Luke 20:1-19

1One day Jesus was teaching the people in the temple courtyard and telling them the Good News. The chief priests, the experts in Moses’ Teachings, and the leaders came up to him.

2They asked him, “Tell us, what gives you the right to do these things? Who told you that you could do this?”

3Jesus answered them, “I, too, have a question for you. Tell me,

4did John’s right to baptize come from heaven or from humans?”

5They talked about this among themselves. They said, “If we say, ‘from heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Why didn’t you believe him?’

6But if we say, ‘from humans,’ everyone will stone us to death. They’re convinced that John was a prophet.”

7So they answered that they didn’t know who gave John the right to baptize.

8Jesus told them, “Then I won’t tell you why I have the right to do these things.”

9Then, using this illustration, Jesus spoke to the people: “A man planted a vineyard, leased it to vineyard workers, and went on a long trip.

10“At the right time he sent a servant to the workers to obtain from them a share of the grapes from the vineyard. But the workers beat the servant and sent him back with nothing.

11So he sent a different servant. The workers beat him, treated him shamefully, and sent him back with nothing.

12Then he sent a third servant. But they injured this one and threw him out ⌞of the vineyard⌟.

13“Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What should I do? I’ll send my son, whom I love. They’ll probably respect him.’

14“When the workers saw him, they talked it over among themselves. They said, ‘This is the heir. Let’s kill him so that the inheritance will be ours.’

15So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. “What will the owner of the vineyard do to them?

16He will destroy these workers and give the vineyard to others.” Those who heard him said, “That’s unthinkable!”

17Then Jesus looked straight at them and asked, “What, then, does this Scripture verse mean: ‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone’?

18Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken. If that stone falls on anyone, it will crush that person.”

19The experts in Moses’ Teachings and the chief priests wanted to arrest him right there, but they were afraid of the people. They knew that he had directed this illustration at them.