20 And having watched [him], they sent out suborned persons, pretending to be just men, that they might take hold of him in [his] language, so that they might deliver him up to the power and authority of the governor. 21 And they asked him saying, Teacher, we know that thou sayest and teachest rightly, and acceptest no [man's] person, but teachest with truth the way of God: 22 Is it lawful for us to give tribute to Caesar, or not? 23 But perceiving their deceit he said to them, Why do ye tempt me? 24 Shew me a denarius. Whose image and superscription has it? And answering they said, Caesar's. 25 And he said to them, Pay therefore what is Caesar's to Caesar, and what is God's to God. 26 And they were not able to take hold of him in [his] expressions before the people, and, wondering at his answer, they were silent.
27 And some of the Sadducees, who deny that there is any resurrection, coming up [to him], 28 demanded of him saying, Teacher, Moses wrote to us, If any one's brother, who has a wife, die, and he die childless, his brother shall take the wife and raise up seed to his brother. 29 There were then seven brethren: and the first, having taken a wife, died childless; 30 and the second [took the woman, and he died childless]; 31 and the third took her: and in like manner also the seven left no children and died; 32 and last of all the woman also died. 33 In the resurrection therefore of which of them does she become wife, for the seven had her as wife? 34 And Jesus said to them, The sons of this world marry and are given in marriage, 35 but they who are counted worthy to have part in that world, and the resurrection from among [the] dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage; 36 for neither can they die any more, for they are equal to angels, and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection. 37 But that the dead rise, even Moses shewed in [the section of] the bush, when he called [the] Lord the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob; 38 but he is not God of [the] dead but of [the] living; for all live for him.
39 And some of the scribes answering said, Teacher, thou hast well spoken. 40 For they did not dare any more to ask him anything.
41 And he said to them, How do they say that the Christ is David's son, 42 and David himself says in the book of Psalms, The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand 43 until I put thine enemies [as] footstool of thy feet? 44 David therefore calls him Lord, and how is he his son?
45 And, as all the people were listening, he said to his disciples, 46 Beware of the scribes, who like to walk about in long robes, and who love salutations in the market-places, and first seats in the synagogues, and first places at suppers; 47 who devour the houses of widows, and as a pretext make long prayers. These shall receive a severer judgment.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Luke 20:20-47
Commentary on Luke 20:20-26
(Read Luke 20:20-26)
Those who are most crafty in their designs against Christ and his gospel, cannot hide them. He did not give a direct answer, but reproved them for offering to impose upon him; and they could not fasten upon any thing wherewith to stir up either the governor or the people against him. The wisdom which is from above, will direct all who teach the way of God truly, to avoid the snares laid for them by wicked men; and will teach our duty to God, to our rulers, and to all men, so clearly, that opposers will have no evil to say of us.
Commentary on Luke 20:27-38
(Read Luke 20:27-38)
It is common for those who design to undermine any truth of God, to load it with difficulties. But we wrong ourselves, and wrong the truth of Christ, when we form our notions of the world of spirits by this world of sense. There are more worlds than one; a present visible world, and a future unseen world; and let every one compare this world and that world, and give the preference in his thoughts and cares to that which deserves them. Believers shall obtain the resurrection from the dead, that is the blessed resurrection. What shall be the happy state of the inhabitants of that world, we cannot express or conceive, Genesis 15:1. He never did that for them in this world, which answered the full extent of his undertaking; therefore there must be another life, in which he will do that for them, which will completely fulfil the promise.
Commentary on Luke 20:39-47
(Read Luke 20:39-47)
The scribes commended the reply Christ made to the Sadducees about the resurrection, but they were silenced by a question concerning the Messiah. Christ, as God, was David's Lord; but Christ, as man, was David's son. The scribes would receive the severest judgement for defrauding the poor widows, and for their abuse of religion, particularly of prayer, which they used as a pretence for carrying on worldly and wicked plans. Dissembled piety is double sin. Then let us beg of God to keep us from pride, ambition, covetousness, and every evil thing; and to teach us to seek that honour which comes from him alone.