Luke 20:1-47
1 And it came to pass, that on one of those days, as he taught the people in the temple, and preached the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes came upon him with the elders,
2 And spake unto him, saying, Tell us, by what authority doest thou these things? or who is he that gave thee this authority?
3 And he answered and said unto them,I will also ask you one thing; and answer me:
4 The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men?
5 And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say, Why then believed ye him not?
6 But and if we say, Of men; all the people will stone us: for they be persuaded that John was a prophet.
7 And they answered, that they could not tell whence it was.
8 And Jesus said unto them,Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.
9 Then began he to speak to the people this parable;A certain man planted a vineyard, and let it forth to husbandmen, and went into a far country for a long time.
10 And at the season he sent a servant to the husbandmen, that they should give him of the fruit of the vineyard: but the husbandmen beat him, and sent him away empty.
11 And again he sent another servant: and they beat him also, and entreated him shamefully, and sent him away empty.
12 And again he sent a third: and they wounded him also, and cast him out.
13 Then said the lord of the vineyard, What shall I do? I will send my beloved son: it may be they will reverence him when they see him.
14 But when the husbandmen saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying, This is the heir: come, let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours.
15 So they cast him out of the vineyard, and killed him. What therefore shall the lord of the vineyard do unto them?
16 He shall come and destroy these husbandmen, and shall give the vineyard to others. And when they heard it, they said, God forbid.
17 And he beheld them, and said,What is this then that is written, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner?
18 Whosoever shall fall upon that stone shall be broken; but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.
19 And the chief priests and the scribes the same hour sought to lay hands on him; and they feared the people: for they perceived that he had spoken this parable against them.
20 And they watched him, and sent forth spies, which should feign themselves just men, that they might take hold of his words, that so they might deliver him unto the power and authority of the governor.
21 And they asked him, saying, Master, we know that thou sayest and teachest rightly, neither acceptest thou the person of any, but teachest the way of God truly:a
22 Is it lawful for us to give tribute unto Caesar, or no?
23 But he perceived their craftiness, and said unto them,Why tempt ye me?
24 Shew me a penny. Whose image and superscription hath it? They answered and said, Caesar's.
25 And he said unto them,Render therefore unto Caesar the things which be Caesar's, and unto God the things which be God's.
26 And they could not take hold of his words before the people: and they marvelled at his answer, and held their peace.
27 Then came to him certain of the Sadducees, which deny that there is any resurrection; and they asked him,
28 Saying, Master, Moses wrote unto us, If any man's brother die, having a wife, and he die without children, that his brother should take his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother.
29 There were therefore seven brethren: and the first took a wife, and died without children.
30 And the second took her to wife, and he died childless.
31 And the third took her; and in like manner the seven also: and they left no children, and died.
32 Last of all the woman died also.
33 Therefore in the resurrection whose wife of them is she? for seven had her to wife.
34 And Jesus answering said unto them,The children of this world marry, and are given in marriage:
35 But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage:
36 Neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection.
37 Now that the dead are raised, even Moses shewed at the bush, when he calleth the Lord the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.
38 For he is not a God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto him.
39 Then certain of the scribes answering said, Master, thou hast well said.
40 And after that they durst not ask him any question at all.
41 And he said unto them,How say they that Christ is David's son?
42 And David himself saith in the book of Psalms, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand,
43 Till I make thine enemies thy footstool.
44 David therefore calleth him Lord, how is he then his son?
45 Then in the audience of all the people he said unto his disciples,
46 Beware of the scribes, which desire to walk in long robes, and love greetings in the markets, and the highest seats in the synagogues, and the chief rooms at feasts;
47 Which devour widows' houses, and for a shew make long prayers: the same shall receive greater damnation.
Luke 20:2. Tell us, by what authority doest thou these things. A question after all his miracles which offered the foulest insult to God, and was the emanation of complot and of malice. See Matthew 21:25; Mark 11:30. Luke adds, that this question came from the three orders of the jewish council, the chief priests, the scribes, with the elders who did not belong to the tribe of Levi. By consequence, the question was like that of the highpriest, If thou be the Christ, tell us. It was asked to draw from his lips an avowal that he was the Christ, and then to accuse him of blasphemy, and as worthy of death. This had been their aim for about three months after he had raised Lazarus from the dead.
