Luke 20:1-12 ▼

1 One day as he was teaching the people in the temple and proclaiming the good news, the chief priests and the scribes, with the elders, came

2 and said to him, “Tell us, by what authority are you doing these things? Who is it who gave you this authority? ”

3 He answered them, “I will also ask you a question. Tell me,

4 was the baptism of John from heaven or of human origin? ”

5 They discussed it among themselves: “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Why didn’t you believe him? ’

6 But if we say, ‘Of human origin,’ all the people will stone us, because they are convinced that John was a prophet.”

7 So they answered that they did not know its origin.

8 And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

9 Now he began to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard, leased it to tenant farmers, and went away for a long time.

10 At harvest time he sent a servant to the farmers so that they might give him some fruit from the vineyard. But the farmers beat him and sent him away empty-handed.

11 He sent yet another servant, but they beat that one too, treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed.

12 And he sent yet a third, but they wounded this one too and threw him out.