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Sunday 2 February 2014

Luke 20:9-40 - Questions

Having been questioned by the religious leaders, Jesus turns the tables on them with the parable of the tenants. The religious leaders needed to realise there true position, as indeed do all of us. We are stewards and are answerable to God whether we like it or not. This is not a matter of choice but a matter of fact. 
The vineyard owner sent many messengers, just as God has sent many prophets, and now His own Son.
So the tenants killed the son. Note that Jesus knew what the religious leaders were planning to do. Note also the implicit claim that Jesus is the Son of God.
The tenants might think they had got away with it, but they were fools. The owner would come and kill them. Likewise God will judge all people on earth.
Instead of repenting, the religious leaders simply carried on plotting to kill Jesus.
Next they tried to trap Jesus by raising the matter of paying taxes to Caesar. They thought they could trap Him because if he said they should pay taxes this would make Him unpopular with the people who resented the Roman occupation, if He said they should not then He would come into conflict with Roman authorities. They also used flattery to try and lull Jesus into giving a careless answer.
This of course did not work for Jesus knew exactly what they were up to. As often before, He turned the tables on them. The religious leaders were in the game for their own ends, so Jesus' reply about giving to God exposed their duplicity.
Next the Saducees had a go with what they thought was a clever question about marriage. They forgot that they were speaking to the author of the book! Notice Jesus' answer. They were looking at the Scriptures from a purely human perspective, if we do this we will likewise fall into error. Note also that marriage as we know it now will not continue after the resurrection. Things will be radically different.

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