21. Jesus replied, "What I'm about to tell you is true. You must have faith and not doubt. Then you can do what was done to the fig tree. And you can say to this mountain, 'Go and throw yourself into the sea.' It will be done.
22. If you believe, you will receive what you ask for when you pray."
23. Jesus entered the temple courtyard. While he was teaching there, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him. "By what authority are you doing these things?" they asked. "Who gave you this authority?"
24. Jesus replied, "I will also ask you one question. If you answer me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things.
25. Where did John's baptism come from? Was it from heaven? Or did it come from men?" They talked to each other about it. They said, "If we say, 'From heaven,' he will ask, 'Then why didn't you believe him?'
26. But what if we say, 'From men'? We are afraid of the people. Everyone believes that John was a prophet."
27. So they answered Jesus, "We don't know." Jesus said, "Then I won't tell you by what authority I am doing these things either.
28. "What do you think about this? A man had two sons. He went to the first and said, 'Son, go and work today in the vineyard.'
29. " 'I will not,' the son answered. But later he changed his mind and went.
30. "Then the father went to the other son. He said the same thing. The son answered, 'I will, sir.' But he did not go.
31. "Which of the two sons did what his father wanted?" "The first," they answered. Jesus said to them, "What I'm about to tell you is true. Tax collectors and prostitutes will enter the kingdom of God ahead of you.
32. John came to show you the right way to live. And you did not believe him. But the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. You saw this. But even then you did not turn away from your sins and believe him.
33. "Listen to another story. A man who owned some land planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it. He dug a pit for a winepress in it. He also built a lookout tower. He rented the vineyard out to some farmers. Then he went away on a journey.
34. When harvest time approached, he sent his servants to the renters. He told the servants to collect his share of the fruit.
35. "But the renters grabbed his servants. They beat one of them. They killed another. They threw stones at the third to kill him.
36. Then the man sent other servants to the renters. He sent more than he did the first time. The renters treated them the same way.
37. "Last of all, he sent his son to them. 'They will respect my son,' he said.