Luke 20:1-12 ▼

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

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

3 He said to them in reply, “I shall ask you a question. Tell me,

4 was John’s baptism of heavenly or of human origin?”

5 They discussed this among themselves, and said, “If we say, ‘Of heavenly origin,’ he will say, ‘Why did you not believe him?’

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

7 So they answered that they did not know from where it came.

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

9 Then he proceeded to tell the people this parable. “[A] man planted a vineyard, leased it to tenant farmers, and then went on a journey for a long time.

10 At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenant farmers to receive some of the produce of the vineyard. But they beat the servant and sent him away empty-handed.

11 So he proceeded to send another servant, but him also they beat and insulted and sent away empty-handed.

12 Then he proceeded to send a third, but this one too they wounded and threw out.