Lucas 20
J.C. Ryle · Citado em PreceptAustin
Lucas 20
Ryle - The spirit which prompted this demand is too evident to be mistaken. These men hated and envied Christ. They saw His influence increasing. They saw their own power waning. They resolved, if possible, to stop the progress of this new teacher; and the point on which they made their assault was His authority. His mighty works they ought to have examined. His teaching they ought, in all fairness, to have compared with their own Scriptures. But they refused to take either one course or the other. They preferred to call in question His commission. Every true-hearted Christian who tries to do good in the world, must make up his mind to be treated like his Master. He must never be surprised to find, that the self-righteous and the worldly-minded dislike His ways. The lawfulness of his proceedings will be constantly called in question. He will be regarded as meddlesome, disorderly, and self-conceited, a pestilent fellow, and a troubler of Israel. (Acts 24:5; 1 Kings 18:17.) Scripture-readers, district-visitors, lay-agents, and un-ordained missionaries, are specially liable to meet with such treatment. And worst of all they will often meet with enemies, where they ought to find friends. Let all who are attacked by the world for trying to do good, take comfort in the thought that they are only drinking of the cup which Christ drank. Their Master in heaven sympathizes with them. Let them work on patiently, and believe that, if they are faithful, their work will speak for itself. The world’s opposition is sure to attend every really good work. If the servants of Christ are to cease from every movement which the world calls in question, they will soon come to an entire standstill. If we are to wait till the world approves our plans, and is satisfied with the propriety of our efforts, we shall never do anything on earth. (Luke 20) THOUGHT on the authority of Jesus - Has the Lord Jesus upended any tables in your selfish life? Has He stopped you in your tracks in a way that shocked and upset you? Maybe, like those moneychangers, you weren’t doing anything illegal. You were just going about your business, making a living, providing for your family. You attended church regularly. You weren’t doing anything immoral or flagrantly sinful. Then one day Jesus stepped up to your life, took hold of it, and with a sudden jerk, everything was upended. His authority suddenly confronted the self-oriented direction of your life. Perhaps, like these religious men, your immediate reaction was, “Who do You think You are, to upset my life like this? By what authority do You do this to me?” (From Steven Cole) Luke 20:3 Jesus answered and said to them, "I will also ask you a question, and you tell Me: Luke 20:3KJV And he answered and said unto them, I will also ask you one thing; and answer me: I will also ask you a question Lk 22:68; Mt 15:2,3; Colossians 4:6 Luke 20 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Luke 19:45-20:8 By What Authority? - Steven Cole Luke 20:1-8 Rejecting the King's Authority - John MacArthur JESUS' COUNTER-QUESTION Jesus answered and said to them, "I will also ask you a question (literally "a word"), and you tell Me - Answering a question by asking another question was a common rabbinic practice, especially in the context of debate. This method was used to force the questioner (the one who asked the first question) to consider the issue at a deeper level. And so we see that Jesus commonly responded to questions, with a question of His own, to force them to consider the matter in question in greater depth. For example, in Mark 10:2-3 we read "Some Pharisees came up to Jesus, testing Him, and began to question Him whether it was lawful for a man to divorce a wife. And He answered and said to them, “What did Moses command you?”" (cf Mt 19:16, 17, Mark 10:17, 18)
Lucas 20
