Luke 20: More teaching

• v.1-8 The Authority of Jesus Questioned
• v.9-19 The Parable of the Tenants
• v.20-26 Paying Taxes to Caesar
• v.27-40 The Resurrection and Marriage
• v.41-44 Whose Son Is the Messiah?
• v.45-47 Warning Against the Teachers of the Law

v.1-8 The Authority of Jesus Questioned

v.1 One day as Jesus was teaching the people in the temple courts and proclaiming the good news, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, together with the elders, came up to him.

v.2 “Tell us by what authority you are doing these things,” they said. “Who gave you this authority?”

v.3 He replied, “I will also ask you a question. Tell me:

v.4 John’s baptism—was it from heaven, or of human origin?”

v.5,6 They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Why didn’t you believe him?’  But if we say, ‘Of human origin,’ all the people will stone us, because they are persuaded that John was a prophet.”

v.7 So they answered, “We don’t know where it was from.”

v.8 Jesus said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.”

[Note: Jesus is approached by the religious authorities who demand to know by what authority he was there. He poses a question in return, about who John the Baptist was. They realize the difficulties and refuse an answer, so Jesus refused to answer their question.]

v.9-19 The Parable of the Tenants

v.9-12 A vineyards owner’s servants are beaten by his tenants

v.9 He went on to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard, rented it to some farmers and went away for a long time.

v.10 At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants so they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed.

v.11 He sent another servant, but that one also they beat and treated shamefully and sent away empty-handed.

v.12 He sent still a third, and they wounded him and threw him out.

[Note: He tells a vineyard parable: having gone away the owner sends servants for rent, who are all beaten. ? the prophets God sent to Israel.]

v.13-15 The tenants also reject and kill his son

v.13 “Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my son, whom I love; perhaps they will respect him.’

v.14 “But when the tenants saw him, they talked the matter over. ‘This is the heir,’ they said. ‘Let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’

v.15 So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.

[Note: So he sends his son, but they reject him and kill him. Clearly Jesus himself?]

v.15b,16 The answer shocks the people

“What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them?

v.16 He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others.” When the people heard this, they said, “God forbid!”

[Note: The owner will kill those tenants. This shocks the listeners.]

v.17-19 The parable applied

v.17,18 Jesus looked directly at them and asked, “Then what is the meaning of that which is written: “‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone’?  Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.”

v.19 The teachers of the law and the chief priests looked for a way to arrest him immediately, because they knew he had spoken this parable against them. But they were afraid of the people.

[Note: Jesus parallels it with scripture [Psa 118:22] and the authorities realise he refers to them.]

v.20-26 Paying Taxes to Caesar

v.20 Keeping a close watch on him, they sent spies, who pretended to be sincere. They hoped to catch Jesus in something he said, so that they might hand him over to the power and authority of the governor.

v.21 So the spies questioned him: “Teacher, we know that you speak and teach what is right, and that you do not show partiality but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth.

v.22 Is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”

v.23 He saw through their duplicity and said to them,

v.24 “Show me a denarius. Whose image and inscription are on it?” “Caesar’s,” they replied.

v.25 He said to them, “Then give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”

v.26 They were unable to trap him in what he had said there in public. And astonished by his answer, they became silent.

[Note: They send some to catch him out, who appear to praise him, but ask about paying taxes to the Romans, but Jesus sees the trap. (The people hated paying Taxes to the Romans) So Jesus asks who is on a coin and declares, give appropriately to Caesar and to God. Their trap failed.]

v.27-40 The Resurrection and Marriage

v.27-33 The Sadducees are next to confront him

v.27 Some of the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Jesus with a question.

v.28 “Teacher,” they said, “Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man must marry the widow and raise up offspring for his brother.

v.29-32 Now there were seven brothers. The first one married a woman and died childless. The second and then the third married her, and in the same way the seven died, leaving no children. Finally, the woman died too.

v.33 Now then, at the resurrection whose wife will she be, since the seven were married to her?”

[Note: Sadducees try next and quote the Law. They speculate about subsequent brothers marrying the woman who each then die. So whose wife will she be after the resurrection [which they don’t believe in!!!].

v.34-40 Jesus answers

v.34 Jesus replied, “The people of this age marry and are given in marriage.

v.35,36 But those who are considered worthy of taking part in the age to come and in the resurrection from the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage, and they can no longer die; for they are like the angels. They are God’s children, since they are children of the resurrection.

v.37 But in the account of the burning bush, even Moses showed that the dead rise, for he calls the Lord ‘the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’

v.38 He is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive.”

v.39 Some of the teachers of the law responded, “Well said, teacher!”

v.40 And no one dared to ask him any more questions.

[Note: Jesus teaches, marriage is for this side of death, beyond death there is no marriage. Remember Moses’ encounter with God at the burning bush [Exo 3:6]. He shows God is God of the living in the present.  Some of them recognize the wisdom of this so no more questions were asked of him.]

v.41-44 Whose Son Is the Messiah?

v.41 Then Jesus said to them, “Why is it said that the Messiah is the son of David?

v.42 David himself declares in the Book of Psalms: “‘The Lord said to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.”’

v.44 David calls him ‘Lord.’ How then can he be his son?”

[Note: Jesus challenges them about the Messiah and cites the psalms [Psa 110:1]. He is more than merely David’s son, which is what is usually taught.]

v.45-47 Warning Against the Teachers of the Law

v.45 While all the people were listening, Jesus said to his disciples,

v.46 “Beware of the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honour at banquets.

v.47 They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will be punished most severely.”

[Note: Jesus turned to his disciples and warned, beware all these pretentious and proud religious people, they are unjust, religiously showy, and will be judged.]

For those who may wish to make a study of this chapter, to perhaps think some more about what you have been reading, use the link below: