Authority Conflicts
We are now in the FINAL WEEK of Jesus. Our text for this blog will be Luke 19:47-21:4. Last week, Clint Watkins walked us through the Parable of the Wicked Tenants in Luke 20:9-18. You’ll notice it is right in the middle of this passage; I’d like to zoom out and show you the larger context. To get a sense of what is happening, let’s examine what happens immediately after Jesus tells this parable:
The scribes and the chief priests sought to lay hands on him at that very hour, for they perceived that he had told this parable against them, but they feared the people. So they watched him and sent spies, who pretended to be sincere, that they might catch him in something he said, so as to deliver him up to the authority and jurisdiction of the governor. (Luke 20:19-20, ESV)
You might read those verses and say, “That escalated quickly.” First, they are talking; now, they are throwing down. The reality is, it did not escalated quickly. This tension between Jesus and the Jewish religious leaders has been building the whole Gospel. Now, the rancor and rhetoric has reached a fever pitch.
Jesus is in Jerusalem, he is in the temple, the center of religious and political life of that time. He just told parable, which ended with the implication that if these leaders rejected him—they would be destroyed. Now, the scribes and chief priests have had enough … now it’s time to act. Their plan is set in motion.
How did we get to this place? I want to suggest, the entire passage today, is a question of AUTHORITY. Who or what has AUTHORITY in our lives?
The tension in this chapter is not so different from our 2024 American Political Moment. It does not escape me that God providential brings us to this passage in the midst of a cultural moment fueled by heated rhetoric, assassination attempts, and in between the national conventions of the major political parties. Politics, in many ways, is about authority. Christian Ethicist Andrew Walker defines politics this way:
“Politics is the practice of organizing and regulating our lives in society under God-ordained legal authority for the sake of justice.”
Politics is the way we organize and regulate our lives … under an authority. In other words, politics is divisive because other people can now regulate my life based on a certain set of principles. And, depending on the election results, we may or may not agree with those governing principles.
Which, in turn, will make us feel like we’ve lost power. Now, what I want you to see at the beginning of this message is this: the scribes and chief priests were losing their political power. The people want to follow Jesus … and now, they are taking it to the next level. That is the tension in Luke 20.
There is an authority conflict. The reason I chose such a large chunk of Scripture is because it encompasses a series of debates. The section could be entitled, “The Rumble In The Temple.” Jesus is speaking and publicly debating with his political opponents. The conflict begins this way in Luke 19:47:
And he was teaching daily in the temple. The chief priests and the scribes and the principal men of the people were seeking to destroy him, but they did not find anything they could do, for all the people were hanging on his words. (Luke 19:47-48, ESV)
Can you feel the tension friends? You can cut it with a knife. If this was today, it would be part of the 24 hour news cycle. News chirons would run constantly: “Jesus teaches in temple; chief priests angry.” As we go through this passage, you can picture the viral videos, the tweets, and the memes. Notice what is happening here: (1) Jesus is teaching. He is exercising authority by sharing his message of the kingdom. He is shaping their minds and hearts with his words. (2) The chief priests and scribes, the religious politicians, want to take him out—he is threat. But they can’t—why? (3) The people were hanging on his words.
I love that phrase. It tells you so much of what you need to know about this scene. They were “hanging” onto his words. Their hearts were gripped. They could not take their eyes and ears off him. He had captured the crowds. One of the reasons the religious leaders could not get to him, is because this crowd was so large, they could not get through. Jesus had authority.
Debate #1: “Who’s Got The Power?”
The question on Luke 20 is this: Does Jesus have AUTHORITY in my life? This certainly has implications on a national, political level—but the question of power transcends all cultures and organized life. This issue wrecks marriages, dominates corporate cultures, and shatters relationships. Why? We are often trying to gain power for ourselves. Jesus shows us a different way in this first scene.
