Luke 20.41-47

My dad was a pastor, and as I grew up I saw his life. I saw the drama, the conflicts, the hypocrisy (or at least what seemed to me to be hypocrisy) my dad had to deal with day after day. So growing up I always said that there was one profession that I would never, ever, under any circumstances, go into: and that was the profession of pastor.

For example, is a beautiful text for Christians who are suffering. is absolutely vital for those who are persecuted for their faith. Song of Solomon is great for young couples, or young singles who want to know how to navigate a future relationship. And so on. The Bible is full of texts which speak directly toward specific people, in specific situations.

growing up I always said that there was one profession that I would never, ever, under any circumstances, go into: and that was the profession of pastor.

But it wasn’t just because of all the relational difficulties being pastor caused him. It was because I heard multiple times as a child that pastors will be judged more severely than others. We get this from , which says:

Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.

Our text today, —perhaps more than any other text we’ve seen since we planted five years ago—seems tailor-made for Eglise Connexion.

And as a young person, I couldn’t understand why. If all sin—all rebellion against God—is worthy of condemnation, then why should some people, or pastors, be judged more severely than others?

That question is at the heart of today’s text.

There’s nothing absolutely revolutionary here; nothing we’ve not seen before. But it is rare

Four weeks ago, we began chapter 20 of the gospel of Luke. And we need to remember that context if we want to feel today’s passage () as we should.

If you remember, the story of the Bible is one story, split up into two parts. In the first part, the Old Testament, we see God promise to live with his people as their God and King. He reigns as King through the kings (like King David), who were his representatives; and he reigns as God through his presence inhabiting the temple.

But both the monarchy and the priesthood in Israel fail in their tasks: the kingdom is split, the people are exiled into foreign countries, and even after their return from exile, the monarchy is broken, and God’s presence doesn’t return to the temple.

But through his prophets, God promised to bring his presence and his reign back to his people. And he would do it, he said, through a figure called the Messiah, or the Christ.

The big question was, how would this Messiah come, and what would he look like?

The people had some ideas.

The promises of the Old Testament said that this Messiah would be a descendant of King David. In , for example, we find one of the most famous prophecies concerning the Messiah, and Isaiah says (v. 7):

Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom.

Everyone knew these promises. Everyone knew that God promised a Messiah to his people, and everyone knew that this Messiah would come from the family of David. This was common knowledge.

The funny thing is, David himself wrote about the Messiah to come.

The most famous of his Messianic psalms—the one most often quoted in the New Testament—is . Let’s read the first four verses of that psalm, just to get our bearings:

1 The Lord says to my Lord:

“Sit at my right hand,

until I make your enemies your footstool.”

2 The Lord sends forth from Zion

your mighty scepter.

Rule in the midst of your enemies!

3 Your people will offer themselves freely

on the day of your power,

in holy garments;

from the womb of the morning,

the dew of your youth will be yours.

4 The Lord has sworn

and will not change his mind,

“You are a priest forever

after the order of Melchizedek.”

Now obviously, the word “Messiah” never shows up here. But what we see is the prophecy of a future King, whose reign will come not just because of his family, but because God himself made him King. The Lord sends the king’s scepter and tells him to rule in the midst of his enemies.

In addition, David describes this King as not just a King, but a priest. V. 4: You are a priest forever...

We don’t have time to go into who Melchizedek was and why he was important; but the Bible says that he was both a king, and a priest of God. And he wasn’t a priest because he was born into a family of priests, but because God made him a priest.

So David’s saying that this Messiah wouldn’t only be King; he would be a priest of God, chosen and equipped by God to fulfill that function, and he would reign as priest and king forever.

God had promised to send a Messiah; this Messiah would be of the family of David; he would be not just a king, but a priest-king, chosen and sent by God himself. All of this information was constant in the minds of the Jews at the time of Jesus.

So you can see why the religious authorities were in such a twist over Jesus at this point in our text.

in chapter 19, Jesus enters Jerusalem as King of God’s people, and begins exercising his authority as King of God’s people. So the religious authorities—those who up to now have controlled the religious life of the Jews—begin to challenge Jesus’s authority. They try to show that he is not the King everyone says he is, the King he seems to suggest he is.

