Reading the Bible Everyday – Luke 20

Joy: You’re listening to the Lifting Her Voice podcast, Episode #64.  Today we’ll read the 20th chapter of Luke together:  Those condescending religious leaders are up to their old shenanigans, but Jesus shuts them down with parable, a denarius, and a resurrection correction.

Welcome to the Lifting Her Voice podcast.  I’m your host, Joy Miller, and I invite you to grab your Bible and join me as we simply read God’s word together.  Some things require discipline and sometimes that’s just not easy to muster by yourself, no matter how badly you want to do it or how much you know you should.  It’s just easier to do it with a friend.  So refill your coffee or tea, get comfortable in your favorite chair and follow along as I read aloud.  I’m so glad you’re here!

Baptists can put out a spread now.  Pretty much any excuse will do for Baptists to gather and fill a table for a potluck.  Okay, several tables.  Countless pounds have been gained, shed, and re-gained over the years.  But there’s something that stands out to me over and above the food and that is watching my pastor.  While all of us are eagerly taking stock of the tasty choices before us, plastic fork and divided Chinet paper plate in hand, Hans is holding back.  He’s visiting people at varying tables, being ornery with the kids, or teasing the ladies in kitchen.  He always holds back until everyone else has helped their plates.  I’m sure there are times when one of his favorites dishes has already been scraped clean by the time he gets through the line.  Or, what is left is slightly cold.  I have watched him at these events and learned from his humbleness.  He is nothing like the guys we’re about to read about who want all those accolades of the masses.  I’m grateful for that.

Luke Chapter 20:  1 One day as He was teaching the people in the temple complex and proclaiming the good news, the chief priests and the scribes, with the elders, came up 2 and said to Him: “Tell us, by what authority are You doing these things? Who is it who gave You this authority?” 3 He answered them, “I will also ask you a question. Tell Me, 4 was the baptism of John from heaven or from men?” 5 They discussed it among themselves: “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say, ‘Why didn’t you believe him?’ 6 But if we say, ‘From men,’ all the people will stone us, because they are convinced that John was a prophet.” 7 So they answered that they did not know its origin. 8 And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.” 9 Then He began to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard, leased it to tenant farmers, and went away for a long time. 10 At harvest time he sent a slave to the farmers so that they might give him some fruit from the vineyard. But the farmers beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 11 He sent yet another slave, but they beat that one too, treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed. 12 And he sent yet a third, but they wounded this one too and threw him out. 13 “Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What should I do? I will send my beloved son. Perhaps they will respect him.’ 14 “But when the tenant farmers saw him, they discussed it among themselves and said, ‘This is the heir. Let’s kill him, so the inheritance will be ours!’ 15 So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. “Therefore, what will the owner of the vineyard do to them? 16 He will come and destroy those farmers and give the vineyard to others.” But when they heard this they said, “No-never!” 17 But He looked at them and said, “Then what is the meaning of this Scripture: The stone that the builders rejected- this has become the cornerstone ? 18 Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, and if it falls on anyone, it will grind him to powder!” 19 Then the scribes and the chief priests looked for a way to get their hands on Him that very hour, because they knew He had told this parable against them, but they feared the people.20 They watched closely and sent spies who pretended to be righteous, so they could catch Him in what He said, to hand Him over to the governor’s rule and authority. 21 They questioned Him, “Teacher, we know that You speak and teach correctly, and You don’t show partiality, but teach truthfully the way of God. 22 Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?” 23 But detecting their craftiness, He said to them, 24 “Show Me a denarius. Whose image and inscription does it have?” “Caesar’s,” they said. 25 “Well then,” He told them, “give back to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s.” 26 They were not able to catch Him in what He said in public, and being amazed at His answer, they became silent. 27 Some of the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came up and questioned Him: 28 “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother has a wife, and dies childless, his brother should take the wife and produce offspring for his brother. 29 Now there were seven brothers. The first took a wife and died without children. 30 Also the second 31 and the third took her. In the same way, all seven died and left no children. 32 Finally, the woman died too. 33 Therefore, in the resurrection, whose wife will the woman be? For all seven had married her.” 34 Jesus told them, “The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage. 35 But those who are counted worthy to take part in that age and in the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. 36 For they cannot die anymore, because they are like angels and are sons of God, since they are sons of the resurrection. 37 Moses even indicated [in the passage] about the burning bush that the dead are raised, where he calls the Lord the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. 38 He is not God of the dead but of the living, because all are living to Him.” 39 Some of the scribes answered, “Teacher, You have spoken well.” 40 And they no longer dared to ask Him anything. 41 Then He said to them, “How can they say that the Messiah is the Son of David?  42 For David himself says in the Book of Psalms: The Lord declared to my Lord, ‘Sit at My right hand 43 until I make Your enemies Your footstool.’ 44 David calls Him ‘Lord’; how then can the Messiah be his Son?” 45 While all the people were listening, He said to His disciples, 46 “Beware of the scribes, who want to go around in long robes and who love greetings in the marketplaces, the front seats in the synagogues, and the places of honor at banquets. 47 They devour widows’ houses and say long prayers just for show. These will receive greater punishment.”

Verse 38 jumped out at me and I didn’t really understand it.  The verse says, “He is not the God of the dead, but of the living…” (okay…we’ve heard that part before) but then the final phrase says, “because all are living to Him.”  Huh?  I couldn’t seem to figure out which word to put the emphasis on.  I quickly gave up and went to my study notes and this is what I learned.  Apparently, Luke is the only Gospel writer who records this phrase.  I thought at first that perhaps it was the translation that worded it this way.  I’ve read the CSB before but not enough to be familiar with some of the ways the words are arranged, I guess.  So, I checked the ESV – the English Standard Bible – and it reads almost the same way.  Apparently, I just never saw this verse before!  I would expect those two translations to be different because the ESV is a word for word translation from the Greek and the CSB is more of a balance between a word for word and a thought for thought translation.  Here’s what I found out on Biblehub.com…and all the commentaries say pretty much the same thing:  No one is dead to God.  Yes, our physical bodies die, but our spirits live on forever.  All are living to Him.  Here’s my take away…what must someone do to ensure eternity with God and not an eternity separated from Him?  Let’s pray.  Father, hands down, this is the most important question each of us can ask ourselves.  Thank You that You have already made a way thru Jesus.  All we have to do is receive Your gracious gift, turn from our sins, and follow You.  In His Name we pray, Amen. 

Thank you for joining me here today.  I pray God will grow in you what has been planted and watered here.  In this time of unprecedented struggle worldwide, we can look to God for guidance and comfort.  Be sensitive to those in your circle of influence who need a word of encouragement and invite them to join us.  If you like this show, it would be great if you give it a five-star review.  Don’t forget to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.  See you right here tomorrow.  Be well!