The Explanation

Jesus was teaching in the temple. Suddenly the priests and the leaders came to him. "By what authority do you do these things?" they asked. They wanted to trap him.

Jesus asked them a question back. "Was John's baptism from heaven, or from men?" The leaders whispered to each other. If they said "from heaven," Jesus would ask why they never believed John. If they said "from men," the people would be angry, because everyone believed John was a prophet. So they said, "We don't know." Then Jesus said, "Then I won't tell you either."

Jesus told a story. A man planted a vineyard and rented it to farmers, then went far away. When harvest came, he sent a servant to collect fruit. The farmers beat him and sent him away with nothing. He sent another servant. They beat him too. A third servant, they wounded and threw out. Finally the owner said, "I will send my own beloved son. Surely they will respect him."

But when the farmers saw the son, they said, "Let's kill him, then the vineyard will be ours!" And they killed him. Jesus asked, "What will the owner do now?" He will destroy those farmers and give the vineyard to others. The leaders knew Jesus was talking about them.

Then spies came, pretending to be honest. "Should we pay taxes to Caesar?" they asked, trying to trap him. Jesus asked for a coin. "Whose face is on it?" "Caesar's," they said. Jesus answered, "Then give Caesar what is Caesar's, and give God what is God's." They were amazed and had nothing to say.

Next came the Sadducees, who did not believe people rise from the dead. They asked a tricky riddle about seven brothers marrying one woman. Jesus answered that in the resurrection, people don't marry, they live like the angels, forever. He reminded them that God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.

Jesus warned about proud leaders who wore long robes, loved the best seats, and prayed long prayers just to be seen, while cheating widows out of their homes.

What Does This Mean?

Everyone kept trying to trap Jesus with hard questions. But Jesus was never caught. He always saw straight through the trick, and answered with wisdom that silenced them. Jesus is not afraid of hard questions, even the ones people ask to trip him up.

The Common Thread

The son in the story is Jesus himself. The Father sent him, his own beloved Son, into the world. Just like in the story, people wanted to get rid of him and take everything for themselves. But God's plan cannot be stopped. The rejected stone becomes the cornerstone, the most important stone of all.

For You

When someone tries to trick you into saying something wrong, you don't have to be afraid. Jesus shows us how to answer with truth, not fear. And when you pray, don't pray to be seen and praised. Pray quietly, honestly, because God is listening, not because you want people to notice you.

Talk About It

Why do you think the farmers in the story wanted to hurt the son?

Have you ever tried to trick someone, or has someone tried to trick you? What happened?

Praying Together

Dear God, thank you that Jesus is never afraid, even when people try to trap him. Help me to speak the truth, and to pray quietly to you, not to be seen. Thank you for sending your Son. Amen.