In chapter 19 of the gospel of Luke, Jesus enters Jerusalem as King of God’s people, and begins exercising his authority as King of God’s people. This, of course, freaks out the religious authorities, who want to maintain their control over the religious life of the people.

So they begin to challenge Jesus’s authority. They try to show that he is not the King everyone says he is, the King he seems to suggest he is.

So the religious authorities—those who up to now have controlled the religious life of the Jews—begin to challenge Jesus’s authority. They try to show that he is not the King everyone says he is, the King he seems to suggest he is.

They come after him with three separate attacks. First, they directly question his authority. When that doesn’t work, they ask him a moral question about where the loyalty of God’s people should lie—in the government, or in God. When that doesn’t work, they put him before a theological puzzle, hoping to trap him in an indefensible position.

To every attack, Jesus responds calmly and efficiently: the religious authorities can mount any verbal attack they want, and it always just slides right off, like water off a duck’s back.

And they come to a point (we see in v. 40) where they no longer dare ask him any questions, because he keeps showing them up.

But that doesn’t mean Jesus is finished with them.

This passage is the climax of chapter 20—after the incessant challenges from the religious authorities, Jesus gives a challenge of his own.

And it shouldn’t be surprising that when Jesus gives a challenge of his own, it’s a very tough nut to crack.

41 But he said to them, “How can they say that the Christ is David’s son? 42 For David himself says in the Book of Psalms,

Jesus still talking to the Sadducees.

“ ‘The Lord said to my Lord,

“Sit at my right hand,

After these incessant challenges from the religious authorities, Jesus gives a challenge of his own.

The Westminster Larger Catechism, a standard that has exercised considerable influence over the life of the Protestant church for centuries, states a principle rarely expressed in our age of relativism and fuzzy thinking—namely, that the same sin may be more terrible when committed by one person than another.

43 until I make your enemies your footstool.” ’

Jesus’s Challenge (v. 41-44)

44 David thus calls him Lord, so how is he his son?”

Because although everyone knew , although everyone knew it was a prophecy of the Messiah, of the Christ, of the priest-king God promised to send to his people, apparently none of them had really thought of the language David uses to describe this Messiah.

The first thing we need to define is the word “Christ.” Contrary to public opinion, “Christ” is not Jesus’s last name. “Christ” is a title. When David became King, they started calling him “King David.” In the same way, when the Bible calls Jesus “Jesus Christ,” it is calling him according to his title.

The title “Christ” means “Messiah.” Literally, when we hear “Jesus Christ,” it means, “Jesus the Messiah.” But what does “Messiah” mean?

According to The Lexham Cultural Ontology Glossary, the word “Messiah” refers to a “future deliverer and savior who would rescue his people and usher in a time of prosperity and blessing.”

A future deliverer and savior who would rescue his people and usher in a time of prosperity and blessing.

The Jews living at the time of Jesus had grown up with the Old Testament promises from God, that God would send a Messiah to his people—a man who would rescue the Jews from oppression, and bring peace and prosperity.

Witthoff, D. ed., 2014. The Lexham Cultural Ontology Glossary, Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.

And the promises of the Old Testament said that this Messiah would be a descendant of King David. In , for example, we find one of the most famous prophecies concerning the Messiah, and Isaiah says (v. 7):

Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom.

there will be no end,

Everyone knew these promises. Everyone knew that God promised a Messiah to his people, and everyone knew that this Messiah would come from the family of David. This was common knowledge.

That’s the background: that’s the arena in which Jesus’s challenge plays out—the promise that God would send a Messiah to his people, and that this Messiah would be a descendant of David.

Indeed, David himself spoke of the Messiah to come. David wrote a very large chunk of the book of Psalms, and among the psalms he wrote we find so-called “Messianic” psalms, psalms which speak of the Messiah to come.

The most famous of the Messianic psalms—the one most often quoted in the New Testament—is . Let’s read the first four verses of that psalm, just to get our bearings:

1 The Lord says to my Lord:

“Sit at my right hand,

until I make your enemies your footstool.”

2 The Lord sends forth from Zion

your mighty scepter.

Rule in the midst of your enemies!

3 Your people will offer themselves freely

on the day of your power,

in holy garments;

from the womb of the morning,

the dew of your youth will be yours.

