Luke 20

This chapter belongs to the latter part of the Gospel of Luke. In Luke 19, Jesus entered Jerusalem, cleansed the temple, and taught there daily; this chapter recounts, one after another, his debates with the religious leaders in the temple.

Outline

• Verses 1–8 The chief priests and the scribes come with the elders and ask by what authority he does these things. Jesus asks in return whether the baptism of John was from heaven or of men, and when they answer that they cannot tell, he likewise declines to answer them.
• Verses 9–19 The parable of the wicked husbandmen. The husbandmen beat three servants in turn and send them away, and finally kill the owner's son. Jesus quotes the verse about "the stone which the builders rejected." The leaders perceive that the parable is spoken against them, but because they fear the people, they do not lay hands on him.
• Verses 20–26 Spies ask whether it is lawful to give tribute to Caesar. Jesus asks to be shown a denarius ("penny" in the KJV) and then gives his answer.
• Verses 27–40 The Sadducees, who deny that there is any resurrection, question him with the case of a woman who married seven brothers in succession. Jesus cites what Moses showed at the bush (Exodus 3) as testimony to the resurrection.
• Verses 41–44 Jesus asks how the Christ can be David's son when David calls him Lord.
• Verses 45–47 Jesus warns his hearers to beware of the scribes, who devour widows' houses and "for a shew make long prayers." The phrase "for a shew" refers to outward pretense.

Key Verses

• Luke 20:17 "The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner" — a quotation of Psalm 118:22. The New Testament repeatedly applies it to Christ (Acts 4:11; 1 Peter 2:7).
• Luke 20:25 "Render therefore unto Caesar the things which be Caesar's, and unto God the things which be God's" — frequently cited in discussions of the relationship between faith and state authority.
• Luke 20:38 "For he is not a God of the dead, but of the living" — cited as a foundational text for belief in the resurrection.

People and Places

• Jesus Christ
• Chief priests, scribes, and elders: the Jewish leadership in Jerusalem.
• Spies: men sent to catch Jesus in his words.
• Sadducees: a Jewish sect that denied the resurrection.
• John the Baptist, Moses, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and David: mentioned in the course of the debates.
• Caesar: a title referring to the Roman emperor.
• The Jerusalem temple: the setting of this chapter.

Points for Reflection

• The same debates also appear in Matthew 21 and Matthew 22, and in Mark 11 and Mark 12.
• The parable of the wicked husbandmen is often read alongside Isaiah 5:1–7, which likens Israel to a vineyard. The son in the parable is commonly interpreted as Jesus himself.
• Interpretations of verse 25 differ. Some read it as grounds for distinguishing the spheres of church and state, while others read it as emphasizing that everything belongs to God (see church and politics).
• Verse 36 does not say that the resurrected become angels. It says they are "equal unto the angels" in that they cannot die any more.
• Verse 1 of Psalm 110, quoted in verses 42–43, is frequently cited elsewhere in the New Testament, including Acts 2:34–35 and Hebrews 1:13.