Jesus

Yeshua again used parables in speaking to them:

Then the P'rushim went away and put together a plan to trap Yeshua with his own words.

They sent him some of their talmidim and some members of Herod's party. They said, "Rabbi, we know that you tell the truth and really teach what God's way is. You aren't concerned with what other people think about you, since you pay no attention to a person's status.

So tell us your opinion: does Torah permit paying taxes to the Roman Emperor or not?"

Yeshua, however, knowing their malicious intent, said, "You hypocrites! Why are you trying to trap me?

Show me the coin used to pay the tax!" They brought him a denarius;

and he asked them, "Whose name and picture are these?"

"The Emperor's," they replied. Yeshua said to them, "Nu, give the Emperor what belongs to the Emperor. And give to God what belongs to God!"

On hearing this, they were amazed; and they left him and went away.

That same day, some Tz'dukim came to him. They are the ones who say there is no such thing as resurrection, so they put to him a sh'eilah:

Yeshua answered them, "The reason you go astray is that you are ignorant both of the Tanakh and of the power of God.

When the crowds heard how he taught, they were astounded;

but when the P'rushim learned that he had silenced the Tz'dukim, they got together,

and one of them who was a Torah expert asked a sh'eilah to trap him:

He told him, "`You are to love ADONAI your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.'

Then, turning to the assembled P'rushim, Yeshua put a sh'eilah to them:

"Tell me your view concerning the Messiah: whose son is he?" They said to him, "David's."

"Then how is it," he asked them, "that David, inspired by the Spirit, calls him `Lord,' when he says,

`ADONAI said to my Lord, "Sit here at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet"'?

If David thus calls him `Lord,' how is he his son?"

No one could think of anything to say in reply; and from that day on, no one dared put to him another sh'eilah.

Then Yeshua addressed the crowds and his talmidim:

"But you are not to let yourselves be called `Rabbi'; because you have one Rabbi, and you are all each other's brothers.

And do not call anyone on earth `Father.' because you have one Father, and he is in heaven.

Nor are you to let yourselves be called `leaders,' because you have one Leader, and he is the Messiah!