What I Noticed Today (Matthew 23; Luke 20-21)
Matthew 23
In verses 1-12, Jesus had just finished answering questions from the religious leaders and was still in the temple. He turns to the crowd and the disciples and refers to the religious leaders as those who sit on Moses’ Seat (teachers of the law) as hypocrites. They preach, but they do not practice what they preach.
- They place heavy burdens on the people but not on themselves.
- They make a show of their positions (large phylacteries, long tassels, seats of honor, and being called by their titles).
Jesus said you have one Father who is in heaven and one teacher who is Christ. The greatest among them will be the servant, and whoever exalts themselves will be humbled.
Note: Jesus is not suggesting there should be any titles or lines of authority. His point is, where is your focus? Are you focused on man or on God? Humble service to God is what is most important in God’s economy.
In verses 13-36, Jesus pronounces seven woes on the scribes and Pharisees for being hypocrites.
Note: Most Bible translations skip from verse 13 to verse 15. The addition of verse 14 includes an additional woe that is listed in both Mark 12:40 and Luke 20:47.
- Woe 1, Verse 13. They refused to accept Jesus, and this kept others from accepting His message.
- Woe 2, Verse 15. They worked to make converts to Judaism and forced them to follow their traditions and in so doing, kept people from seeing the truth of the Gospel.
- Woe 3, Verses 16-22. They were deceptive and dishonest when swearing oaths.
- Woe 4, Verses 23-24. They were meticulous about their tithing but neglected the more important matters of justice, mercy, and faithfulness.
- Woe 5, Verses 25-26. The Pharisees were focused on outward issues but neglected in the inward condition of their hearts that were filled with greed and corruption.
- Woe 6, Verses 27-28. They appear righteous on the outside but in reality, were full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
- Woe 7, Verses 29-32. They piously said if they had lived in the times of the prophets, they would never have been involved in the shedding of their blood, but Jesus knew they were already plotting His death.
In verses 33-36, Jesus condemned them, saying He had sent them prophets, wise men, and scribes, and they had persecuted and even killed them beginning with Abel (the first killed in Genesis 4:8) through Zechariah (Zechariah 1:1).
In verses 37-39, Jesus laments the judgment that will come to the city of Jerusalem because they have killed the prophets. Jesus concludes saying they will not see him again until they say, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord” (which occurs when Christ returns to earth to begin His Millennial reign).
Luke 20
In verses 1-7 (see also Mark 11:19-20, 27-33), Jesus finds himself in a challenging situation where the religious authorities—the chief priests, the teachers of the law, and the elders—confront Him as He is teaching in the temple. They question His authority, asking Him to specify the source from which He derives His right to teach, perform miracles, and basically do the things He has been doing.
Note: The chief priests, scribes, and elders were part of the Jewish ruling council, the Sanhedrin.
Jesus, showing His wisdom, responds to their inquiry with a counter-question. He asks them about the baptism of John the Baptist: Was it from heaven or from human origin? This question puts His interrogators in a dilemma. If they acknowledge that John's baptism was from heaven, then it logically follows that they should accept Jesus, whom John endorsed. However, if they claim that the baptism was of human origin, they risk offending the people who held John to be a prophet.
Recognizing the trap, the religious authorities opt to plead ignorance, saying they don't know where John's authority came from. Jesus, in turn, declines to answer their original question about His own authority. In this way, Jesus skillfully avoids being cornered and exposes the insincerity and cunning of His questioners. The passage serves as a clear demonstration of Jesus' wisdom and authority, and it also underscores the motives of those who are attempting to undermine Him.
In verses 9-19, Jesus tells the Parable of the Tenants. The parable serves as an allegory illustrating the history of God's relationship with His people, Israel, as well as a veiled criticism of the religious leaders who oppose Him. In the story, a man plants a vineyard, rents it to tenants, and then goes away for a long time. When he sends a servant to collect some of the fruit of the vineyard as rent, the tenants mistreat and send the servant away empty-handed. The man sends several more servants, but each meets a similar fate. Finally, he decides to send his son, thinking the tenants will respect him. However, the tenants conspire to kill the son, believing that doing so will give them the inheritance of the vineyard.
In this parable, the vineyard symbolizes Israel, and the tenants are the religious leaders. The servants who are sent to collect the fruit represent the prophets of old, whom Israel mistreated or ignored. The son signifies Jesus Himself, the heir to the vineyard. By killing the son, the tenants (religious leaders) believe they can seize control, but instead, they seal their own doom. After telling the parable, Jesus asks what will happen to the tenants, and the answer is that they will be killed and the vineyard given to others.
Jesus then cites Psalm 118:22, about the stone that the builders rejected becoming the cornerstone. He is identifying Himself as that cornerstone, rejected by the religious authorities but central to God’s plan. The religious leaders understand that the parable is spoken against them and wish to arrest Jesus immediately, but they refrain because they fear the people's reaction.
This narrative serves multiple purposes. It recounts Israel's history of turning away from God, rejecting His prophets, and now, rejecting His Son. It also issues a veiled warning to the religious authorities, suggesting that their opposition to Jesus will result in their downfall and loss of authority. Moreover, it makes a prophetic claim about Jesus' ultimate vindication despite being rejected by the religious establishment. Thus, the parable serves as a complex layering of history, criticism, warning, and prophecy.
In verses 20-26, the religious authorities employ a new tactic to entrap Jesus: they send spies pretending to be sincere disciples. These spies ask Jesus a politically charged question about whether it is lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, the Roman Emperor. The question is a highly sensitive one and a double-edged sword. If Jesus says it's not lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, he could be accused of inciting rebellion against Roman rule. On the other hand, if He says it is lawful, he risks alienating the Jewish people who are resentful of Roman occupation.
