Setting The Scene In Luke 20

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You're listening to Heed the Word with our pastor and teacher Ken Davis. Pastor Ken is the senior pastor of Calvary Chapel Southwest Metro in Burleson, Texas. Please join us as we study the Gospel of Luke verse by verse.

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Look, I'm not just talking to you when I read these things. These verses speak to me too. There have been times in my secular unemployment when I have worked for people whom I had a hard time respecting. And I didn't think they treated me very fairly. But I, as a Christian, am called to honor those people, to render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's. Well, what is due the people that I work for? They pay my paycheck, don't they? So I am to render them honorable service, even when they don't treat me fairly.

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The Gospel of Luke is the third account in the Gospels of the life and teachings of our Savior, Jesus Christ. As believers, there are few studies that will benefit us more spiritually than studying the life and teachings of the Master. We read in Colossians that we are to obey our earthly masters with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. For the work that we do is not for man, but ultimately for the Lord. So instead of just punching in at the time clock and daydreaming into lunch, consider how the Father would want you to work. Look for opportunities to serve him while serving others. Don't forget to stay with us after today's message to hear more information about Heather Word, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching. But for now, please open your Bibles to the Gospel of Luke, chapter 20, verse 1, as we join Pastor Kent.

Question Of Authority Confronts Jesus

Parable Of The Wicked Tenants

The Trap: Taxes To Caesar

Render To Caesar, Render To God

Origins Of Authority And The Coin

Romans 13 And Good Citizenship

Honoring Unjust Bosses And Limits

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Just for the purpose of context, I'll begin our reading with verse 1. Now it happened on one of those days, these are the days, of course, following the triumphal entry, as he taught the people in the temple and preached the gospel, that the chief priests and the scribes, together with the elders, confronted him, and spoke to him, saying, Tell us, by what authority are you doing these things? Or who is he who gave you this authority? But he answered and said to them, I also will ask you one thing, and answer me. The baptism of John, was it from heaven or from men? And they reasoned among themselves, saying, If we say from heaven, he will say, Why then did you not receive him? But if we say from men, all the people will stone us, for they are persuaded that John was a prophet. So they answered that they did not know where it came from. And Jesus said to them, Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things. You see, they had come to Jesus, as we studied last week, with a question of authority. By what authority do you do these things, and who gave you that authority? Well, he responded to their question with a question of his own, saying, The baptism of John, was it of heaven or was it of men? And if they had acknowledged the authority, the heavenly authority of John's baptism, then they also would have acknowledged the authority that Jesus had, for their source was the same. And yet, if they denied the authority of John's baptism, then they would also deny the authority of Jesus, which in fact they did. But they were unwilling to be honest enough to say so, because they feared the people. So Jesus tells this parable. Then he began to tell the people this parable. A certain man planted a vineyard, leased it to vine dressers, and went into a far country for a long time. Now at vintage time he sent a servant to the vine dressers, that they might give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the vine dressers beat him and sent him away empty-handed. Again he sent another servant, and they beat him also, treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed. And again he sent a third, and they wounded him also and cast him out. Then the owner of the vineyard said, What shall I do? I will send my beloved son. Probably they will respect him when they see him. But when the vine dressers saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying, This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours. So they cast him out of the vineyard and killed him. Therefore, what will the owner of the vineyard do to them? He will come and destroy those vine dressers and give the vineyard to others. And when they heard it, they said, Certainly not, as though certainly we would never do something like that. You know, we wouldn't cast out the sun, we wouldn't kill him, we wouldn't reject the prophets. You see, they prided themselves on the fact that they would not do the things that their fathers had done, which was to kill the prophets. The nation of Israel had killed or beaten or rejected almost every prophet that had been sent to them. And these men were just like their ancestors. They were rejecting the one whom God had sent. And Jesus was telling them what their end would be. Then he looked at them and said, What then is this that is written? The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. Whoever falls on that stone will be broken, but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder. And the chief priests and the scribes that very hour sought to lay hands on him, but they feared the people, for they knew he had spoken this parable against them. You see, they knew that in the parable that he was telling, they were the wicked vine dressers, and they knew that he was the one who had come to receive that which was due the owner of the vineyard. And yet, just as he had said they would, they rejected him. They cast him out, and they had him killed. And so, in the light of everything that's going on here, in the light of what we see in these verses, the fact that they are furious with him, they want to lay hands on him, they want to grab him, they want to throw him in jail and have him killed. In light of that, we come to these next verses. Verse 20. So they watched him and sent spies who pretended to be righteous, that they might seize on his words in order to deliver him to the power and the authority of the governor. Now that governor was Pontius Pilate, the Roman authority, the Roman governor in that place. Then they asked him, saying, Teacher, we know that you say and teach rightly, and you do not show personal favoritism, but teach the way of God in truth. Don't you always cringe just a little bit when people whom you know are not really your friends come up to you and start saying all manner of nice things about you? Doesn't something just kind of itch in the back of your skull that says, watch out, be careful, these guys do not really have your best interests at heart? Well, that's exactly what's going on here. And it's obvious to us, and it was obvious to Jesus as well. First of all, who were these spies that were sent? Mark tells us in chapter 12, verse 13, where he says, They sent him some of the Pharisees and the Herodians to catch him in his word. So Mark gives us a little