4 The Lord has sworn

and will not change his mind,

“You are a priest forever

after the order of Melchizedek.”

Anon, 2016. The Holy Bible: English Standard Version, Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

Now obviously, the word “Messiah” never shows up here. But what we see is the prophecy of a future King, whose reign won’t come from his lineage or his family, but because God himself made him King. The Lord sends the king’s scepter and tells him to rule in the midst of his enemies. That is what was promised of the Messiah.

In addition, David describes this King as not just a King, but a priest. V. 4: You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.

We don’t have time to go into who Melchizedek was and why he was important; but the Bible says that he was both a king, and a priest of God. And he wasn’t a priest because he was born into a family of priests, but because God made him a priest.

So David’s saying that in the same way, the Messiah wouldn’t only be King; he would be a priest of God, chosen and equipped by God to fulfill that function.

Because, he says, the Messiah will be a king like Melchizedek.

That is, firstly, he won’t be a king because he’s part of the royal family. Melchizedek showed up before there was a royal family, and he’s not even an Israelite!

Now that we’ve seen all that, we can start to make more sense of what Jesus says here.

And secondly, Melchizedek was a priest of the Most-High God. This was long before the Law of Moses, long before the people God even existed. So ordinarily, if someone showed up and said, “I’m a priest of the Most High God,” you could write that guy off as crazy.

Until now.

Now that we’ve seen all that, we can start to make more sense of what Jesus says here.

on the throne of David and over his kingdom.

Because although everyone knew , although everyone knew it was a prophecy of the Messiah, of the Christ, of the priest-king God promised to send to his people, apparently none of them had really thought of the language David uses to describe this Messiah.

And it is on the basis of David’s language that Jesus builds his challenge. So let’s read it.

V. 41:

41 But he said to them, “How can they say that the Christ is David’s son? 42 For David himself says in the Book of Psalms,

“ ‘The Lord said to my Lord,

“Sit at my right hand,

43 until I make your enemies your footstool.” ’

44 David thus calls him Lord, so how is he his son?”

Jesus’s challenge hinges on two important facts.

The first was that in that culture, at that time, no father would revere his own son. In fact, it was quite the other way around. The Hebrew society was profoundly patriarchal: fathers did not submit to their sons; sons submitted to their fathers.

Proof of False Knowledge (v. 45-47)

So that’s a problem for . Everyone knew the Messiah (or “the Christ”—literally, “Christ” is not a name, but a title meaning “Messiah”) was to be a descendant of David; and yet, David calls him “Lord.” How could David call his descendant “Lord,” when by all rights, if the two should ever meet, it should be the other way around?

And yet, David calls the Messiah “Lord.”

The second important fact to remember is the language of . The first “Lord” in (and ) is a translation of the Hebrew word “Yahweh”—meaning, God himself. The term “my Lord” in the same verse was commonly understood to refer to the Messiah.

Literally, David is saying, “Yahweh [God] says to my Messiah: ‘Sit at my right hand...’”

That is huge. Because David isn’t just prophesying that the Messiah would come from his family or his lineage; he is saying that the Messiah to come will be his Messiah. David’s not just reassuring the people of Israel that the Messiah is coming to save them; he himself is looking forward to the day when the Messiah will save him, to rule as his King.

This was completely backwards thinking for Jews at the time of Jesus.

If you think about it, you can see why that’s odd.

Imagine I’m walking down the street with my seven-year-old son, and someone decides to mug us. Jack’s a tall kid, but he still only comes up to my elbows; he weighs about sixty pounds soaking wet. So imagine we get mugged, and I shrink down behind Jack, saying, “Jack, save me!”

Unless Jack’s a boy superhero, that’s completely backwards thinking. I’M the dad here; I should be the one to save him.

You see, Jesus is looking at what David said, and highlighting the fact that—at least according to the thinking of most people at the time—

That’s completely backwards thinking. And what David said is backwards too, in the same way.

In the patriarchal culture of the Jews, what David said is backwards in a similar way. The descendants revere the patriarchs who established them; the patriarchs don’t revere their future descendants.

So Jesus’s simple question is, “How can this be?” Why does David talk like this?

There is no record in any of the gospels of Jesus ever explaining the answer to the religious authorities. But we know the answer, because of what we see in the rest of the Bible.

