Luke 20:1-12 ▼

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

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 from men?”

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, ‘From men,’ 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 Then 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 slave 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 slave, 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.