One day, as Jesus was teaching the people in the temple and preaching the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes with the elders came up and said to him, “Tell us by what authority you do these things, or who it is that gave you this authority.” (Luke 20:1-2, ESV)
By what authority … are you teaching? Who gave it to you? Where does it come from? I’ll rephrase it in 21st century colloquial language: “Who made you the boss of me??? You can’t tell me what to do?” That is the underlying message here: Who Has The Power? Who is really running the show? He thwarts their assault with his own question. Look at v. 3:
He answered them, “I also will ask you a question. Now tell me, was the baptism of John from heaven or from man?” (Luke 20:3-4, ESV)
Jesus has some ninja moves here: I’ll see your question, and I will raise you a question. (A common rabbinical technique.) At first glance, you might wonder—what does John’s baptism have to do with the question of authority? However, if you’ll remember, John was considered an anointed prophet of God … who anointed Jesus. Some even thought this was a fulfillment of prophecy. So, Jesus’ question was brilliant and strategic. Look at the religious leader’s response:
And they discussed it with one another, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Why did you not believe him?’ But if we say, ‘From man,’ all the people will stone us to death, for they are convinced that John was a prophet.” (Luke 20:5-6, ESV)
Jesus has them on the ropes. They do not know how to respond. Why? First, John had testified that Jesus was the Messiah. If they said John’s authority came from heaven … they would have to acknowledge that Jesus was the anointed King sent by God to save his people. Jesus question forces them to take a position on John. Essentially, he was asking them the same question they asked him. A brilliant re-direct! Second, this is a huge political dilemma for them with their base followers. And they admit it. They were afraid of the people. The people liked John—he was hugely popular even in his death. So what do they do?
So they answered that they did not know where it came from. (Luke 20:7, ESV)
If it is not clear yet that these people are politicians this “NON-ANSWER” makes it obvious. “I can neither confirm nor deny!” They’ve read the polling data. To take a position would be political suicide. Jesus now, delivers the “K.O.” for debate one.
And yet, I suspect many of us in this room are doing that right now. Maybe you are here and you are not a Christian. Despite all the evidence, despite the nagging in your heart … you still reject Jesus. Why? We want the power! We want to rule our own life. We refuse to wave the WHITE FLAG. Like the Chief Priests and Scribes we say—“Jesus, who are you to tell me how to live my life!”
Others of us, committed Christians, are not rejecting Jesus wholesale but you might be in a debate with him right now. Maybe Jesus is calling you to follow him in some area and take a risk. Maybe you need to confess a sin you don’t want to. Maybe you want to keep a certain part of your life under your control.
What this really about is, what I will call, The Politics of the Heart. Who gets to rule? Who has Authority? The politics play out, for both Christian and Non-Christian alike, in this dichotomy: Self Rule vs. Christ Rule. In self-rule, I am king of my own heart. I am in charge. I express myself however, I want. No one tells me what to do. I submit to myself alone. Now, do you see the conflict of authority? In Christ’s Rule—he is king of my heart. I submit to him. I submit my desires, my choices, my will, my grievances, everything!
Debate #2: “Who Gets The Money?”
While the first debate focuses on who has the authority to rule, the second debate focuses on a more boring subject: TAX POLICY. Who gets the money??? However, at this point in Luke 20 … the temperature is HOT! This is where we opened the message. Words are leading to violent motivations.
What do they do?
So they watched him and sent spies, who pretended to be sincere, that they might catch him in something he said, so as to deliver him up to the authority and jurisdiction of the governor. (Luke 20:20, ESV)
They send … spies! Undercover, covert political operatives who act duplicitous as they try to get some dirt on Jesus. If this was today, they would be secretly recording every conversation with him … to use as evidence! Why? Because they want to deliver him to the ROMAN GOVERNOR. If Jesus questions the authority of the emperor they might put him to death. This is the politics of their world.
Now we come to v. 21 and the second debate. The religious leaders switch their tactics from a religious question, to a broader political question. Let’s read:
So they asked him, “Teacher, we know that you speak and teach rightly, and show no partiality, but truly teach the way of God. Is it lawful for us to give tribute to Caesar, or not?” (Luke 20:21-22, ESV)
Interesting question. Can you see their change of tactics? First, notice it is not the religious leaders who come to Jesus here … it is their undercover spies. They are not asking about religious teaching, there is no mention of John or the Torah. Now, they have turned their attention to ROME … the secular government of the day. And in this process … they act with flattery. “Oh Jesus … you are such a great teacher! Oh Jesus … treat all people fairly. Oh Jesus … you teach the TRUTH! You don’t shy away from the TRUTH! So tell us … we need some guidance … about the Roman Tax.” These are political operatives who, if this was today, would be posting these videos on every social media platform they could. They want to use Jesus response against him.