And we find that answer in the two parts of the story of Jesus Christ.

First, by birth, God the Son, the second person of the Trinity, became a human being, Jesus, and was born into the family of David. He literally became a descendant of David.

And second, through his finished work, he became David’s “my Lord.” He lived, died, was raised from the dead, glorified. He ascended into heaven, and took his throne at the right hand of God.

Remember how I said my expecting Jack to save me would be backwards unless he was a superhero?

David’s calling his descendant “my Lord” would be backwards…if the descendant in question were just an ordinary man.

But Jesus isn’t just an ordinary man. He is “the Christ.” He is the Messiah the prophets had spoken of.

And it would have been obvious to anyone watching, if they had had eyes to see. The prophets said time and again that the Messiah wouldbe a humble servant who cared for his people—exactly the kind of servant Jesus proved himself to be.

:

Behold my servant, whom I uphold,

my chosen, in whom my soul delights;

I have put my Spirit upon him;

he will bring forth justice to the nations.

2 He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice,

or make it heard in the street;

3 a bruised reed he will not break,

and a faintly burning wick he will not quench;

he will faithfully bring forth justice.

4 He will not grow faint or be discouraged

till he has established justice in the earth;

and the coastlands wait for his law.

This is exactly what we see in Jesus’s ministry: his care for the downtrodden and the broken, his faithful healing of the sick.

The Messiah would be a suffering servant, who would bear the punishment of his enemies—exactly what Jesus would soon become.

Anon, 2016. The Holy Bible: English Standard Version, Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

:

…he had no form or majesty that we should look at him,

3 He was despised and rejected by men,

and no beauty that we should desire him.

a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;

3 He was despised and rejected by men,

and as one from whom men hide their faces

a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;

he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

and as one from whom men hide their faces

he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

4 Surely he has borne our griefs

and carried our sorrows;

yet we esteemed him stricken,

smitten by God, and afflicted.

5 But he was pierced for our transgressions;

he was crushed for our iniquities;

upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,

and with his wounds we are healed.

Anon, 2016. The Holy Bible: English Standard Version, Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

This is the fact that every religious leader had missed. And they missed it because, quite simply, they were reading their Bibles wrongly.

34 For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says,

“ ‘The Lord said to my Lord,

“Sit at my right hand,

35 until I make your enemies your footstool.” ’

36 Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”

This is the fact that every religious leader had missed. And they missed it because, quite simply, they were reading their Bibles wrongly.

When they read the prophecies of the Messiah, they interpreted those prophecies through the lens of what they wanted. They wanted to be a powerful nation. They wanted to be free from foreign occupation. They wanted to maintain their religious traditions.

And what is the answer to all of those desires? What do most nations do when they want those things? They hope for, or they vote for, someone they see as a powerful political leader.

The coming of a powerful political leader, possibly with a military edge.

In other words, the religious authorities read the Bible through the lens of their own political aspirations for their nation. They wanted to be free and independent and powerful, so when God promised to send a Messiah to set them free, they thought, Of course the Messiah will be just the kind of leader we’ve been hoping for! A warrior; a gifted politician; a skilled leader.

Now of course, those desires—to be a powerful, independent nation, free from foreign occupation—are not bad in and of themselves. The problem wasn’t what they wanted.

The problem was that what they allowed their reading of the Bible to be shaped by those desires, rather than letting the Bible shape their idea of what they should desire.

We do this all the time. We want something, and so when we read the Bible—surprise, surprise!—we find God promising exactly what we want! We come to the Bible with our desires for happiness or prosperity or comfort or peace, and we want these things so badly that we suffer a kind of selective myopia when we read the Bible. We’ll see promises of all these good things—which are in the Bible—and we’ll conveniently skip over the suffering and the toil that await us before we get there.

want it so badly that we suffer a kind of selective myopia when we read the Bible.

It is a dangerous thing to come to the Bible with a fixed idea of what you want, rather than letting the Bible teach you what you should want.

And that is the mistake these religious leaders made. What they wanted—this powerful political leader—was never how God intended to set his people free. And if they had read the Bible for what it was, they would have seen that.

What they wanted—this powerful political leader—was never how God intended to set his people free. And if they had come to the Bible with open eyes, they would have seen that.