more detail about who these guys were that were being sent to Jesus. And you have to understand a little bit about this peculiar group. You see, these two groups of people, the Pharisees and the Herodians, would not typically be people that hung out together. They didn't really like each other. But you see, they had found a common enemy here in Jesus. And they hated him more than they hated each other. The Pharisees were the most religious sect of the Jews. They had an outward righteousness that was perfect. I mean, these are the guys in the three-piece suits at church every Sunday, every Wednesday, every prayer meeting. If the doors are open, they are there. And yet there was no love in their hearts whatsoever. They were the ones who would make big pledges, you know, give lots of money to the church or to the building fund or to this or to whatever, so that their names could be on one of the bricks in the wall outside. You know how that goes? You've seen that kind of thing before? These are the kind of guys that the Pharisees were. They were religious to a fault, but the religion was outward. It never penetrated the heart. They never came to a real relationship with Jesus because it was all about what they could do to appear righteous before men. And these guys, this particular sect, they were all about the theocracy. You see, they thought that Israel should be ruled by the religious leaders, by the Sanhedrin. They didn't like Rome. They didn't like Herod. They didn't want a foreign ruler over Israel. But then the Herodians, you see, these guys were not a religious sect at all. These guys were a political group. They were the supporters of Herod. They had kind of accepted the rule of Rome and the things that were going on there. And they were in favor of Herod. And so these two groups come together and they're sent to ask Jesus a particular question. Now, in this group, there are people who will be offended regardless of the answer that Jesus gives to this question. And that's why they were sent to ask it. Let's see what it is they're going to ask him. Luke 21, verse 22. Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not? This is not an open-ended question, is it? This is kind of a yes or no question. And it is a yes or no answer that they're wanting. Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not? Yes or no? Is it or isn't it? That's what they're asking. Now, if Jesus says, yes, it's lawful for you to pay taxes to Caesar, then the Pharisees are going to have a whole lot against him. They're going to be angry at him. And not only that, but they're going to be able to use what he said to turn the people against him as well. You see, they wanted to lay hands on him, but they couldn't. Why? Because they were afraid of the people. But if they can get him to say something that's going to offend the people, then the people won't care when they lay hands on him and take him away. But if he says no, it's not lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, you shouldn't do that. Well, then the Herodians are going to get offended at him, and they're going to go down and they're going to say to the Roman government there, hey, there's a guy down here who is inciting the people to rebellion to tell them not to pay their taxes. So either way, whether he says yes or whether he says no, they've got him. They think that they're springing on him the same kind of trap he had sprung on them earlier with the question about John the Baptist. There was simply no good answer. But the fact of the matter was, Jesus was a lot more resourceful than they gave him credit for. Amen. Let's read on. But he perceived their craftiness and said to them, Why do you test me? You know, I can almost hear a weariness in that statement. As if he's saying, All right, here we go again. Haven't we gone through this enough already? Why do you test me? Show me a denarius. A denarius was the common silver coin in use at that time. It's perceived that it was probably worth about a day's wages. And he says, Show me a denarius. That tells us something about Jesus right there, doesn't it? He didn't have a denarius of his own. If he had had a denarius of his own, he'd have just reached into his pocket and pulled it out. But he didn't have one. Jesus wasn't rich, was he? Is there anyone, let me ask this question, anyone who had more faith than Jesus? No. And so obviously faith cannot be equated with wealth, can it? If we have faith, that doesn't mean we're necessarily going to have resources, but it does mean we're going to have what we need when we need it. Amen? Because God will provide according to his riches and glory, but that doesn't mean that we're going to have an abundance. It means that there are going to be times in our life that God is going to make us faithful in our poverty. And he's going to use the struggles and the situations of our life to draw us closer to him. And so Jesus says, Show me a denarius. And so they do. He says, Show me a denarius. Whose image and inscription does it have? They answered and said, Caesar's. And he said to them, Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's. But they could not catch him in his words in the presence of the people. And they marveled at his answer and kept silent. Now, in the beginning verses of chapter 20 up through verse 19, we talked about a question of authority. And today's message, if I were to give it a title, would be really the origin of authority. The origin of authority is found in the creation or in the power of creation. Let me explain what I mean there. That coin, that denarius, had upon it the image and the inscription of Caesar. What does that tell us? It came from Caesar, didn't it? The origin of that coin, the place that that coin had come from, was Rome. And it was commonly in use in Judea in that day. And so Rome or Caesar had produced that coin. And having produced that coin, his image and his inscription were upon that coin. And thereby he had what? Authority over that coin, didn't he? Because he had produced it. He had made it in essence. And Jesus is saying very clearly here: render unto Caesars that which is Caesar. Sometimes we don't like to think about that, and sometimes we don't like to do it. But the fact of the matter is, it is what we're called to do. Paul spoke of the same thing in Romans chapter 13. Let's turn there. Romans chapter 13, verse 1. Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore, whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God. And those who resist will bring judgment on themselves, for rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. What Paul is saying is, if you haven't done anything wrong, you don't have anything to be afraid of, isn't he? For he is God's minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is God's minister and avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. Therefore you must be subject not only because of wrath, but also for conscience' sake. For because of this you also pay taxes, for they are God's ministers, attending continually to this very thing. Render therefore to all their due taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor. Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. You see, as Christians, we are to be good citizens of the nation where God has placed us. We should be those who obey the law, recognizing that those who are in authority were placed there by God. These are verses that would be used to establish the divine right of kings during the Middle Ages and onward. And you know, to a degree, I can agree with their use to that purpose. Those whom God has placed in authority in our lives are there by God's will. That's why we too are to respect our parents and to honor them. That's why we are to respect those who are placed in authority, like police officers and firemen and governmental authorities, because they have been given a certain authority that we are to recognize. Peter talked about the same thing. Let's turn to 1 Peter chapter 2. You might say, well, yeah, can I hear what you're saying? But what about regimes like communist Russia or communist China? Are people to be submitted to those authorities? Are people to submit to Castro? I mean, are we to live under anything other than a free society? Well, you have to remember that when Paul and when Peter wrote these words, they were living under an emperor. Caesar. Right? So what about when we suffer in those situations? Let's see what Peter says. First Peter chapter 2, starting in verse 11. Beloved, I beg you, as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul, having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation. Therefore, in other words, to maintain a good witness, Peter is saying, submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake, whether to the king as supreme, or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men, as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bond servants of God, honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king. Servants, be submissive to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh. I mean, let's bring that into a modern vernacular. Can I tell you that as an employee, you should give honor to the manager who is over you? And you say, Well, what if my manager's a jerk? Well, so what? You're still to give honor to your manager or to the person who has set in authority over you. Why? To bring honor and glory to God. Well, what does he say here? For this is commendable, if because of conscience toward God, one endures grief, suffering wrongfully. For what credit is it if when you are beaten for your faults you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God. For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example that you should follow his steps, who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in his mouth, who when he was reviled did not revile in return. When he suffered, he did not threaten, but committed himself to him who judges righteously, who himself bore our sins in his own body on the tree, that we having died to sins might live for righteousness, by whose stripes you are healed. For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the shepherd and overseer of your souls. Look, I'm not just talking to you when I read these things. These verses speak to me too. There have been times in my secular employment when I have worked for people whom I had a hard time respecting, and I didn't think they treated me very fairly. But I, as a Christian, am called to honor those people, to render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's. Well, what is due the people that I work for? They pay my paycheck, don't they? So I am to render them honorable service. Even when they don't treat me fairly. Even when we think it's ridiculous that the speed limit on this road should be 30 miles per hour. It's a wide road. There's no traffic. There are no houses. It's ridiculous that it should be 30 miles per hour on this road. No one's around anyway. I might as well go 50. Guess what? That's not what we're called to. We're called to give honor to whom honor is due. Now, Ken, is there a limit to just how far we should go in submitting to government or to the authority that is over us? What if they ask us to do something that is contrary to our conscience? You know, one thing that I've told my employers and my managers anytime I have the opportunity when I work for them is this I will do whatever you ask me to do, provided it is not illegal, immoral, or unethical. And I think that should be our standard. That we should do what is required of us by our employers or by those in authority over us, provided it is not illegal, immoral, or unethical. If it's illegal, immoral, or unethical, then to do that, to obey them in that thing, would be to disobey God. And obedience to the authority that has been placed over us is never an excuse for sinful behavior. It is never an excuse for disobedience to God. And we have an example of that in Acts chapter 4. Let's turn there. Now in Acts chapter 3, they had healed the lame man at the beautiful gate of the temple. And he had gone into the temple jumping and leaping and praising God, and the people had come together, and Peter and John had kind of looked at the people and said, Hey, just don't think it was because of us that all this incredible stuff is happening. It's in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth that this man was healed, and he began preaching an awesome sermon, and many, many thousands of people, as a matter of fact, received the Lord as a result of it. But Peter and John, as a result of this, are arrested. In chapter four, we find this verse one. Now, as they spoke to the people, the priests, the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees came upon them, being greatly disturbed that they taught the people and preached in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. And they laid hands on them and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. However, many of those who heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to be about five thousand. And it came to pass on the next day that the rulers, elders, and scribes, as well as Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the family of the high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem. And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, By what power or by what name have you done this? Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, Rulers of the people and elders of Israel, if we this day are judged for a good deed done to a helpless man by what means he has been made well, let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by him this man stands before you whole. This is the stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone, nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled, and they realized that they had been with Jesus. And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it. But when they had commanded them to go out of the council, they conferred among themselves, saying, What shall we do to these men? For indeed that a notable miracle has been done through them is evident to all who dwell in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. You know, they'd have loved to have been able to deny it, wouldn't they? But the fact of the matter is they couldn't. But, so that it spreads no further among the people, let us severely threaten them that from now on they speak to no man in this name. So they called them and commanded them not to speak at all, nor teach in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered and said to them, Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.

