do these things? Who gave you this authority?”
3 Jesus replied, “I want to ask you a question. 4 Who gave John the right to baptize? Was it God in heaven or merely some human being?”
5 They talked this over and said to each other, “We can't say God gave John this right. Jesus will ask us why we didn't believe John. 6 And we can't say 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.”
7 So they told Jesus, “We don't know who gave John the right to baptize.”
8 Jesus replied, “Then I won't tell you who gave me the right to do what I do.”
Renters of a Vineyard
(Matthew 21.33-46Mark 12.1-12)9 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. 10 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. 11 So the owner sent another servant. The renters also beat him up. They insulted him terribly and sent him away without a thing. 12 The owner sent a third servant. He was also beaten terribly and thrown out of the vineyard.
13 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!”
14 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.” 15 So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.
Jesus asked, “What do you think the owner of the vineyard will do? 16 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!”
17 But Jesus looked straight at them and said, “Then what do the Scriptures mean when they say, ‘The stone the builders tossed aside is now the most important stone of all’? 18 Anyone who stumbles over this stone will get hurt, and anyone it falls on will be smashed to pieces.”
19 The chief priests and the teachers of the Law of Moses knew that Jesus was talking about them when he was telling this story. They wanted to arrest him right then, but they were afraid of the people.
Paying Taxes
(Matthew 22.15-22Mark 12.13-17)20 Jesus' enemies kept watching him closely, because they wanted to hand him over to the Roman governor. So they sent some men who pretended to be good. But they were really spies trying to catch Jesus saying something wrong. 21 The spies said to him, “Teacher, we know you teach the truth about what God wants people to do. And you treat everyone with the same respect, no matter who they are. 22 Tell us, should we pay taxes to the Emperor or not?”
23 Jesus knew they were trying to trick him. So he told them, 24 “Show me a coin.” Then he asked, “Whose picture and name are on it?”
“The Emperor's,” they answered.
25 Then he told them, “Give the Emperor what belongs to him and give God what belongs to God.” 26 Jesus' enemies could not catch him saying anything wrong there in front of the people. They were amazed at his answer and kept quiet.
Life in the Future World
(Matthew 22.23-33Mark 12.18-27)27 The Sadducees did not believe that people would rise to life after death. So some of them came to Jesus 28 and said:
Teacher, Moses wrote that if a married man dies and has no children, his brother should marry the widow. Their first son would then be thought of as the son of the dead brother.
29 There were once seven brothers. The first one married, but died without having any children. 30 The second one married his brother's widow, and he also died without having any children. 31 The same thing happened to the third one. Finally, all seven brothers married this woman and died without having any children. 32 At last the woman died. 33 When God raises people from death, whose wife will this woman be? All seven brothers had married her.
34 Jesus answered:
The people in this world get married. 35 But in the future world no one who is worthy to rise from death will either marry 36 or die. They will be like the angels and will be God's children, because they have been raised to life.
37 In the story about the burning bush, Moses clearly shows that people will live again. He said, “The Lord is the God worshiped by Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” 38 So the Lord isn't the God of the dead, but of the living. This means that everyone is alive as far as God is concerned.
39 Some of the teachers of the Law of Moses said, “Teacher, you have given a good answer!” 40 From then on, no one dared to ask Jesus any questions.
About David's Son
(Matthew 22.41-46Mark 12.35-37)41 Jesus asked, “Why do people say that the Messiah will be the son of King David? 42 In the book of Psalms, David himself says,
‘The Lord said to my Lord,
Sit at my right side
43 until I make your enemies
into a footstool for you.’
44 David spoke of the Messiah as his Lord, so how can the Messiah be his son?”
Jesus and the Teachers of the Law of Moses
(Matthew 23.1-36Mark 12.38-40Luke 11.37-54)45 While everyone was listening to Jesus, he said to his disciples:
46 Guard against the teachers of the Law of Moses! They love to walk around in long robes, and they like to be greeted in the market. They want the front seats in the synagogues and the best seats at banquets. 47 But they cheat widows out of their homes and then pray long prayers just to show off. These teachers will be punished most of all.