In , the prophet tells what will characterize the Messiah’s coming: not political or military victory, but suffering for his people.

, :

4 Surely he has borne our griefs

and carried our sorrows;

yet we esteemed him stricken,

smitten by God, and afflicted.

5 But he was pierced for our transgressions;

he was crushed for our iniquities;

upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,

and with his wounds we are healed.

6 All we like sheep have gone astray;

we have turned—every one—to his own way;

and the Lord has laid on him

the iniquity of us all…

10 …it was the will of the Lord to crush him;

he has put him to grief;

when his soul makes an offering for guilt,

he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days;

the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.

Anon, 2016. The Holy Bible: English Standard Version, Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

They would have seen the Messiah would not appear powerful, but humble; that he take his place through what seemed like defeat.

Or, to put it another way—David said, “The Lord said to my Lord, ‘Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.’”

“Sit at my right hand,

How would the Messiah “make his enemies his footstool”? He would let himself be killed by them. He would suffer at their hands, for the sin of his people. Just like Isaiah said.

43 until I make your enemies your footstool.” ’

, but when you read the Bible through the lens of what you want,

is the most well-known

“Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”

But the authorities can’t see that, because they think they already know all they need to know. They spent their lives reading Scripture, so of course they knew how to read it. They weren’t going to be told differently by this carpenter from Nazareth.

The Westminster Larger Catechism, a standard that has exercised considerable influence over the life of the Protestant church for centuries, states a principle rarely expressed in our age of relativism and fuzzy thinking—namely, that the same sin may be more terrible when committed by one person than another.

Question 150.

Are all transgressions of the law of God equally heinous in themselves, and in the sight of God?

Answer.

All transgressions of the law of God are not equally heinous; but some sins in themselves, and by reason of several aggravations are more heinous in the sight of God than others (cf. ; , , ; ; , , ).

Question 151.

What are those aggravations that make some sins more heinous than others?

So Jesus leaves them there. He doesn’t give them an answer to his question. He doesn’t explain how the Christ could be both David’s descendant and David’s Lord.

The Catechism gives a four-part answer that I will summarize.

1. Some sins are more heinous than others due to the advantages of the offenders—“if they be of riper age, greater experience of grace, eminent for profession, gifts, place, office, guides to others, and whose example is likely to be followed by others”—their sins are more terrible.

He shouldn’t have to—if they really knew the Word of God, if they had read the Word of God for what it was, rather than for what they wanted, they would have known the answer to his question.

2. Some sins are more heinous than others due to the parties they directly offend. Blasphemy of God is heinous, but also sins “against any of the saints, particularly weak brethren, the souls of them, or any other, and the common good of all or many” are particularly heinous.

3. Some sins are more heinous than others due to the nature and quality of the sin—that is, if the sin is committed while fully knowing God’s graces and requirements, and yet doing it anyway while admitting no reparation or fault.

And that is what Jesus was really trying to show here. His main goal wasn’t to solve a theological riddle about the Messiah.

And that reality—the fact that the religious authorities have a knowledge of Scripture that is fundamentally wrong—is what Jesus is really trying to show here.

4. Some sins are more heinous than others due to the “circumstances of time and place … if in public, or in the presence of others, who are thereby likely to be provoked or defiled.”

That is where his challenge has been headed. He wants to make it clear to everyone there that the religious leaders don’t know the Scriptures they claim to know. They may know the stories, they may have the entire thing memorized… But they don’t know the Word.

His main goal was to show that the religious authorities have a knowledge of Scripture that is fundamentally wrong. That they don’t know the Scriptures they claim to know.

They may know the stories, they may have the entire thing memorized…

But they don’t know it, not in their hearts, where knowing is conviction. They have read the Scriptures, but they have never seen them with spiritual eyes. Their knowledge is false knowledge.

And in the next verses, v. 45-47, Jesus will give the people visible proof of that fact.

From this we draw this sobering conclusion: sin committed by experienced Christians is greater than in others, because experienced Christians have 1) longer and therefore greater experiences of grace, 2) offend not only God, but in particular the souls of weaker brethren, 3) knowingly sin against God’s requirements, and 4) defile others through the leadership roles that go to experienced Christians.

implication? Sins in pastors are considered with greater severity.

This passage = the climax of chapter 20.

