GOSPEL OF LUKE: Chapter 20

Luke 20:9-19  The Corrupt Tenant Farmers
Then the owner of the vineyard said, 'What shall I do? I will send my own dear son' surely they will respect him!'  But when the tenants saw him, they said to one another, 'This is the owner's son.  Let's kill him, and his property will be ours!  So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.....The teachers of the Law and the chief priests tried to arrest Jesus on the spot, because they knew that he had told this parable against them; but they were afraid of the people. (GNT:13-15a, 19)
     Jesus wept as he entered Jerusalem days earlier.  He knows God is about to bring judgment on the Israelite people through him.  This parable tells the story of Israel - all the prophets God has sent which the religious leaders have scorned.  Now God is sending his son, who will be killed.  The farm of God is about to be turned over to new owners, the Gentiles.  The Kingdom is expanding.  


Luke 20:20-26  Render Unto Caesar
Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not?"  He knew they were laying for him and said, "Show me a coin. Now, this engraving, who does it look like and what does it say?"  "Caesar," they said. Jesus said, "Then give Caesar what is his and give God what is his." (MSG -
     Jesus is NOT a political adversary of Rome.  He cannot be charged with political subversion or nationalism.   His answer to this trap is typical: give to the government what is of this world, give to God what belongs to God.  
     Those who are 'hell-bent' on maintaining a Christian nationalism in America would do well to actually follow Jesus' answer.  God doesn't bless any particular nation.  God blesses people who honor humanity, community, and care for one another.  Once again, Jesus avoids the trap.   


Luke 20: 1-8, 27-44  Trying to Trap Jesus
So they [chief priests] looked for an opportunity.  They bribed some men to pretend they were sincere, and they sent them to trap Jesus with questions, so that they could hand him over to the authority and power of the Roman Governor.  (GNT:20)
      Three distinct instances are highlighted here.  At the beginning of the chapter Jesus is questioned on his authority.  He turns the question around and asks about John's authority to baptize.  The leaders are stumped.  Then the question about taxes and Jesus' rather famous response...'Render unto Caesar what is his and God his own'.  Finally the Sadducees, who don't believe in the resurrection, try to nail Jesus on an intricate question of marriage, legality, and the after-life.  Jesus response that all marriage covenants in heaven are broken - the marriage is with God.  In each instance, the efforts to trap Jesus into self-condemnation fails.  When one is in the right with the power of God, the words to respond come quickly and with assurance!  

Luke 20: 45-47  Beware the Religious Scholars
With everybody listening, Jesus spoke to his disciples.  "Watch out for the religion scholars.  They love to walk around in academic gowns, preen in the radiance of public flattery, bask in prominent positions, sit at the head table at every church function.  And all the time they are exploiting the weak and helpless.  The longer their prayers, the worse they get.  But they'll pay for it in the end."

From Faith in Action Commentary:
"Jesus then issues a final, public warning about the pride of these teachers.  Such arrogance leads to an elevation of self that ends up seeing others (in this case widows) as inferior - available for use as pawns.... Jesus calls us to a mind-set that disregards titles.  The more special we make ourselves, the less special God becomes in our eyes."

     We have many such leaders today unfortunately.  Those who seem to fear 'pollution from without' to the point where they disregard or abuse the very ones Christ calls us to serve.  We can question their faith, their motives, but first we must call to question our own response, our own pride and self-arrogance.