Recognizing the trap, Jesus asks for a denarius, a Roman coin, and inquires whose image and inscription it bears. They respond that it is Caesar's. Jesus then delivers a masterful answer: "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's." With this response, He avoids falling into their trap and offers a nuanced perspective that goes beyond the simplistic dichotomy they were trying to force upon Him.
On one level, Jesus acknowledges the practical necessity of abiding by the laws of the land, represented by paying the tax to Caesar. However, His answer also implies that there is a higher law, a divine obligation, symbolized by giving to God what is God's. Essentially, He reminds them that while there are earthly obligations, they should not eclipse or negate the spiritual commitments and responsibilities one has to God.
His interrogators are amazed at His answer, and they are unable to catch Him in His words in front of the people; thus, they become silenced and leave the scene. This segment showcases Jesus' skill in navigating complex ethical and political questions, emphasizing His wisdom and further exposing the duplicity of those who aim to discredit Him.
In verses 27-39, Jesus encounters the Sadducees, a sect of Judaism that did not believe in the resurrection of the dead. They pose a hypothetical question designed to challenge the idea of resurrection, asking about a woman who has been married to seven brothers in succession, each dying childless. They inquire whose wife she would be in the resurrection, thinking that the conundrum would render the concept of resurrection problematic or absurd.
Jesus responds by indicating that their question stems from a misunderstanding of the nature of the resurrection and the life to come. He states that those considered worthy to attain the resurrection will neither marry nor be given in marriage, and they can no longer die. They will be like angels and are God's children precisely because they are children of the resurrection.
Jesus then goes on to validate the concept of resurrection by referring to the account of Moses at the burning bush in Exodus 3:6. There, God identifies Himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Jesus argues that God is not the God of the dead but of the living; for Him, all are alive. His argument hinges on the premise that a relationship with God implies life, not death. If God identifies Himself with these patriarchs, it means they must be alive in some form, thereby affirming the concept of the resurrection.
The passage concludes with some of the teachers of the law complimenting Jesus, stating that he has spoken well. This acknowledgment suggests that even among the religious elite, there are those who recognize the wisdom and authority with which Jesus speaks.
Thoughts for additional consideration:
- Jesus' intellectual and theological acumen: He is not easily entrapped by tricky questions but responds with deep theological insight.
- The limitations of human understanding in apprehending divine realities: The Sadducees' question is rooted in an earthly understanding of relationships, which Jesus expands to encompass a heavenly perspective.
- Affirmation of the doctrine of resurrection: Jesus not only defends the idea but roots it deeply in the scriptural tradition, pointing to the relationship God has with the patriarchs as evidence of life beyond death.
- Overall, the episode showcases Jesus' adept handling of complex theological issues and his capacity to challenge prevailing interpretations, thereby revealing deeper spiritual truths.
Luke 21
In verses 1-4, (continuing from Luke 20:47), Jesus looked up and saw the rich giving their offering out of their surplus while a widow gave all she had as an offering.
Note: Jesus’ point is the widow’s gift was a greater sacrifice even though the amount was less because she gave all she had to live on.
In verses 5-36, (See also Matthew 24:1-44, and Mark 13:1-31), Jesus discusses what will happen just prior to His return to establish His kingdom.
In verses 5-7, the disciples remarked how beautiful the temple was, and Jesus says the day will come when one stone will not stand upon another.
In verses 8-19, the disciples asked Jesus what signs will occur when these things are about to take place (the destruction of the temple). Jesus said there would be four signs:
- There will be those who claim to be the Messiah. Do not be deceived.
- There will be wars (nations rising up against nations).
- There will be earthquakes that will cause famines and pestilence.
- There will be severe persecution of believers, and this will give you an opportunity to witness. Family members will betray you, but not a hair of your head will be lost.
Note: The first three of these signs would start before the destruction of the temple (destruction by the Roman army began in A.D. 70). The fourth sign would occur later.
Note: The reference to “not a hair of your head will be lost” does not suggest no physical harm. Rather, it is a reference to spiritual security when one perseveres.
In verses 20-24, Jesus continues saying when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, flee to the mountains. There will be great persecution by the Gentiles during this time and will continue until the time of the Gentiles is fulfilled.
Note: Jerusalem will fall again during the Great Tribulation (Zechariah 14:1-2) until Jesus returns to establish His kingdom.
In verses 25-28, then (after the Great Tribulation), there will be signs in the heavens, and people will see the Son of Man (Daniel 7:13-14) coming in a cloud with great power and glory. At this time, redemption is near.
In verses 29-33, Jesus taught the Parable of the Fig Tree. Jesus said, looking at the fig tree when you see leaves you know summer is near. In the same way, when you see these things (the signs), you know the kingdom of God is near. This generation will not pass away until these things take place.
Note: Verse 32 causes some controversy because some interpret the verse to be referring to the disciples; their generation will not pass away. However, it makes more sense to interpret the verse to mean the generation that exists when the signs of the coming of the Son of Man begin.
In verses 34-36, Jesus warned the disciples to be on alert at all times; to not be so distracted with the busyness of life that one does not notice the signs of the times.
In verses 37-38, Jesus taught in the temple in the morning. People would rise early to hear Him. But at night, He would go to the Mount of Olives.
Note: The reference to people rising early to hear Him suggests that what Jesus was teaching was especially meaningful for them.
What did you notice in your study today? Feel free to visit the website and leave a question or a comment.