Now, in order to understand just how manipulative and deceiving they are trying to be here, but you must know about the “TRIBUTE” to which they are referring. Why is this controversial? This word, tribute, focuses on money give to foreign rulers. It likely refers to the “IMPERIAL POLL TAX” instituted by Rome 20 years earlier. The amount required was one denarius—a day’s wage for the average laborer. This was a heavy burden for the Jews of the day. It was an additionally burden, on top of the other civic and religious taxes. The total amount was 30-40% of a person’s wages—which, in perspective, is a lot of money! Additionally, this “tribute” funded the imperial Roman court and the pagan cult of the Roman state. It was a reminder of Roman domination in their land.
Imagine the government taking over TWO-THIRDS of your wages and using it for programs you don’t agree with! Needless to say, it was a heated topic and sore subject for the Jews. Do you see the implications? If Jesus says he is in agreement with the tax … his Jewish followers will hate him. If he disagrees with the tax … he is openly rejecting Roman rule. Due to his popularity, this could be seen as inciting open rebellion against the government. The stakes are HIGH! What will Jesus say?
But he perceived their craftiness, and said to them, “Show me a denarius. Whose likeness and inscription does it have?” They said, “Caesar’s.” (Luke 20:23-24, ESV)
I love it—Jesus perceived their craftiness. This is the same word used to describe the SERPENT in Genesis 3. He was crafty. He knows what they are doing—he sees the politics of their hearts. So … he does a brilliant counter maneuver. He does not give them the answer they are looking for. Instead, he says, “show me a coin.” Now, the Roman currency, the Roman Denarius looked like THIS. In the ancient world, coins were used for POLITICAL PROPOGANDA. This coin would have had the image of Tiberius Caesar along with the inscription: “Tiberius Caesar Augustus, Son of the Divine Augustus.” This emperor was pretending to be the son of a god (I could imagine Jesus smiling at the irony as he held it). This coin was idolatrous and proclaimed Roman Imperialist political ideology. Do you see why the Jews may have had a problem with this? Jesus’ famous response is beyond brilliant …
He said to them, “Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” (Luke 20:25, ESV)
To say this is a mic drop moment is an understatement. I could picture Jesus handing the coin back to them and continuing on his way as the music swells and the crowd looks around in astonishment. Victory in debate number 2 goes to Jesus. What is the reaction?
And they were not able in the presence of the people to catch him in what he said, but marveling at his answer they became silent. (Luke 20:26, ESV)
Open mouthed marveling silence. Jesus, you got me! These political operatives thought for sure they were going to catch Jesus. He pushes them aside with ease as he continues on his mission. He knows how to play the politics of the heart. And in these upside down politics Jesus turns money upside down.
Debate #3: “Who Gets to Live Forever?”
That is the subject of debate number 3: The Resurrection. It seems likely a timely topic considering what we know is coming in a few chapters of Luke. We are introduced, for the first time in Luke’s Gospel, to a different sect of Jewish teachers. Skip now to v. 27:
There came to him some Sadducees, those who deny that there is a resurrection, (Luke 20:27, ESV)
Ah the Sadducees. The Jewish teachers always need to have an “eesss” on the end of their name. The Sadducees were rivals of the Pharisees. If the Pharisees were considered the “conservatives” of the ancient world, the Sadducees would be the “liberals.” They don’t believe in the resurrection and they are approaching Jesus for the purpose of discrediting his message. They pose a hypothetical scenario in vv. 28-33, which I will summarize for you.
In the Mosaic Law, there was a practice called, “LEVIRITE MARRIAGE.” And no, it does not mean your spouse gets a super power and levitates when you marry them. In Israel, family lineage was very important. If a man died early, and he had no male heirs, his name would be gone in Israel forever. To combat this, The Mosaic Law instituted a custom where, if a man died with no heirs, his brother could then marry his wife. Levirate is Latin for “Husbands brother.” If his brother had offspring with his wife, the children would bear the name of the first husband … thus, continuing his line. Make sense? It’s weird to modern ears, but this was the custom.
Now, here is what the Sadducees asked. Imagine a scenario where the first husband dies childless. His wife marries his brother, but then it happens again. In fact, in happens SEVEN TIMES! Basically, she marries all the brothers, they all die and eventually she dies without producing a male heir.
