Luke 20

Luke 20:1-8

In this chapter we have, 1. Christ’s answer to the chief priests question concerning his authority, ver. 1—8. 2. The parable of the vineyard let out to the unjust and rebellious husbandmen, ver. 9—19. 3. Christ’s answer to the question proposed to him concerning the beneficence of paying tribute to Celan, ver. 20—26. 4. His vindication of the reformation of the dead and the future state, from the foolish cavils of the Sadducers, ver. 27—38. 5. His puzzling the scribes with a question concerning the Messiah’s being the Son of David, ver. 39—44. 6. The caution he gave his disciples to take bond of the scribes, ver. 45—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 spoke unto him, saying, Tell us, ‘by what authority doft 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.

Whilst Jesus was engaged in the blessed work of preaching to the people the glad tidings of salvation, the chief priests, scribes, and elders came upon him, to interrupt him in these labours of love. Note, We may not wonder, if in the service of the gospel we meet with many interruptions from the great enemy of souls, and his emilitaries.

They demanded his authority for what he said and did; insinuating, that as it belonged to them to judge of the pretensions of those who assumed the prophetical character, unless he produced his commission, they must proceed against him as a deceiver. He answers their question by another, respecting the baptism of John, which not caring to answer for fear of the people, and unwilling to own the divine mission of the Baptist, they pretended ignorance, and gave him a just reason to refuse them a farther account of himself, being they had already rejected the plainest evidence. Note, It is but lost labour to endeavour to persuade those, who are before resolved not to be convinced.

9. Then began he to speak to the people this parable: ‘A certain man planned 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 the 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. 8. 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.

Luke 20:9-19

This parable is designed for a warning to the priests and rulers, of the ruin coming upon them and their nation, for their persecutions of the messengers of God, and their rejection of the Messiah.

1. This vineyard was the Jewish people, which had been taken under God’s peculiar care; and having instituted a magistracy and ministry among them, he expected suitable returns of love and duty from them; but instead of that, they treated with the greatest cruelty those divinely-appointed messengers, whom he sent to remind them of his just expectations, and now were about to murder the son, who was come on the same errand, the consequence of which would be the ruin of the nation, and the eternal destruction of these miscreants. Note, (1.) The best of men have often met with the cruellest usage from those, whose good alone was the object of their labours. (2.) The end of obstinate transgressors is to be rooted out at the last.

2. Struck with the denunciation of vengeance, they could not but deprecate the wrath threatened, and express their abhorrence of such a crime as the murder of the Messiah; but Christ with deepest concern beheld them, assured of their determined obstinacy, and approaching ruin. Though their efforts would all be fruitless, that stone which these Jewish builders rejected, would, notwithstanding, become the head of the corner. This Jesus, whom they despised, would be exalted to the right hand of Majesty on high, and invested with all power and authority in heaven and in earth; and his enemies, who were offended at him, and on whom his vengeance would light, must terribly perish.

3. The chief priests plainly perceived the drift of the parable, and rage boiled in their bosoms. They would gladly have sensed and murdered him on the spot, but were deterred through fear

fear of the people, and forced reluctantly to defer their bloody purpos to a more convenient opportunity. So little effails have the fairest warnings upon those who harden their hearts against conviction.

Met. xiii. 25. Mark xii. 13. Pl. xii. 6. Or, of a truth then touched the way of God Mark xii. 13. Rom. xiii. 7.

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, ‘Matter, we know that thou sayest and teachett rightly, neither accepteth thou the person of any, but teachett the way of God truly.’ 22. Is it lawful for us to give tribute unto Celar, or no? 23. But he perceived their craftiness, and said unto them, Why tempt ye me? 24. Shew me a penny: whose image and supercruition hath it? They answered and said, Celar’s. 25. And he said unto them, ‘Render therefore unto Celar the things which be Celar’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.

Luke 20:20-26

Resolved if possible to destroy him, and not having the power in their own hands, they determined to try if they could not ensnare him, and render him obnoxious to the Roman government, as a seditious person; for which purpose we have here.

