The Fig Tree Withered^(A)

^12 (B)Now the next day, when they had come out from Bethany, He was hungry. ^13 (C)And seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it. When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. ¹⁴ In response Jesus said to it, “Let no one eat fruit from you ever again.”

And His disciples heard it.

Jesus Cleanses the Temple^(D)

^15 (E)So they came to Jerusalem. Then Jesus went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold ^(F)doves. ¹⁶ And He would not allow anyone to carry wares through the temple. ¹⁷ Then He taught, saying to them, “Is it not written, ^(G)‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it a ^(H)‘den of thieves.’ ”

¹⁸ And ^(I)the scribes and chief priests heard it and sought how they might destroy Him; for they feared Him, because ^(J)all the people were astonished at His teaching. ¹⁹ When evening had come, He went out of the city.

The Lesson of the Withered Fig Tree^(K)

^20 (L)Now in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots.

The Lesson of the Withered Fig Tree^(A)

^20 (B)And when the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, “How did the fig tree wither away so soon?”

²¹ And Peter, remembering, said to Him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree which You cursed has withered away.”

²² So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. ²³ For ^(A)assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. ²⁴ Therefore I say to you, ^(B)whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.

Forgiveness and Prayer^(C)

²⁵ “And whenever you stand praying, ^(D)if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. ^26 [a]But ^(E)if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.”

Jesus’ Authority Questioned^(F)

²⁷ Then they came again to Jerusalem. ^(G)And as He was walking in the temple, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders came to Him. ²⁸ And they said to Him, “By what ^(H)authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority to do these things?”

²⁹ But Jesus answered and said to them, “I also will ask you one question; then answer Me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things: ³⁰ The ^(I)baptism of John—was it from heaven or from men? Answer Me.”

³¹ And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ ³² But if we say, ‘From men’ ”—they feared the people, for ^(J)all counted John to have been a prophet indeed. ³³ So they answered and said to Jesus, “We do not know.”

And Jesus answered and 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 ^(A)vineyard.’ ²⁹ He answered and said, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he regretted it and went. ³⁰ Then he came to the second and said likewise. And he answered and said, ‘I go, sir,’ but he did not go. ³¹ Which of the two did the will of his father?”

They said to Him, “The first.”

Jesus said to them, ^(B)“Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you. ³² For ^(C)John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him; ^(D)but tax collectors and harlots believed him; and when you saw it, you did not afterward ^[a]relent and believe him.

The Parable of the Wicked Vinedressers^(E)

³³ “Hear another parable: There was a certain landowner ^(F)who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it and built a tower. And he leased it to vinedressers and ^(G)went into a far country. ³⁴ Now when vintage-time drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers, that they might receive its fruit. ^35 (H)And the vinedressers took his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another. ³⁶ Again he sent other servants, more than the first, and they did likewise to them. ³⁷ Then last of all he sent his ^(I)son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ ³⁸ But when the vinedressers saw the son, they said among themselves, ^(J)‘This is the heir. ^(K)Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.’ ^39 (L)So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him.

⁴⁰ “Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vinedressers?”

^41 (M)They said to Him, ^(N)“He will destroy those wicked men miserably, ^(O)and lease his vineyard to other vinedressers who will ^[b]render to him the fruits in their seasons.”

⁴² Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:

⁴³ “Therefore I say to you, ^(Q)the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it. ⁴⁴ And ^(R)whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, ^(S)it will grind him to powder.”

⁴⁵ Now when the chief priests and Pharisees heard His parables, they ^[c]perceived that He was speaking of them. ⁴⁶ But when they sought to lay hands on Him, they ^(T)feared the multitudes, because ^(U)they took Him for a prophet.