#1424 Luke 20 The Craft

 

19 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.

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.

21 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: 22 Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”

23 But He perceived their craftiness, and said to them, “Why do you test Me? 24 Show Me a denarius. Whose image and inscription does it have?”

They answered and said, “Caesar’s.”

25 And He said to them, “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”

26 But they could not catch Him in His words in the presence of the people. And they marveled at His answer and kept silent. Luke 20: 19-26 NKJV

Luke 20: 20-26

1First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgiving be offered for everyone— 2for kings and all those in authority— so that we may lead tranquil and quiet lives in all godliness and dignity. 3This is good and pleasing in the sight of God our Savior,… 1 Timothy 2: 1-3

V. 20 Sent spies who pretended to be righteous - It's no secret that not everyone who smiles at you has your best intentions at heart. The problem for these men, and for all of us, is that Jesus could look in on that very thing, the intents of their heart. I know men in the business world who have life coaches that teach them what to say, when to say it, and how to be aware of your audience. They openly state the reason for not promoting someone who is the most capable, knowledgeable and who at times may even be the person with the most integrity, as, wait for it, "they're not polished enough." Now granted, there is something to be said about being clean and using deodorant, and I have had to have that talk with employees before, but this goes beyond hygiene. They don't want this person because "they don't present well", and when you break that down what they really mean is, "I make bad decisions, I am incompetent, and this guy makes it obvious; he or she is too blunt, too honest." Some are more open about this and will tell you that they aren't going to pick someone who can replace them or exceed them. It is not in their self interest. They still read the books on "how to win friends and influence people", spout out clichés, like, "I hear you, your input is valuable to me", and they even throw out empty compliments. That is what these spies came to do, be wolves in sheep's clothing, be politicians, appeal to the cult of personality, hoping that Jesus had an ego problem like theirs, and that they could latch onto it. Tell Him what they think He wants to hear.  

…14how soon I would subdue their enemies and turn My hand against their foes! 15Those who hate the LORD would feign obedience, and their doom would last forever. 16But I would feed you the finest wheat; with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.”… Psalm 81: 14-16

14But small is the gate and narrow the way that leads to life, and only a few find it. 15Beware of false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16By their fruit you will recognize them. Are grapes gathered from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles?… Matthew 7: 14-16

V. 21 Teacher, we know that you say and teach rightly - Now some may consider this a legal form of deceit called subterfuge, but I don't think God saw it that way. He says it this way, "thou shalt not lie", and since these Pharisees and spies did not think that Christ taught rightly, did not believe Him to be the Messiah, or God in human flesh, they are lying and trying to catch Him in saying something that will put Him in direct opposition to Rome. Rome was the occupying government with the right of taxation and the power to convict unto death, and since the Pharisees were afraid of the people, yet still desperate to kill the messenger, they move to bring Jesus into a bad light with the governing authority.

…5A man who flatters his neighbor spreads a net for his feet. 6An evil man is caught by his own sin, but a righteous one sings and rejoices. 7The righteous consider the cause of the poor, but the wicked have no regard for such concerns.… Proverbs 29: 5-7

…20My companion attacks his friends; he violates his covenant. 21His speech is smooth as butter, but war is in his heart. His words are softer than oil, yet they are swords unsheathed. 22Cast your burden upon the LORD and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous be shaken.… Psalm 55: 20-22

But teach the way of God in truth - This is downright dangerous, if you believe it and you are here to kill Him anyway, then you are rejecting the One Who tells the truth, as your fathers did to the prophets of old. Their is no good excuse for these men here, believing or not believing their own words, their intentions are still grotesque. 