After these incessant challenges from the religious authorities, Jesus gives a challenge of his own.

Jesus’s Challenge (v. 41-44)

Proof of False Knowledge (v. 45-47)

RELIGIOUS AUTHORITIES DIRECTLY TARGETED

45 And in the hearing of all the people he said to his disciples, 46 “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and love greetings in the marketplaces and the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, 47 who devour widows’ houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.”

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45 And in the hearing of all the people he said to his disciples, 46 “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and love greetings in the marketplaces and the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, 47 who devour widows’ houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.”

So what he’s saying can be summed up in one sentence: if we have a true, right knowledge of God’s Word, it will show. Knowing the Bible rightly doesn’t just fill our heads with information; it changes us, and that change is visible.

One could always recognize a scribe because he wore a white linen robe with a long white fringe that reached to his feet. They were religious “power dressers”—ecclesiastical swans regally gliding among the mudhens of common humanity. Joachim Jeremias, the great New Testament authority, says in his book Jerusalem in the Time of Jesus that all the people rose respectfully when a scribe passed by, and that only tradesmen busy at their work were exempt. They were greeted respectfully as “Rabbi” (“my great one”) or “Master” or “Father.” When the wealthy gave feasts, scribes were considered necessary ornaments to adorn the meal. They were always given a place of honor, reclining to the right or left of the host. The teachers of the Law were honored above the aged, even above their own parents. When they came to the synagogue, they sat in the place of ultimate honor—facing the congregation with their backs against the chest holding the Torah, so all could see their pious visages.

Anon, 2016. The Holy Bible: English Standard Version, Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

By the same token, false knowledge of the Bible changes us too, but not for the better.

Hughes, R.K., 1998. Luke: that you may know the truth, Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

After these incessant challenges from the religious authorities, Jesus gives a challenge of his own.

Jesus points out “the scribes”, those men who claim to have detailed and comprehensive knowledge of the Scriptures. And he tells the people to beware of them.

Jesus’s Challenge (v. 41-44)

He warns them of the pride of the scribes.

It was a commonly held belief that the Messiah would be a descendant of King David, and Jesus made reference to this in his opening question: “How is it that they say the Christ is the Son of David?” (v. 41). There was no doubt that the Messiah would be a physical, hereditary descendant of David. Ample Scriptural evidence attested to this, like the famous words of Isaiah: “Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom” (). Luke’s birth narratives assert Jesus’ Davidic bloodline four separate times (1:27, 32, 69; 2:4). And Jesus received the title shouted from the lips of the blind Bartimaeus: “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” (18:38).

You could always recognize a scribe because of their white robes with long fringes—they always dressed to be recognized. People revered them, never neglecting to greet them in public as “Rabbi” or “teacher” or “master”. When they went to the synagogue they sat in the place of ultimate honor, facing the people, with their backs against the chest holding the Torah. When rich people held feasts, they always invited a scribe or two to come; it was a badge of honor for that household.

It was a commonly held belief that the Messiah would be a descendant of King David, and Jesus made reference to this in his opening question: “How is it that they say the Christ is the Son of David?” (v. 41). There was no doubt that the Messiah would be a physical, hereditary descendant of David. Ample Scriptural evidence attested to this, like the famous words of Isaiah: “Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom” (). Luke’s birth narratives assert Jesus’ Davidic bloodline four separate times (1:27, 32, 69; 2:4). And Jesus received the title shouted from the lips of the blind Bartimaeus: “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” (18:38).

So there was no question about his Davidic descent. But what Jesus was referencing by his question was the unfortunately limited and earthbound conception of Messiah that was prevalent. The common view was that the son of David would be a gifted human leader who would bring in a new political kingdom like David of old. The problem was that the scribes had not read the messianic prophesies with spiritual eyes, because those prophesies demanded a supra-human figure (cf. ).

After referencing the belief that Messiah must be in David’s bloodline, Jesus called their attention to a radiant prophecy (, quoting the first verse) that indicated that Messiah must be supra-human.

In other words, they did what they did to be seen and admired by others. They used their “superior” knowledge of Scripture to massage their own egos.

