Twenty - Matthew - 21

21:22  And whatever you ask for in your prayers will, if you have faith, be granted you."

21:23  After Jesus had come into the Temple Courts, the Chief Priests and the Councillors of the Nation came up to him as he was teaching, and said. "What authority have you to do these things? Who gave you this authority?"

21:24  "I, too," said Jesus in reply, "will ask you one question; if you will give me an answer to it, then I, also, will tell you what authority I have to act as I do.

21:25  It is about John's baptism. What was its origin? divine or human?" But they began arguing among themselves. "If we say 'divine,' he will say to us 'Why then did not you believe him?'

21:26  But if we say 'human,' we are afraid of the people, for every one regards John as a Prophet."

21:27  So the answer they gave Jesus was--"We do not know." "Then I," he said, "refuse to tell you what authority I have to do these things.

21:28  What do you think of this? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the elder and said 'Go and work in the vineyard to-day my son.'

21:29  'Yes, sir,' he answered; but he did not go.

21:30  Then the father went to the second son, and said the same. 'I will not,' he answered; but afterwards he was sorry and went.

21:31  Which of the two sons did as his father wished?" "The second, "they said. "I tell you," added Jesus, "that tax-gatherers and prostitutes are going into the Kingdom of God before you.

21:32  For when John came to you, walking in the path of righteousness, you did not believe him, but tax-gatherers and prostitutes did; and yet you, though you saw this, even then were not sorry, nor did you believe him.

21:33  Listen to another parable. A man, who was an employer, once planted a vineyard, put a fence round it, dug a winepress in it, built a tower, and then let it out to tenants and went abroad.

21:34  When the time for the vintage drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants, to receive his share of the produce.

21:35  But the tenants seized his servants, beat one, killed another, and stoned a third.

21:36  A second time the owner sent some servants, a larger number than before, and the tenants treated them in the same way.

21:37  As a last resource he sent his son to them. 'They will respect my son,' he said.

21:38  But the tenants, on seeing his son, said to each other 'Here is the heir! Come, let us kill him, and get his inheritance.'

21:39  So they seized him, and threw him outside the vineyard, and killed him.

21:40  Now, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?"

21:41  "Miserable wretches!" they exclaimed, "he will put them to a miserable death, and he will let out the vineyard to other tenants, who will pay him his share of the produce at the proper times."

21:42  Then Jesus added. "Have you never read in the Scriptures?--'The very stone which the builders despised--Has now itself become the corner-stone; This corner-stone has come from the Lord, And is marvelous in our eyes.'

21:43  And that, I tell you, is why the Kingdom of God will be taken from you, and given to a nation that does produce the fruit of the Kingdom.

21:44  Yes, and he who falls on this stone will be dashed to pieces, while any one on whom it falls--it will scatter him as dust."

21:45  After listening to these parables, the Chief Priests and the Pharisees saw that it was about them that he was speaking;

21:46  Yet, although eager to arrest him, they were afraid of the crowds, who regarded him as a Prophet.