…29Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous. 30And you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partners with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ 31So you testify against yourselves that you are the sons of those who murdered the prophets.… Matthew 23: 29-31

…26If we deliberately go on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no further sacrifice for sins remains, 27but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume all adversaries. 28Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.… Hebrews 10: 26-28

V. 22 Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not - Do you live under his jurisdiction, do you use the roads his kingdom built, do you receive protection from other adversaries provided by the pax romana? It is Caesar's army there, imperfect as it may be, that is who God has allowed to govern you. When we move away from God, declare our own non-existent autonomy, then we will be ruled by dictators. God has instituted His moral law, and Israel rebelled against it, even their leadership did, and so they have been given over to pagan leaders. Now they are subject to the rule of those who are unjust and godless, just like they chose to be. They are asking the question with no intent or desire to know what is right, but hoping Christ will say, "don't pay your taxes", which would place Him as an enemy of the state, and Rome would seek to discipline Him. This is the time of the gentiles, starting with the Assyrian captivity of the northern kingdom and the Babylonian captivity of the southern kingdom of Israel. After Babylon they were ruled by Persia, then Greece, and now Rome.

…17Discipline your son, and he will give you rest; he will bring delight to your soul. 18Where there is no vision, the people cast off restraint; but blessed is he who keeps the Law. 19A servant cannot be corrected by words alone; though he understands, he will not respond.… Proverbs 29: 17-19

…6and said: “O my God, I am ashamed and embarrassed to lift up my face to You, my God, because our iniquities are higher than our heads, and our guilt has reached the heavens. 7From the days of our fathers to this day, our guilt has been great. Because of our iniquities, we and our kings and priests have been delivered into the hands of the kings of the earth and put to the sword and captivity, to pillage and humiliation, as we are this day. 8But now, for a brief moment, grace has come from the LORD our God to preserve for us a remnant and to give us a stake in His holy place. Even in our bondage, our God has given us new life and light to our eyes.… Ezra 9: 6-8

V. 23 But He perceived their craftiness - Amazing, I wish my leadership had more discernment, even any at times, but this is next level stuff. Jesus doesn't condone butt kissers. 

…7You hypocrites! Isaiah prophesied correctly about you: 8‘These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. 9They worship Me in vain; they teach as doctrine the precepts of men.’ ”… Matthew 15: 7-9

…6When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and said, “Surely here before the LORD is His anointed.” 7But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or height, for I have rejected him; the LORD does not see as man does. For man sees the outward appearance, but the LORD sees the heart.” 8Then Jesse called Abinadab and presented him to Samuel, who said, “The LORD has not chosen this one either.”… 1 Samuel 16: 6-8

Show Me a denarius - This was a coin of Roman mint, equivalent approximately to an average days wage. 

Denarius (1220)(denarion from Latin origin) denoted a Roman silver coin equivalent to a laborer's average daily wage. Here the specific name of the coin was retained in the translation, because not all coins in circulation in Palestine at the time carried the image of Caesar. (Dictionary article). See ROMAN COINAGE It was the practice of all new emperors to issue new coins with their own likeness stamped on the face. There is a sense in which the coin was considered to be the personal property of the king. It bore testimony to the rule of the king whose likeness it carried. The first thing that a conqueror would do would be to issue new coins with a new face.

Hughes - The silver denarius, weighing 3.8 grams, had been in use in the Roman world since 268 B.C. and continued to be used into the reign of L. Septimius Severus (A.D. 193–211). Denarii bore the head of Tabors and the inscription TI. CAESAR DIVI AVG. F. AVGVSTVS (Tabors Caesar, son of the divine Augustus, Augustus). (Ibid)

Gilbrant - Dēnarion is actually a Greek transliteration of the Latin denarius, a silver coin minted by the Romans from 268 B.C. until around A.D. 200. The term is not found in the Septuagint. Gradually, by the time of Diocletian, the Roman denarius replaced the Greek drachma. Diocletian actually reintroduced the denarius as an equivalent to the drachma (Moulton-Milligan). Its value is relative; it equaled approximately 1 day’s wage during the New Testament period (Matthew 20:2,9,10,13) and weighed about 3.8 grams (“Denarius,” Interpreters’ Dictionary of the Bible 1:824). The term itself occurs only in the Gospels and in Revelation (e.g., Mark 6:37; Luke 7:41; 10:35; John 6:7; 12:5; Revelation 6:6), and it always denotes the piece of money. The phrases “a quart of wheat for a denarius, three quarts of barley for a denarius” (RSV, Revelation 6:6) depict the hardship of obtaining the necessities of life. The real value of luxuries like oil and wine will be exposed then—their price will be unaffected. (Complete Biblical Library)