Luke 20:9. A certain man planted a vineyard. The Hebrews were God's choice vine, and the men of Judah his pleasant plants. Isaiah 5:7.
Luke 20:17. The stone which the builders rejected. See on Matthew 21:42.
Luke 20:22. Is it lawful to give tribute to Cæsar, or no. See on Mark 12:15.
Luke 20:27. Then came to him certain of the sadducees. See on Matthew 22:23; Mark 12:18.
Luke 20:36. They are equal to the ang els, and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection. This idea is confirmed by the words of the Elder to John. “I am thy fellow-servant, and of thy brethren the prophets: worship God.” Revelation 22:9. Whence the ancients got their ideas of the magnitude of the stature of archangels we are ignorant. Ezekiel regards the seraphim as filling the cloud: Ezekiel 1:4; Ezekiel 1:10. Milton also tells us that Lucifer walked on the beach of hell with his spear in his hand, compared with which “the tallest pine of Norway was but a wand.” The words of Christ regard equality of intellect and happiness, rather than of stature.
Luke 20:46. Beware of the scribes, who desire to walk in long robes. This is an addition to Matthew 23:5; which reads, “they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments.” As all the learned, and men of rank wear robes in Asia, it is the pride of decoration which is here condemned; such as the broad scarlet cross, in which the papists say high mass. The Hebrew prophets wore rough garments, which, however coarse, were badges of honour and professional dignity, and sometimes accompanied with the appellation of אדני adoni, my lord. 2 Kings 4:28. Eusebius names also a case in which the minister read the service in presence of the emperor Constantine, in a robe wove with threads of gold. Notwithstanding this, the pride of robes, of gait and mien in a minister, is abhorred of God and men.
REFLECTIONS.
The three efforts of the supreme council of the jews to lay snares for the Saviour's life, and to tarnish his popularity, in the questions of the tribute, of the resurrection of the dead, and of the first and great commandment, show the ingenious malice of the human heart. And is it possible for a national council to stoop so low as to do this, against the humble preacher of righteousness? Is it possible for religious men to pursue the life of one whose whole life had been spent in doing good? Need we ask for proofs of original sin, and for the consummation of depravity, after this? All these are the depths of Satan.
The parable of the vineyard shows the delight which God took in his ancient people the jews. The choice plants, the vine of Sorek, as is the Hebrew in Isaiah 5. The excellent prophets and shepherds which he gave them, were the richest favours of heaven. Those pastors were made responsible for the vineyard: but alas, the husbandmen became murderers, and brought desolation on the vineyard, and destruction on themselves.
We must not fail to remark here, that the turpitude of their crime lay in the extent of their knowledge, more than in the baseness of their hearts. They said, “this is the heir, let us kill him, and the inheritance shall be ours.” After getting rid of him, no mad prophet will ever dare to reprove us, and in the courts of the temple too, for our sins. Our Saviour had given them proofs, by revealing the thoughts of their hearts, that his wisdom was more than human, and his works were the seals of his mission.
But Peter says, they did it ignorantly; and Paul says, had they known him, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. Acts 3:17; 1 Corinthians 2:8. They were confused with the idea that Christ's kingdom was temporal, not spiritual and heavenly; therefore, when they saw his poverty, as “a root out of a dry ground,” they hated him, and maliciously rejected all his miracles and all his mercy. They fulfilled the scriptures in rejecting the stone which God had made the head of the corner. This ignorance our Saviour exposed. How say the scribes that Christ is David's Son? How can he be his Son, when David calls him Lord? The hundred and tenth Psalm is by the elder rabbins with one consent applied to Christ; but the gospel having declared his divine and human geniture, the later jews have applied that Psalm to Abraham; and Justin Martyr, as stated in his dialogue with Trypho the jew, found some who applied it to Hezekiah. Like the disciplined unitarians, they strive to get rid of every prophecy which declares the Redeemer's sufferings. A batch of perjured culprits, convicted at their own bar. Oh Son of the Highest, and Son of David too, into thine arms my soul would ever spring for life, for righteousness and eternal joy.