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The Gospel According to St. Matthew

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- Chapter 21 -

(Zechariah 9:9–13; Mark 11:1–11; Luke 19:28–40; John 12:12–19)
1
As Jesus and his disciples approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples,
2
saying to them, “Go into the next village, and you will immediately find a donkey tied up there, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me.
3
If anyone says anything to you about that, you will say, ‘The Lord has need of them,’ and that person will immediately send them with you.”
4
Now this came about that what was spoken through the prophet might be fulfilled. He said,
5
“Tell the daughter of Zion, ’See, your King is coming to you, Humble and riding on a donkey-on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”
6
Then the disciples went and did just as Jesus had instructed them.
7
They brought the donkey and the colt and put their cloaks on them, and Jesus sat upon the cloaks.
8
Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them in the road.
9
Then the crowds that went before Jesus and those that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”
10
When Jesus had come into Jerusalem, all the city was stirred and said, “Who is this?”
11
The crowds answered, “This is Jesus the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”

Jesus Cleanses the Temple

(Mark 11:15–19; Luke 19:45–48; John 2:12–25)
12
Then Jesus entered the temple. He cast out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and turned over the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves.
13
He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.”
14
Then the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them.
15
But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the marvelous things that he did, and when they heard the children shouting in the temple and saying, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they became very angry.
16
They said to him, “Do you hear what these people are saying?” Jesus said to them, “Yes! But have you never read, ‘Out of the mouths of babes and nursing infants you have perfected praise’?”
17
Then Jesus left them and went out of the city to Bethany and spent the night there.

The Barren Fig Tree

(Mark 11:12–14; Mark 11:20–25)
18
Now in the morning as he returned to the city, he was hungry.
19
Seeing a fig tree along the roadside, he went to it and found nothing on it except leaves. He said to it, “May there be no fruit from you ever again,” and immediately the fig tree withered.
20
When the disciples saw it, they marveled and said, “How did the fig tree immediately wither away?”
21
Jesus answered and said to them, “Truly I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to this fig tree, but you will even say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will be done.
22
Whatever you ask for in prayer, believing, you will receive.”

Jesus’ Authority Challenged

(Mark 11:27–33; Luke 20:1–8)
23
When Jesus had come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching and said, “By what authority do you do these things, and who gave you this authority?”
24
Jesus answered and said to them, “I also will ask you one question. If you tell me, I will tell you by what authority I do these things.
25
The baptism of John-from where did it come? From heaven or from men?” They discussed among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’
26
But if we say, ‘From men,’ we fear the crowd, because they all view John as a prophet.”
27
Then they answered Jesus and said, “We do not know.” He also said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.

The Parable of the Two Sons

28
But what do you think? A man had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go work today in the vineyard.’
29
The son answered and said, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he changed his mind and went.
30
Then the man went to the second son and said the same thing. He answered and said, ‘I will go, sir,’ but he did not go.
31
Which of the two sons did his father’s will?” They said, “The first one.” Jesus said to them, “Truly I say to you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes will enter the kingdom of God before you do.
32
For John came to you in the way of righteousness, but you did not believe him. But the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. But you, even when you saw this, you did not repent afterward and believe him.

The Parable of the Wicked Tenants

(Mark 12:1–12; Luke 20:9–18)
33
Listen to another parable. There was a man, a landowner. He planted a vineyard, set a hedge about it, dug a winepress in it, built a watchtower, and rented it out to vine growers. Then he went into another country.
34
When the time of the fruit harvest approached, he sent some servants to the vine growers to get his fruit.
35
But the vine growers took his servants, beat one, killed another, and stoned still another.
36
Again, the owner sent other servants, more than the first, but the vine growers treated them in the same way.
37
After that, the owner sent his own son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’
38
But when the vine growers saw the son, they said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and take over the inheritance.’
39
So they took him, threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.
40
Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vine growers?”
41
They said to him, “He will destroy those miserable men in the most severe way, and will then rent out the vineyard to other vine growers, men who will give him his share of crops at the harvest time.”
42
Jesus said to them, “Did you never read in the scriptures, ’The stone which the builders rejected has been made the cornerstone. This was from the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?
43
Therefore, I say to you, the reign of God will be taken away from you and will be given to a nation that produces its fruits.
44
Whoever falls on this stone will be broken to pieces. But anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.”
45
When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they understood he was speaking about them.
46
Seeking to arrest him, they were afraid of the crowd, because the people regarded him as a prophet.
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(Zechariah 9:9–13; Mark 11:1–11; Luke 19:28–40; John 12:12–19)
1
When they came near to Jerusalem and came to Bethsphage,(a) to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples,
2
saying to them, “Go into the village that is opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me.
3
If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and immediately he will send them.”
4
All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through the prophet, saying,
5
“Tell the daughter of Zion, behold, your King comes to you, humble, and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”(b)
6
The disciples went and did just as Jesus commanded them,
7
and brought the donkey and the colt and laid their clothes on them; and he sat on them.
8
A very great multitude spread their clothes on the road. Others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.
9
The multitudes who went in front of him, and those who followed, kept shouting, “Hosanna (c) to the son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” (d)
10
When he had come into Jerusalem, all the city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?”
11
The multitudes said, “This is the prophet, Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.”