So … here is the question the Sadducees ask:
In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For the seven had her as wife.” (Luke 20:33, ESV)
The topic for debate #3 is not authority. It is not tax policy. It’s about what happens in eternity. Who gets to live forever??? Now, here’s the thing. The Sadducees did not want to kill Jesus … they wanted to discredit him. They wanted to discredit this silly belief about the resurrection. Jesus response is mind blowing, even today:
And Jesus said to them, “The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage, but those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and to the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage, for they cannot die anymore, because they are equal to angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection. (Luke 20:34-36, ESV)
Take in the words of Jesus here. He is going to offer a two-stage answer to the Sadducees challenge. First, he says, the very premise of their question is wrong. They assume that resurrected life, life in the age to come, will be just as it is now. It will not—it will be better. Marriage is an institution for this age; in the age to come there will be no marriage. Second Jesus seems to say that not all will attain resurrection. Thus, the question about marriage is much less important that the requirements for entering eternal life. How we live today and the decision we make impact eternity.
The Closing Statement
In each of these debates, Jesus is pointing to the politics in each of our hearts. God is not the God of the dead … but of the living! So let us live to him! Why would you resist? Truthfully, we are prone to resist, we are prone to question—we are lost, and we don’t know it. This has been a key theme for Luke. At the end of chapter 20 into chapter 21, after these debates, Jesus makes a closing statement. The Chief Priests and Scribes surrender and stop their questions. But now, Jesus turns to them and he asks a question.
But he said to them, “How can they say that the Christ is David’s son? For David himself says in the Book of Psalms, “‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.”’ David thus calls him Lord, so how is he his son?” (Luke 20:41-44, ESV)
How can they say that the Christ, Messiah, is David’s son? Explain it to me? Then he quotes Psalm 110:1. This is significant. That quotation was a prophecy awaiting fulfillment. If Messiah was to come from David’s line, why would David, in this passage, not call him “son?” Instead he calls him… Lord. How can Messiah be David’s son and David’s Lord? The only way to explain this is to say that Christ will come from David’s line … but he will be God’s son.
Now, here’s what’s crazy. LEVIRATE MARRIAGE was actually the reason Jesus came from David’s line. If you look in the OT, in the book of RUTH, you may remember in that story all the men died. RUTH married Boaz through Levirate marriage. They had a son: OBED. Obed eventually had kids. And from his line came … KING DAVID. From David’s line came … Jesus … the Savior of the world, the first fruits of RESURRECTION!
How can David call Messiah SON and LORD? Because he is! The implications of this question are the nature of Jesus’ UPSIDE DOWN POLITICS. Do you see what he is doing? He is changing their expectations. Messiah will not be a “nationalistic” figure he will be the Savior of the world. He will rule the whole earth one day!
His kingdom is now; it has broken into the hearts of Christ Followers. And when we wave the WHITE FLAG and surrender our hearts—we make a difference in this world. Church, Jesus is about the politics of our heart. We can have a self-ruled heart or we can have a Christ ruled heart. Which will it be? Our choices have implications for how we live today. In this closing statement, Jesus shows us the nature of his upside down politics by calling us to surrender in three areas:
WORSHIP (v. 41-44): The upside down politics of Jesus require that we examine our worship. Are we worshipping Jesus … or something else? This was his point to the religious leaders in Luke 20:41-44. It is his point to us: Jesus is Lord. If Christian worship a political figure … it is wrong. If Christians find their meaning in political ideologies … it is wrong. Caesar is not Lord … Jesus is. That’s how the first century Christians lived … and that is how we must live.
DISCERNMENT (vv. 45-47): The upside down politics of Jesus require discernment. Bad ideas exist. There are Biblical principles we must advocate for. In Luke 20:45-47, Jesus tells his disciples, beware the bad ideas of the corrupt religious leaders. They have bad ideas … they walk around in pious robes—they pretend they are religious … but they take advantage of poor widows. Be discerning in this world. Bad ideas exist. Don’t pursue them—model the Kingdom values I have told you.
SACRIFICE (21:1-4). There is a poignant passage in Luke 21:1-4. It is the passage of the widow’s mite, which we covered a few months ago on Mother’s day. Jesus contrasts the hypocrisy of the religious leaders with this poor widow … who gave out of her poverty. She teaches us an important lesson: Following Christ requires our ALL. He wants to sacrifice for him.
These three areas constantly play out in the politics of our heart. We are pulled to rule our own lives … but Jesus says, “I need to rule your heart … so I can change your life.”
Jesus doesn’t need your vote; he wants your heart.
