Category: Luke 20

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Luke Luke 20 Mark Mark 12 Matthew Matthew 23

A wrong view of leadership

The gospels

What is leadership? What is leadership not?

In a scathing criticism of the Pharisees and teachers of the law, Jesus gives us insight into what true leadership is about.

He first warned the disciples and the crowds,

The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. So you must obey them and do everything they tell you.

But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. (Matthew 23:1-2).

Here, Jesus tells the people that though they were to respect the offices of authority, nevertheless they were not to do what the teachers of the law and Pharisees did because they didn’t practice what they preached.

Oh, they kept all the minor details of the laws, as well as the traditions of the elders, but when it came down to what was most important, justice, mercy, and faithfulness, they failed miserably. And it showed in how they treated the people, and how they related to God.

It also showed in how they viewed leadership. They saw it merely as telling the people what to do, not serving them. Jesus said of them,

They tie up heavy loads and put them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them. (Matthew 23:4).

These men poured out law upon law, rule upon rule on the people.

But when people started to crumble under the burden of guilt for not being able to keep all these things, they didn’t encourage them; they didn’t pray for them; they didn’t think how to help them. Rather, they condemned them.

They also saw it as a point of pride to be in that position.

Their phylacteries (boxes that held writings of scripture in them) were wide and their tassels which also had scriptures written on them were long so that all the world would be impressed by their spirituality.

They then abused their position for financial gain. Jesus said, “They devour widows’ houses,” probably meaning that they used the respect they gained from their position to get money from the widows.

They also gloried in being called “teacher” or “father” by those around them because it showed their high position among the people. But Jesus said,

But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have only one Master and you are all brothers.

And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven.

Nor are you to be called ‘teacher,’ for you have one Teacher, the Christ. (Matthew 23:8-10).

And that’s what a leader is to remember. Titles are nice to have, but in reality, all of us are equal, and God is the only one who is truly above all.

Yet even God came down to earth as a servant. He healed the sick, he brought good news to the poor and downtrodden, and then he died on a cross to take the punishment for all of our sins. And that is the attitude that leaders are to take.

Jesus said,

The greatest among you will be your servant. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. (Matthew 23:11-12).

True leaders are servants. They don’t look for what they can gain in terms of respect, pride, or money. Rather, they are willing to sacrifice all for the sake of the people around them.

What kind of leader are you?

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Luke Luke 20 Mark Mark 12 Matthew Matthew 22

Son of David, Son of God

The gospels

Perhaps tiring of the hypocrisy of those questioning him, Jesus posed his own question to them that ultimately shut them up. He said,

What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he? (Matthew 22:42a)

This was an easy question for the Pharisees and teachers of the law, and they immediately answered,

The son of David. (Matthew 22:42b)

Then Jesus challenged their thinking of who the Christ, the Messiah really was. He asked,

How is it then that David, speaking by the Spirit, calls him “Lord”?

For he says, “The Lord said to my Lord: ‘Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet.'”

If then David calls him “Lord,” how can he be his son? (Matthew 22:43-45)

The answer is simple. Jesus is not simply the Son of Man (namely David), he is also the Son of God. As a man, he was the son of David. But as the Son of God, he was also David’s Lord.

But this was something the Pharisees and teachers of the law could not see. Or perhaps did not want to see.

There are many people like that today. They are willing to see Jesus as the son of man. A good person. A great teacher even. But they are unwilling to acknowledge him as Son of God.

But Jesus is not simply a son of man. He is the Son of God. And as such, he is worthy of our honor, our trust, and obedience. More, he is the only way to the Father.

How about you? How do you see Jesus?

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Luke Luke 20 Mark Mark 12 Matthew Matthew 22

When we fail to understand the scriptures and the power of God

The gospels

There’s a children’s song that humorously describes the Sadducees. It says, “I don’t wanna be a Sadducee, ’cause a Sadducee is ‘sad, you see?'”

Yes, I know, a very bad joke. 🙂

Nevertheless, they were a sad bunch of people because of one main thing. They had no hope for a resurrection. They thought this life was all we have.

And because of that, it shaped the way they saw God, the way they saw life, and the way they saw scripture.

They didn’t understand God’s power, nor his desire for a lasting relationship with us.

They didn’t understand that life goes beyond the grave, and so they were more interested in the power and influence they had on earth, as well as their wealth.

As a result of these things, it also affected the way they saw scripture. They only accepted the first five books of the Bible as scripture, and rejected everything else as divinely inspired.

They therefore came up to Jesus with a question that had apparently stumped the Pharisees who did believe in the resurrection of the dead.

