Luke — Chapter 20

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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:
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.
Abrahamic Catechism
Bible Study
Luke — Chapter 20
✦ Talmud

• The question about Jesus's authority — "By what authority do you do these things?" — and his counter-question about John's baptism follow the Talmudic debate protocol of answering a question with a question, a technique pervasive in Berakhot, Shabbat, and especially the dialectical passages of Bava Metzia and Bava Batra. The Talmud in Chagigah 3b teaches that the interplay of question and counter-question sharpens understanding "like iron sharpens iron." Jesus's rhetorical strategy is Talmudic.

• The parable of the wicked tenants appears again in Luke with the same allegorical structure, and the Talmudic concept of the mashal (parable) with its nimshal (application) governs its interpretation. Sanhedrin 38b praises the mashal as an indispensable teaching tool, and Sukkah 28a lists knowledge of parables among the highest intellectual achievements. The parable form Jesus employs throughout the Temple debates is the dominant literary mode of the Talmudic tradition.

• The question about tribute to Caesar in Luke's version echoes the same dina d'malkhuta dina principle discussed in Nedarim 28a. The Talmud in Bava Kamma 113a distinguishes between a lawful government and a bandit king, suggesting that the obligation to pay taxes depends on the legitimacy of the authority. Gittin 10b extends the principle to secular legal documents. Jesus's answer navigates the same political tightrope the Talmudic sages walked under Roman occupation.

• The Sadducees' resurrection challenge in Luke receives Jesus's response that the resurrected "are equal to angels and cannot die anymore," engaging the Talmudic description of the World to Come in Berakhot 17a: "In the World to Come there is no eating, no drinking, no procreation, no business, no jealousy, no hatred, no competition — rather, the righteous sit with their crowns on their heads and enjoy the radiance of the Shekhinah." Jesus's description of the resurrection state parallels the Talmudic vision almost exactly.

• The question about David's son being David's Lord from Psalm 110 engages the Talmudic messianic theology discussed in Sanhedrin 98b, where the sages debate the relationship between the Messiah and the Davidic line. Nedarim 32b discusses Melchizedek's priesthood and its transfer to Abraham, connecting Psalm 110's "priest forever after the order of Melchizedek" to pre-Levitical worship. The Talmud's own struggle with the Messiah's transcendent status provides the background for Jesus's riddle.