Luke 20

1 One day Jesus was teaching the people in the temple courtyard and telling them the Good News. The chief priests, scribes, and leaders came up to him.

2 They asked him, "Tell us, what gives you the right to do these things? Who told you that you could do this?"

3 Jesus answered them, "I, too, have a question for you. Tell me,

4 did John's right to baptize come from heaven or from humans?"

5 They talked about this among themselves. They said, "If we say, 'from heaven,' he will ask, 'Why didn't you believe him?'

6 But if we say, 'from humans,' everyone will stone us to death. They're convinced that John was a prophet."

7 So they answered that they didn't know who gave John the right to baptize.

8 Jesus told them, "Then I won't tell you why I have the right to do these things."

9 Then, using this illustration, Jesus spoke to the people: "A man planted a vineyard, leased it to vineyard workers, and went on a long trip.

10 "At the right time he sent a servant to the workers to obtain from them a share of the grapes from the vineyard. But the workers beat the servant and sent him back with nothing.

11 So he sent a different servant. The workers beat him, treated him shamefully, and sent him back with nothing.

12 Then he sent a third servant. But they injured this one and threw him out [of the vineyard].

13 "Then the owner of the vineyard said, 'What should I do? I'll send my son, whom I love. They'll probably respect him.'

14 "When the workers saw him, they talked it over among themselves. They said, 'This is the heir. Let's kill him so that the inheritance will be ours.'

15 So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. "What will the owner of the vineyard do to them?

16 He will destroy these workers and give the vineyard to others." Those who heard him said, "That's unthinkable!"

17 Then Jesus looked straight at them and asked, "What, then, does this Scripture verse mean: 'The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone'?

18 Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken. If that stone falls on anyone, it will crush that person."

19 The scribes and the chief priests wanted to arrest him right there, but they were afraid of the people. They knew that he had directed this illustration at them.

20 So they watched for an opportunity to send out some spies. The spies were to act like sincere religious people. They wanted to catch him saying the wrong thing so that they could hand him over to the governor.

21 They asked him, "Teacher, we know that you're right in what you say and teach. Besides, you don't play favorites. Rather, you teach the way of God truthfully.

22 Is it right for us to pay taxes to the emperor or not?"

23 He saw through their scheme, so he said to them,

24 "Show me a coin. Whose face and name is this?" They answered, "The emperor's."

25 He said to them, "Well, then give the emperor what belongs to the emperor, and give God what belongs to God."

26 They couldn't make him say anything wrong in front of the people. His answer surprised them, so they said no more.

27 Some Sadducees, who say that people will never come back to life, came to Jesus. They asked him,

28 "Teacher, Moses wrote for us, 'If a married man dies and has no children, his brother should marry his widow and have children for his brother.'

29 There were seven brothers. The first got married and died without having children.

30 Then the second brother married the widow,

31 and so did the third. In the same way all seven brothers married the widow, died, and left no children.

32 Finally, the woman died.

33 Now, when the dead come back to life, whose wife will she be? The seven brothers had married her."

34 Jesus said to them, "In this world people get married.

35 But people who are considered worthy to come back to life and live in the next world will neither marry

36 nor die anymore. They are the same as the angels. They are God's children who have come back to life.

37 "Even Moses showed in the passage about the bush that the dead come back to life. He says that the Lord is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

38 He's not the God of the dead but of the living. In God's sight all people are living."

39 Some scribes responded, "Teacher, that was well said."

40 From that time on, no one dared to ask him another question.

41 Jesus said to them, "How can people say that the Messiah is David's son?

42 David says in the book of Psalms, 'The Lord said to my Lord, "Take the highest position in heaven

43 until I make your enemies your footstool."'

44 David calls him Lord. So how can he be his son?"

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

46 "Beware of the scribes! They like to walk around in long robes and love to be greeted in the marketplaces, to have the front seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at dinners.

47 They rob widows by taking their houses and then say long prayers to make themselves look good. The scribes will receive the most severe punishment."

Luke 20 Commentary

Chapter 20

The priests and scribes question Christ's authority. (1-8) The parable of the vineyard and husbandmen. (9-19) Of giving tribute. (20-26) Concerning the resurrection. (27-38) The scribes silenced. (39-47)

Verses 1-8 Men often pretend to examine the evidences of revelation, and the truth of the gospel, when only seeking excuses for their own unbelief and disobedience. Christ answered these priests and scribes with a plain question about the baptism of John, which the common people could answer. They all knew it was from heaven, nothing in it had an earthly tendency. Those that bury the knowledge they have, are justly denied further knowledge. It was just with Christ to refuse to give account of his authority, to those who knew the baptism of John to be from heaven, yet would not believe in him, nor own their knowledge.

Verses 9-19 Christ spake this parable against those who resolved not to own his authority, though the evidence of it was so full. How many resemble the Jews who murdered the prophets and crucified Christ, in their enmity to God, and aversion to his service, desiring to live according to their lusts, without control! Let all who are favoured with God's word, look to it that they make proper use of their advantages. Awful will be the doom, both of those who reject the Son, and of those who profess to reverence Him, yet render not the fruits in due season. Though they could not but own that for such a sin, such a punishment was just, yet they could not bear to hear of it. It is the folly of sinners, that they persevere in sinful ways, though they dread the destruction at the end of those ways.

Verses 20-26 Those who are most crafty in their designs against Christ and his gospel, cannot hide them. He did not give a direct answer, but reproved them for offering to impose upon him; and they could not fasten upon any thing wherewith to stir up either the governor or the people against him. The wisdom which is from above, will direct all who teach the way of God truly, to avoid the snares laid for them by wicked men; and will teach our duty to God, to our rulers, and to all men, so clearly, that opposers will have no evil to say of us.

Verses 27-38 It is common for those who design to undermine any truth of God, to load it with difficulties. But we wrong ourselves, and wrong the truth of Christ, when we form our notions of the world of spirits by this world of sense. There are more worlds than one; a present visible world, and a future unseen world; and let every one compare this world and that world, and give the preference in his thoughts and cares to that which deserves them. Believers shall obtain the resurrection from the dead, that is the blessed resurrection. What shall be the happy state of the inhabitants of that world, we cannot express or conceive, ( 1 Corinthians. 2:9 ) are entirely taken up therewith; when there is perfection of holiness there will be no occasion for preservatives from sin. And when God called himself the God of these patriarchs, he meant that he was a God all-sufficient to them, ( Genesis 17:1 ) , their exceeding great Reward, ( Genesis 15:1 ) . He never did that for them in this world, which answered the full extent of his undertaking; therefore there must be another life, in which he will do that for them, which will completely fulfil the promise.

Verses 39-47 The scribes commended the reply Christ made to the Sadducees about the resurrection, but they were silenced by a question concerning the Messiah. Christ, as God, was David's Lord; but Christ, as man, was David's son. The scribes would receive the severest judgement for defrauding the poor widows, and for their abuse of religion, particularly of prayer, which they used as a pretence for carrying on worldly and wicked plans. Dissembled piety is double sin. Then let us beg of God to keep us from pride, ambition, covetousness, and every evil thing; and to teach us to seek that honour which comes from him alone.