It was essentially an asinine question, although it brought up a situation that was technically possible.

In Jewish culture, if a person’s brother died without having a son, they would have to marry that brother’s wife and have children through her so that their brother’s family line could continue.

So the Sadducees asked Jesus if a man had 7 brothers, and this happened 6 times because the woman failed to have a son, whose wife would she be in the resurrection?

Like I said, an asinine question, on the level of asking, “Can God make a rock so big that he can’t move it?”

Jesus answered the Sadducees,

You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God.

At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. (Matthew 22:29-30)

Then he stuck the needle in by using a passage from the book of Exodus that they had never really thought through (and most people don’t to this day).

He said,

But about the resurrection of the dead—have you not read what God said to you, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’?

He is not the God of the dead but of the living. (Matthew 22:31-32)

In other words, God could have said, “I was the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”

But he purposely said, “I am the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Even now, I am their God.”

Meaning, of course, that they were still alive, not dead, utterly destroying the Sadducees’ argument, using the only possible passage they would accept as scripture.

What does this mean for us? Let us not put God in a box that he has not put himself in.

In the Sadducees’ case, they had boxed him in as a God that could not raise the dead because they did not understand his power. And the reason they didn’t understand his power was because they did not understand scripture.

Let us not be like the Sadducees. Let us thoroughly study God’s word and seek to understand it.

And where it contradicts our ideas of God, let us not cast it aside as the Sadducees did. Rather, let it transform the way we think about God and cause us to draw closer to him.

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Luke Luke 20 Mark Mark 12 Matthew Matthew 22

Giving to God what is his

The gospels

I hate paying taxes. When March rolls around (tax time in Japan), it’s not so bad in that I actually get money back (after the pain of filling out all the tax forms).

But when June rolls around, that’s when it really hurts because that’s when I have to pay property taxes as well as city and prefectural taxes.

Nobody likes paying taxes, but the Jews in Jesus’ day especially loathed it because they were paying it to their conquerors.

And so the Pharisees and Herodians thought they had come up with the perfect question to trap Jesus, saying,

Teacher, we know that you speak and teach what is right, and that you do not show partiality but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth.

Is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not? (Luke 20:21-22)

If on one hand, Jesus said they shouldn’t pay taxes, the Herodians would have immediately reported Jesus to the Roman government accusing him of being an insurgent.

If on the other hand, Jesus said it was right to pay taxes, he would instantly lose popularity with the people.

Jesus, however, knew what they were trying to do. And once again, he answered a question with a question.

After having them pull out a coin that they would use to pay their taxes, he asked,

Whose portrait and inscription are on it? (Luke 20:24)

When they answered, “Caesar’s,” Jesus replied,

Then give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s. (Luke 20:25)

What was Jesus saying? First, “You are using Caesar’s money, aren’t you? If you are using Caesar’s money, then isn’t it really his? Give to him what belongs to him.”

But he didn’t stop there. He said, “But make sure you give to God what belongs to him.”

In one short sentence, he both tactfully attacked what Rome claimed, and taught the people a very important lesson.

The Romans claimed that Caesar was God, and such was written on the inscription of the coin the people showed Jesus.

But Jesus clearly draws a distinction between Caesar and God. “Give to Caesar, the man, what is his. But make sure you give the only true God what belongs to him.”

It is the second point Jesus was making, however, that I want to focus on.

Just as the Roman coins had Caesar’s image and inscription on it, so we too have God’s image and inscription upon us.

The Bible says we were made in the image of God. And in II Corinthians 3:3, Paul tells us,

You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. (2 Corinthians 3:3)

God has written his name upon our hearts, showing that we belong to him. And though his image upon us has been marred by our sin, nevertheless, through Christ,

We…are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. (2 Corinthians 3:18)

What am I saying? That we belong to him. And because we belong to him, we need to give to him what rightfully belongs to him. Not just our money. But our lives.

Are you giving to God what is rightfully his?

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Luke Luke 20 Mark Mark 12 Matthew Matthew 21

Parable of the tenants: When we reject Jesus

The gospels

After nailing the leaders for their unbelief, he then told a parable warning them of what would happen if they didn’t repent.

And the start of it is very similar to Isaiah 5 in which God describes a vineyard that he planted, the vineyard representing Israel and Judah.

And in both cases, we see that the owner does not receive the fruit he deserves from the vineyard. The one difference is that Jesus places the blame specifically on the tenants who were put in charge of the vineyard.

The tenants, of course, were these very leaders that had rejected Jesus, and all those that had come before them.