1. The infidious question proposed to him by certain of the Pharisees and Herodians, who, under the guile of conscientious regard to their duty, pretended a great concern to know whether it was lawful to give tribute to Celar, or not, and thereby acknowledge themselves the subjects of a foreign power. They sugged their fullest confidence in the rectitude of his decisions, their opinion of his integrity unseared by the fear of men, and their farishness in that divine commission under which he acted; and thus they endeavoured to flatter him into an unguarded freedom, which either must embrace him with the civil powers, or render him odious to the people. Note, (1.) The guts of party hath often served to cover the vilest designs. We need be on our guard against some who feign themselves just men, and not credulously trust to every specious probess. To be wise as terpents is our duty, as well as to be harmless as doves. (2.) It hath been the common articles of periscutors to endeavour to represent the faithful as enemies to the state, and thus to gain the civil powers to oppress them.

2. His answer confounds and silences his enemies. He perceived their craftiness; for from him nothing is hid, nothing is secret; and out of their own mouth draws a decision of the question, to which they cannot object. As they own their money bore Celar’s image and supercruition, he had certainly a right to his own; though this interfered not with God’s demands, to whole worship and service their hearts and lives must be devoted. Unable to object, in fullen silence they held their peace, marvelling at his wisdom, yet oblivious in their infidelity.

Met. xiii. 25. Mark. xii. 18. Acts xiii. 8. Deut. xxv. 5. Job iii. 8.

27. ¶ ‘Then came to him certain of the Sadducees (which deny that there is any resurrection) and they aided him, 28. Saying, ‘Matter,’ 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 the? 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.

Cor. xiii. 1. 1. 2. John iii. 3. Rom. xiii. 4. Ex. iii. 4. Acts xiii. 24. Rich. xii. 16. Eccl. xii.

Luke 20:27-28

This confutation of the Sadducean objection to the resurrection of the dead was considered before, Met. xxii. 23. Mark xii. 18. But our Lord here enlarges somewhat concerning that awful state which after death succeeds. The chil-

dress of this world marry, and are given in marriage: remissory is that the world should thus be supplied with inhabitants, and the ravages of death be repaired by the rising generation: but they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, have higher joys than even the marriage state can afford, and need not to increase, where death is swallowed up in victory. They are said to be accounted worthy, not that in and of ourselves we have any merit; our worthiness consists in being found in Christ, justified by his blood, complete in his righteousness, and sanctified by his spirit. In that unseen world to which the kindest go, [1.] They neither marry, nor are given in marriage; their holiness and happiness is complete without it: the delights of sense are swallowed up in the infinitely surpassing defences of the soul. [2.] Neither can they die any more: that world needs not to be replenished with new inhabitants, where his eternal reigns, and death never enters. [3.] They are equal to the angels; partaking in their service, enjoying the same hills; glorious and immortal as their seraphic spirits. [4.] They are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection; as adopted for, they have now the title to the eternal glory, and as the resurrection day will be put in possession of the purchased inheritance.

39. ¶ Then certain of the scribes answering, said, ‘Matter, thou hast well said. 40. And after that they durft not as 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 foot-stool. 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 20:39-47

The scribes, the established expeditions of the laws expressed their high approbation of his answer to their Sadducean opponents; and, struck with the surpassing wisdom which appeared in all his discourse, declined attempting any further to encounter him, conscious of his superiority. But though they had done with him, Christ hath not done with them.

1. He proposes to them a question, which seemed of easy solution, but which quite disconcerted them for an answer. Ignorant of the mystery of the person of the Messiah, in whom the divine and human natures should be united, they could not account how David’s Son should be David’s Lord. To us this mystery is unfolded: we behold God and man in one Christ.

2. He condemns the hypocrisy and covetousness of the scribes, and cautions his disciples against them. They made a vast parade of profession, and with flowing robes in solemn fussliness as they passed, expected homage, as due to their superiority; delighted in hearing the incense offered to their vanity; proudly affected precedence; and whilst by their long prayers they insinuated themselves into the confidence of widows, they barely and wickedly abused the trust reposed in them, and devoured their substance. Their shall receive greater damnation: wickedness committed under such a veil of piety, being the most aggravated guilt on the conscience, and must be attended with the most terrible vengeance of God.