Ryle - This was a bold and remarkable warning. It was a public denunciation, we must remember, of men who “sat in Moses’ seat,” and were the recognized teachers of the Jewish people. It teaches us clearly that there may be times when the sins of people in high places make it a positive duty to protest publicly against them. It shows us that it is possible to speak out, and yet not to “speak evil of dignities.” SIX CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES One word sums up these characteristics - Hypocrite! This describes one who acts pretentiously, a counterfeit, a man who assumes and speaks or acts under a feigned character. A hypocrite is someone who pretends to be something he is not. The word hypocrisy comes from the Greek theater and referred to the practice of putting on a mask and playing a part on stage. It originally conveyed the idea of playing the playing a part on the stage and described the actor's art. The NT gives hupokrisis only a negative connotation referring to hypocrisy, duplicity (the quality of being double - belying of one’s true intentions by deceptive words or action), insincerity, dissimulation (hiding under a false appearance; hiding or disguising one's thoughts or feelings - don't we all do this from time to time?!). The idea is to pretend, to act as something one is not and so to act deceitfully, pretending to manifest traits like piety and love. It means to create a public impression that is at odds with one’s real purposes or motivations, and thus is characterized by play-acting, pretense or outward show. It means to give an impression of having certain purposes or motivations, while in reality having quite different ones. Will Durant - The actor – who is always a male – is not disdained as in Rome, but is much honored; he is exempt from military service, and is allowed safe passage through the lines in time of war. He is called hypocrites, but this word means answerer – i.e., to the chorus; only later will the actor’s role as an impersonator lead to the use of the word as meaning hypocrite. (The Story of Civilization II, The Life of Greece, by Will Durant, page 380) Related Word Studies: Hypocrisy (5272) hupokrisis Hypocrite (5273) hupokrites The pride of the pompous Scribes and Pharisees is now itemized -- Luke gives 6 characteristics of these men but Matthew 23:1-36 gives a list of 8 WOES regarding the Scribes and Pharisees which should be read to help understand how this group functioned (or better was dysfunctional!) (See Mt 23:1-39, 13, 14, 15, 16, etc).
Lucas 20
Ryle - No sin seems to be regarded by Christ as more sinful than hypocrisy. None certainly drew forth from His lips such frequent, strong, and withering condemnation, during the whole course of His ministry. He was ever full of mercy and compassion for the chief of sinners. “Fury was not in Him” when He saw Zacchæus, the penitent thief, Matthew the Publican, Saul the persecutor, and the woman in Simon’s house. But when He saw Scribes and Pharisees wearing a mere cloak of religion, and pretending to great outward sanctity, while their hearts were full of wickedness, His righteous soul seems to have been full of indignation. Eight times in one chapter (Matt. 23) we find Him saying, “Woe unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites.” Let us not forget that the Lord Jesus never changes. He is the same yesterday, and to-day, and for ever. Whatever else we are in religion let us be true. However feeble our faith, and hope, and love, and obedience may be, let us see to it that they are real, genuine, and sincere. Let us abhor the very idea of part-acting and mask-wearing in our Christianity. At any rate let us be thorough. It is a striking fact that the very first piece of armor which St. Paul recommends to the Christian soldier is “truth.” “Stand therefore,” he says, “having your loins girt about with truth.” (Eph. 6:10.) (1) Who like to walk around in long robes (stole) - We call this "putting on airs" -- you can picture them strutting around like roosters in a barnyard. What a sad sight this must have been the eyes of the humble servant Jesus! Long robes (4749)(stole from stello = to prepare, arrange, gather up) means to equipping, fitting out; by metonymy dress, clothes; in the NT robe, especially long flowing garment or robe worn as an upper or outer garment. A scribe’s robe had a long mantle reaching to the feet and was decorated with long fringe. Refers to the robes of believers in Revelation (Rev. 6:11; Rev. 7:9; Rev. 7:13; Rev. 7:14; Rev. 22:14).