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Unfortunately, that's all the time we have for today. You've been listening to Heed the Word, the teaching ministry of Pastor Ken Davis, Calvary Chapel in Burleson, Texas. We are currently making our way through the Gospel of Luke here on Heed the Word. The Gospel of Luke is packed full of insights about Jesus, our Savior. So we encourage you to join us again, same time, same place, for the next study through Luke with Pastor Ken. As we mentioned at the beginning of today's broadcast, this teaching, as well as many others, are available from the Heed the Word Media Player. You can listen to today's teaching, download today's teaching, subscribe to the Heed the Word podcast, or even get a copy on your mobile phone. Everything's right there. There's even a Bible available for you to follow along in the scriptures as Pastor Ken teaches. So log on to HeedTheWord.org and continue studying with us today. If today's teaching has blessed you, perhaps you'd like to visit us for worship. Calvary Chapel Southwest Metro meets each Sunday morning at 10.30 a.m. and Wednesday evening at 7 p.m. We'd love to have you stop by and join us. For more information and driving directions, log on to www.heedtheword.org. This has been another edition of Heed the Word, the verse by verse, chapter by chapter, and book by book teaching ministry of Ken Davis, senior pastor of Calvary Chapel, Southwest Metro. Place a marker in your Bibles and join us next time for our continuing study through the Gospel of Luke right here on Heed the Word.