V. 25 Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's - The Jews did not like the Roman occupation of their country. They disobeyed God but still liked to see themselves as some today, "spiritual and religious", following a code they thought made them righteous. It is funny that they want to trap Jesus in regards to taxes when they themselves did not want to pay. Some of them would defraud widows yet not use Roman coinage because it had Caesar's likeness on it, and they considered this to be a graven image, falling under God's law against idolatry. 

…20For the evil man has no future; the lamp of the wicked will be extinguished. 21My son, fear the LORD and the king, and do not associate with the rebellious. 22For they will bring sudden destruction. Who knows what ruin they can bring?… Proverbs 24: 20-22

24After they had arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma tax came to Peter and asked, “Does your Teacher pay the two drachmas?” 25“Yes,” he answered. When Peter entered the house, Jesus preempted him. “What do you think, Simon?” He asked. “From whom do the kings of the earth collect customs and taxes: from their own sons, or from others?” 26“From others,” Peter answered. “Then the sons are exempt,” Jesus declared.…

27“But so that we may not offend them, go to the sea, cast a hook, and take the first fish you catch. When you open its mouth, you will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for My tax and yours.” Matthew 17: 24-27

To God the things that are God's - Our persons belong to God because we are made in His image. Even our thoughts, our utmost allegiance is His, and He has no problem with us being good citizens and paying our taxes. There is a time when you don't obey government, and that is outlined well in the stories of Daniel and his friends in Babylon. They were Babylon's best citizens but Daniel still prayed to the One true God when he was told not to, and his friends went to the furnace for not bowing to an idol. Jesus said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life, no one comes to the Father but by Me." Jesus presents Himself as the only Way, an exclusive claim which His followers must not only affirm but also proclaim. 

…18Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19But Peter and John replied, “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to listen to you rather than God. 20For we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.”… Acts 4: 18-20

…10As good stewards of the manifold grace of God, each of you should use whatever gift he has received to serve one another. 11If anyone speaks, he should speak as one conveying the words of God. If anyone serves, he should serve with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen. 12Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial that has come upon you, as though something strange were happening to you.… 1 Peter 4: 10-12

18Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a man can commit is outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. 19 Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20you were bought at a price. Therefore glorify God with your body.… 1 Corinthians 6: 18-20

V. 26 And they marveled at His answer and kept silent - This didn't go as planned to say the least, they are stumped. They were worried about the crowd, and yet Jesus' answer would have probably irritated many in this crowd. It wasn't pro insurrection, He didn't announce His candidacy for King, and much like those of Jeremiah's time, they don't accept the present occupancy. They would like for Jesus to not only heal the sick, feed the multitudes, but also kick out Rome. Telling them to pay their taxes made Him seem pro Rome, and like Jeremiah's contemporaries, they wanted independence from the invader, but the invader was the messenger of God. Jesus is calling them to repent, but just like us, we don't care to repent, we only want the consequences of our disobedience to be removed. We ourselves are not just so we don't ask rightly. 

…12He thwarts the schemes of the crafty, so that their hands find no success. 13He catches the wise in their craftiness, and sweeps away the plans of the cunning. 14They encounter darkness by day and grope at noon as in the night.… Job 5: 12-14

…18“There is no fear of God before their eyes.” 19Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. 20Therefore no one will be justified in His sight by works of the law. For the law merely brings awareness of sin.… Romans 3: 18-20