They had been put in charge of the spiritual welfare of Israel that they might bear spiritual fruit for God. But instead, they became corrupted and failed in the charge they had been given.

Why? They failed to honor God, instead focusing on themselves. They focused on money, power, and the praise of man.

Is it any wonder that Israel failed to produce fruit when its very leaders failed in their responsibilities?

And so God sent his servants. Throughout Israel’s history, he sent prophet after prophet to warn and admonish the people. But time and again, the leaders of Israel rejected the prophets, beating and/or killing them.

Finally, God sent his Son. But now the leaders planned to kill the Son, hoping to take what rightfully belonged to him.

When Jesus asked the people what would happen to such people, the people replied,

[The owner] will bring those wretches to a wretched end…and he will rent the vineyard to other tenants, who will give him his share of the crop at harvest time. (Matthew 21:41)

Nevertheless, the people were astonished that such horrible people could exist, saying, “May this never be!” (Luke 20:16)

Jesus answered,

Have you never read in the Scriptures:

‘The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?

Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.

He who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed. (Matthew 21:42-44)

What was Jesus saying? He was saying that he is the one on whom everything rests. He is the cornerstone (probably a better translation than “capstone” here) of everything.

The cornerstone was always laid down first when constructing a building, and everything was built around it.

In the same way, Jesus is the one we are to build our lives and his kingdom around.

But the Jewish leaders rejected him, and so the kingdom of God would be given to those the leaders despised, the tax collectors, prostitutes, and the Gentiles who would turn to Jesus and embrace him as Savior.

The leaders, meanwhile, would be judged and lose everything.

How about you? How are you building your life? Are you building it on money? Possessions? Power? The things of this world? Or are you building it around Jesus? Is he the chief cornerstone of your life?

God has given you your life. You and all you have ultimately belong to him, and he will demand that you produce fruit in your life for his kingdom.

But you cannot produce fruit if you are living for yourself. And if you reject him who is the cornerstone, you, like the Jewish leaders will lose everything and be judged.

Who are you living for?

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Luke Luke 20 Mark Mark 11 Matthew Matthew 21

When you’re too proud to admit you’re wrong

The gospels

It’s hard to admit when we’re wrong. I know I struggle with it at times. The reason? Pride. It takes a great deal of humility to simply say, “I was wrong.”

But if we want relationships that last, relationships with others and with God, we need that kind of humility.

This was exactly what the religious leaders of Jesus’ day did not have. Time and again, Jesus clearly showed them they were wrong, and they simply could not bring themselves to admit it.

We see this several times over this last week of Jesus’ ministry before he went to the cross.

It starts here, however. The chief priests, the teachers of the law, and the elders all came up to Jesus asking by what authority he had come to the temple and cleared it out.

Jesus, as was typical, answered their question with a question.

John’s baptism—where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or of human origin? (Matthew 21:25)

Immediately, these men were in a quandary. If they said it was from heaven, then Jesus would say, “Why don’t you believe his words that I am the Messiah, then? If, however, you do accept them, then you know exactly where my authority comes from.”

On the other hand, they didn’t want to say it was from men because everyone else in Israel believed John was a prophet and would not stand for them denigrating him.

So, they answered, “We don’t know.”

And so Jesus said, “Fine. You don’t answer my question, I won’t answer yours.”

Then he told them a parable of two sons. One was asked by the father to do something, and he said “Sure,” but ended up doing nothing. The other refused his father’s request at first, but later changed his mind and obeyed.

This of course was a contrast between these leaders and the “sinners” Jesus ministered to.

Outwardly, these leaders were “righteous.” But in truth, they rebelled against God.

They saw John and immediately dismissed him as a kook.

But then they started to see the impact he was having, and all the lives that were changing because of John. They had to know in their hearts that he really was from God, but in their pride, they rejected him anyway.

Then they saw Jesus, they saw all his miracles and heard all his teaching. Despite all this, they rejected Jesus too.

Even when he shredded all their arguments and left them speechless, they still clung to their old way of thinking.

On the other hand, these “sinners” the leaders despised had outwardly rebelled against God, ripping people off and selling their bodies for sex.

But then John and Jesus came, and as a result they repented of their sins. They were humble enough to recognize their wrong, and so turned from their sins.

And so Jesus told these leaders,

Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. (Matthew 21:31)

How about you? Are you so proud that you can’t admit when you’re wrong?

It’s bad enough when that pride tears apart your relationships with others. It’s worse when it keeps you from a relationship with God.

So let us have hearts that are humble and soft to correction. That can admit when we are wrong.

Otherwise, we’ll find ourselves in the same position as these leaders. Separated from others and separated from God.