Jesus Cleanses the Temple

(Mark 11:15–19; Luke 19:45–48; John 2:12–25)
12
Jesus entered into the temple of God and drove out all of those who sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the money changers’ tables and the seats of those who sold the doves.
13
He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ (e) but you have made it a den of robbers!” (f)
14
The lame and the blind came to him in the temple, and he healed them.
15
But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children who were crying in the temple and saying, “Hosanna to the son of David!” they were indignant,
16
and said to him, “Do you hear what these are saying?” Jesus said to them, “Yes. Did you never read, ‘Out of the mouth of children and nursing babies, you have perfected praise’?” (g)
17
He left them and went out of the city to Bethany, and camped there.

The Barren Fig Tree

(Mark 11:12–14; Mark 11:20–25)
18
Now in the morning, as he returned to the city, he was hungry.
19
Seeing a fig tree by the road, he came to it and found nothing on it but leaves. He said to it, “Let there be no fruit from you forever!” Immediately the fig tree withered away.
20
When the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, “How did the fig tree immediately wither away?”
21
Jesus answered them, “Most certainly I tell you, if you have faith and don’t doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you told this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ it would be done.
22
All things, whatever you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”

Jesus’ Authority Challenged

(Mark 11:27–33; Luke 20:1–8)
23
When he had come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority do you do these things? Who gave you this authority?”
24
Jesus answered them, “I also will ask you one question, which if you tell me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things.
25
The baptism of John, where was it from? From heaven or from men?” They reasoned with themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’
26
But if we say, ‘From men,’ we fear the multitude, for all hold John as a prophet.”
27
They answered Jesus, and said, “We don’t know.” He also said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.

The Parable of the Two Sons

28
But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first, and said, ‘Son, go work today in my vineyard.’
29
He answered, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he changed his mind, and went.
30
He came to the second, and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I’m going, sir,’ but he didn’t go.
31
Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said to him, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Most certainly I tell you that the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering into God’s Kingdom before you.
32
For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you didn’t believe him; but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. When you saw it, you didn’t even repent afterward, that you might believe him.

The Parable of the Wicked Tenants

(Mark 12:1–12; Luke 20:9–18)
33
“Hear another parable. There was a man who was a master of a household who planted a vineyard, set a hedge about it, dug a wine press in it, built a tower, leased it out to farmers, and went into another country.
34
When the season for the fruit came near, he sent his servants to the farmers to receive his fruit.
35
The farmers took his servants, beat one, killed another, and stoned another.
36
Again, he sent other servants more than the first; and they treated them the same way.
37
But afterward he sent to them his son, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’
38
But the farmers, when they saw the son, said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and seize his inheritance.’
39
So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard, then killed him.
40
When therefore the lord of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those farmers?”
41
They told him, “He will miserably destroy those miserable men, and will lease out the vineyard to other farmers who will give him the fruit in its season.”
42
Jesus said to them, “Did you never read in the Scriptures, ‘The stone which the builders rejected was made the head of the corner. This was from the Lord. It is marvelous in our eyes’? (h)
43
“Therefore I tell you, God’s Kingdom will be taken away from you and will be given to a nation producing its fruit.
44
He who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but on whomever it will fall, it will scatter him as dust.”
45
When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he spoke about them.
46
When they sought to seize him, they feared the multitudes, because they considered him to be a prophet.

Footnotes

(a)21:1 TR &NU read “Bethphage” instead of “Bethsphage”
(b)21:5 ℘ Zechariah 9:9
(c)21:9 “Hosanna” means “save us” or “help us, we pray”.
(d)21:9 ℘ Psalms 118:26
(e)21:13 ℘ Isaiah 56:7
(f)21:13 ℘ Jeremiah 7:11
(g)21:16 ℘ Psalms 8:2
(h)21:42 ℘ Psalms 118:22-23
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