So there was no question about his Davidic descent. But what Jesus was referencing by his question was the unfortunately limited and earthbound conception of Messiah that was prevalent. The common view was that the son of David would be a gifted human leader who would bring in a new political kingdom like David of old. The problem was that the scribes had not read the messianic prophesies with spiritual eyes, because those prophesies demanded a supra-human figure (cf. ).

The LORD = Yahweh

After referencing the belief that Messiah must be in David’s bloodline, Jesus called their attention to a radiant prophecy (, quoting the first verse) that indicated that Messiah must be supra-human.

My Lord = a Messianic term

Jesus warns of their greed. They “devour widows’ houses”, he says in v. 47. The scribes were specialists of the Law of Moses, which made them almost like judges who interpreted the law for others. If you remember what we saw last week, women had rights only insofar as their husbands had rights. So a widow would find herself in a particularly precarious situation.

Hughes, R.K., 1998. Luke: that you may know the truth, Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

Yahweh says to my Messiah: Sit at my right hand...

The scribes would offer legal aid to widows…but they required payment for their services. Doing such a thing was not allowed under the law, but these were the specialists of the law—so how could you argue with them? To line their own pockets, they took advantage of women who couldn’t resist their help, because they needed it.

Jesus warns of their hypocrisy. They would pray long and eloquent prayers because it was an easy way to display their knowledge, and make people think they were holy, pious men. But they did it “for a pretense” (v. 47b). They didn’t actually care about what they were saying; all the time they prayed their prayers, they were well away that this prayer was making them look really good. And they milked it for all they could.

“Verse 4 asserts that Messiah will replace the old covenant’s temporal Levitical priesthood with the eternal priesthood of Melchizedek. Thus the entire Psalm describes the Messiah as an eternal Priest-King.”

Jesus has shown that the religious authorities did not read the Bible for what it was, but rather in the light of their own desires. People do this all the time: they come to the Bible like some kind of divine vending machine (“I’ll take a Mars Bar, and a Snickers, and a Twix… But no, I hate Bounty, I’ll leave that there”).

Verse 4 asserts that Messiah will replace the old covenant’s temporal Levitical priesthood with the eternal priesthood of Melchizedek. Thus the entire Psalm describes the Messiah as an eternal Priest-King.

is one of the most oft-cited OT texts in the NT. The NT authors understood in a profound way what David was saying here.

Hughes, R.K., 1998. Luke: that you may know the truth, Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

Jesus’s logical question/challenge:

The Messiah must be a descendant of David;

King David called the Messiah his Lord.

How could David call his descendant his Lord, in the Hebrew patriarchal system when the father, and not the son, was the one revered?

The answer?

What was the answer? There is no record in any of the Synoptic Gospels that Jesus bothered to explain it to the scribes that day. The answer lies in the two stages of Messiah’s history. First, by birth he became the “Son of David.” Second, by his death, resurrection, ascension, and position at God’s right hand he reigns as David’s “my Lord.” Peter gave the same answer at Pentecost:

“For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said, ‘The Lord said to my Lord; “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.” ’ Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ” ()

Hughes, R.K., 1998. Luke: that you may know the truth, Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

The problem with these teachers of the law is that they had a studied ignorance of God’s Word and a practiced inability to think beyond rabbinical traditions. They read the Word through a political lens that reduced the Messiah to a mere man on the analogy of David. We do the same with our lenses—an economic lens that turns every Scripture into advice for financial well-being, a racial lens that not too long ago edited out the Scriptural teaching on ethnic equality, a feminist lens that interprets and rejects the Scriptures as a tract for patriarchal dominance, a postmodern lens that subjectivizes Holy Scripture into “what it means to me.” We all have our lenses, and our lenses blind us to the glory of God’s Word. We must try to read God’s Word for what it is. And we must humbly seek the Holy Spirit’s help in bowing to what we read. The responsibility comes doubly upon teachers of the Word.

Hughes, R.K., 1998. Luke: that you may know the truth, Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

Proof of False Knowledge (v. 45-47)

And he says that in coming to the Bible like that, these men have become prideful, greedy, and hypocritical.

If you come to the Bible like that, if you read the Bible in the light of your own desires, to get out of it what you want, then these three things—pride, greed and hypocrisy—will be constant temptations for you, and more than likely will characterize you.