Lucas 20
Ryle - This expression either refers to garments of an extravagantly large size, on which the Scribes prided themselves, or else to the fringes and borders to their garments, which they put on in obedience to the law. (Nu 15:38.) These fringes they made excessively large, in order to impress on the minds of the common people an opinion of their own holiness, and their great reverence for the law. In Mt 23:5 Jesus says "they do all their deeds to be noticed by men; for they broaden their phylacteries, and lengthen the tassels of their garments." Ryrie comments that phylacteries were square leather boxes containing four strips of parchment on which were written Deut. 11:13-21 and 6:4-9, and Ex. 13:11-16 and 13:1-10. During prayer one was worn on the forehead between the eyebrows and another on the left arm close to the elbow. They were held in place by leather bands, which the Pharisees made broad to attract more attention to themselves. The custom was based on Ex. 13:9, 16; Dt. 6:8; 11:18, though phylacteries had only begun to be used by the ultra-pious in Christ's day. Christ criticizes not the custom itself but the wrong spirit that corrupted it. lengthen the tassels of their garments. A hem or fringe on a garment was placed there in accordance with Nu 15:38, but the Pharisees made theirs unnecessarily wide. (Borrow Ryrie Study Bible Expanded Edition) (2) And love respectful greetings in the market places - they expected to be addressed with titles of dignity. Bock - Extrabiblical material makes clear that rabbis and other religious authorities received special greetings in the marketplace. In fact, in the Talmud such greetings were required for teachers of the law (y. Ber. 4b [2.1] [= Neusner et al. 1982–93: 1.66]; Windisch, TDNT 1:498; SB 1:382 §f). Jesus had earlier rebuked Pharisees for this practice (Luke 11:43). (Ibid)
Lucas 20
Ryle - He says of those who live and die hypocrites, “the same shall receive greater damnation.” The subject opened up in these words is a deeply painful one. The reality and eternity of future punishment are among the great foundation truths of revealed religion, which it is hard to think upon without a shudder. But it is well to have all that the Bible teaches about heaven and hell firmly fixed on our minds. The Bible teaches distinctly that there will be degrees of glory in heaven. It teaches with no less distinctness, both here and elsewhere, that there will be degrees of misery in hell. Who, after all, are those who will finally receive condemnation? This is the practical point that concerns us most. All who will not come to Christ,—all who know not God and obey not the Gospel,—all who refuse to repent, and go on still in wickedness, all such will be finally condemned. They will reap according as they have sown. God willeth not their eternal ruin. But if they will not hear His voice, they must die in their sins. John
Lucas 20
Ryle asks "But who among those who are condemned will receive the heaviest condemnation? It will not fall on heathens who never heard the truth. It will not fall on ignorant and neglected Englishmen, for whose souls, however sunk in profligacy, no man cared. It will fall on those who had great light and knowledge, but made no proper use of it. It will fall on those who professed great sanctity and religiousness, but in reality clung to their sins. In one word, the hypocrite will have the lowest place in hell. These are awful things. But they are true." CONTINUATION OF DISCUSSION OF THE VERB AKOUO An important nuance of akouo is to hear and obey. The Septuagint uses akouo to translate the Hebrew verb shama meaning to hear, which takes on some of the nuances of “to understand” or “to obey” as in Dt 6:4 = Hear (Lxx = akouo in the present imperative = keep on hearing), O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one!" In Ps 103:20 we read "Bless the LORD, you His angels, Mighty in strength, who perform His word, Obeying (Lxx = akouo) the voice of His word!" Ge 27:43 (cf Ge 28:7) “Now therefore, my son, obey (Lxx = akouo) my voice, and arise, flee to Haran, to my brother Laban!" Ex 19:5 says "Now then, if you will indeed obey (Lxx = akouo) My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine." Ex 23:22 says “But if you truly obey (Lxx = akouo) his voice and do all that I say, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries." To obey (Lk 10:16; 16:29, 31 Jn 5:24; 8:47; 18:37; Acts 3:22, 23; 4:19; 1 Jn 4:5, 6 Lxx = Ge 3:17; Ex. 16:20; Dt. 11:27; 2 Chr 20:14; Isa 48:18). Here belongs the phrase "he who hath ears, let him hear," i.e., give heed, obey (Mt. 11:15; 13:9, 13 [cf. the phrase, "he who has a mind" in Rev. 13:18 {a.t.}; see also 2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22; 13:9; 17:9, "he who has wisdom" {a.t.}]). Given the association of akouo with obedience, it is not surprising that akouo is the root of the NT word for obey hupakouo (literally to hear under). Thayer's says hupakouo is "properly, of one who on a knock at the door comes to listen who it is." Similarly, in secular Greek hupakouo spoke of one standing at a door, listening intently, almost eavesdropping. (cf Acts 12:13)