16. They asked Jesus, “Do you hear the things these children are saying?”Jesus answered, “Yes. Haven’t you read in the Scriptures, ‘You have taught children and babies to sing praises’?”
17. Then Jesus left and went out of the city to Bethany, where he spent the night.
18. Early the next morning, Jesus was going back to the city. He was very hungry.
19. He saw a fig tree beside the road. Jesus went to it, but there were no figs on the tree. There were only leaves. So Jesus said to the tree, “You will never again have fruit!” The tree immediately dried up.
20. His followers saw this and were amazed. They asked, “How did the fig tree dry up so quickly?”
21. Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth. If you have faith and do not doubt, you will be able to do what I did to this tree. And you will be able to do more. You will be able to say to this mountain, ‘Go, mountain, fall into the sea.’ And if you have faith, it will happen.
22. If you believe, you will get anything you ask for in prayer.”
23. Jesus went to the Temple. While he was teaching there, the leading priests and the elders of the people came to Jesus. They said to him, “Tell us! What authority do you have to do these things? Who gave you this authority?”
24. Jesus answered, “I will ask you a question, too. If you answer me, then I will tell you what authority I have to do these things.
25. Tell me: When John baptized people, did that come from God or from man?”The priests and the leaders argued about Jesus’ question. They said to each other, “If we answer, ‘John’s baptism was from God,’ then Jesus will say, ‘Then why didn’t you believe John?’
26. But if we say, ‘It was from man,’ we are afraid of what the people will do because they all believe that John was a prophet.”
27. So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.”Then Jesus said, “Then I won’t tell you what authority I have to do these things!
28. “Tell me what you think about this: There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first son and said, ‘Son, go and work today in my vineyard.’
29. The son answered, ‘I will not go.’ But later the son decided he should go, and he went.
30. Then the father went to the other son and said, ‘Son, go and work today in my vineyard.’ The son answered, ‘Yes, sir, I will go and work.’ But he did not go.
31. Which of the two sons obeyed his father?”The priests and leaders answered, “The first son.”Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth. The tax collectors and the prostitutes will enter the kingdom of God before you do.
32. John came to show you the right way to live. And you did not believe him. But the tax collectors and prostitutes believed John. You saw this, but you still refused to change and believe him.
33. “Listen to this story: There was a man who owned a vineyard. He put a wall around the vineyard and dug a hole for a winepress. Then he built a tower. He leased the land to some farmers and left for a trip.
34. Later, it was time for the grapes to be picked. So the man sent his servants to the farmers to get his share of the grapes.