Link between the two parts: if we claim to have knowledge of God’s Word, it should be visible in our lives. In v. 41-44, he points out their ignorant hypocrisy; and in v. 45-47, he gives them visible proof of their ignorant hypocrisy.

Pride: they use Scripture to further their own interests (v. 46).

You will pridefully use Scripture as a weapon to further your own interests (you’ll take out texts that are convenient to prove your point, and ignore any text that says the opposite).

Those who truly understood Scripture would not bolster their own self-image, but rather serve those in need.

You will greedily seek your own good above others. Why? Because you’ve learned to read the Bible for your own selfish gains. And if the formative spiritual experience of your life is selfish, that selfishness will spill over into everything else.

Greed: they took payment from widows for legal aid even though it wasn’t allowed (v. 47a).

You will love the idea of being a Christian more than actually being a Christian. You’ll make a show of your spirituality and your knowledge of the Bible (everyone knows someone who knows a lot), but you’ll stop short of obedience when it actually costs you something. As long as everyone thinks you’re serving God, that will be enough.

Hypocrisy: they make lengthy prayers “for a show” (v. 47b).

In short, you’ll become the type of person Jesus warns his people about.

Have you ever wondered why so many Christians seem even worse than unbelievers? This hypocrisy is what drives so many people away from the faith: people say they love Jesus, they say the Bible is the authority in their lives… And yet we can think of a dozen of our unbelieving friends we’d rather emulate.

What Jesus is saying here is shocking, especially for us, living in the 21st-century West, when “not judging” others is the seen as the height of virtue.

Think about this for a minute.

Jesus is speaking to a crowd of people here, among whom are at least some of these religious authorities, some of these scribes.

And he tells the people, “Here’s whom you should beware of, and here’s how you will recognize them.”

If you read the Bible in the light of your own desires, you will necessarily be characterized by these three things.

He’s saying that you will be able to see a person’s spiritual state on the outside. You’ll be able to see if they really believe what they say they believe. You’ll be able to see outward proof of what’s going on in their hearts.

He’s not telling them this so that they might be prejudiced against religious leaders; not all scribes were this way, as we see in the gospels; some of them did humbly listen to Jesus’s teaching. He’s not telling them this so that they might condemn other people based on a subjective idea of their character.

He’s telling them what will characterize someone with a false knowledge of Scripture, that the people might stay safe. That they might beware. That they might not fall in with these men who will receive a greater condemnation.

God wants people who know his Word, and who live his Word… Not just people who know about his Word. How dangerous it is to satisfy oneself with a merely intellectual knowledge of God’s Word! And how much worse it is to teach others to be content with this kind of false knowledge.

And why would their condemnation be greater?

Now I know that was a lot to take in, but although Jesus’s challenge to the religious authorities was complex, what Luke is trying to tell us in this passage—and what the Holy Spirit calls us to through his inspired Word—is really very simple.

Because they claim to know better. Because they claim to have a handle on the Word of God… And to whom much is given, much is required.

Firstly, the Spirit calls us to read the Bible for what it is, not for what we want.

Through his challenge, using the Messianic prophecy of as an example, Jesus showed that the religious authorities did not truly know the Scriptures, but rather interpreted those Scriptures according to their own purposes, to satisfy their own desires.

Think about this for a minute.

read the Bible for what it was, but rather in the light of their own desires.

You will use Scripture as a weapon to further your own interests, rather than to serve others.

People do this all the time: they come to the Bible like some kind of divine vending machine (“I’ll take a Mars Bar, and a Snickers, and a Twix… But no, I hate Bounty, I’ll leave that there”).

You will seek your own good above others’ (makes sense, when you read the Bible for your own selfish gains: if the formative spiritual experience of your life is selfish, that will spill out onto everything else).

You will make a show of your spirituality and piety, all the while letting sin run free reign over your hearts.

You will become the type of person Jesus warns his people to beware of.

The warning: the condemnation of those who act this way is greater—especially those in leadership.

cf. : the opposite of such behavior—the way Jesus was.

He

Jesus is saying something shocking for us, in the 21st-century West: you will be able to see a person’s spiritual state on the outside. (This is what we commonly call “judging”.)

Not all scribes were this way (there are some instances in the gospels of the scribes actually listening humbly to Jesus’s teaching), many were.

And Jesus tells the people how to spot them, in order to stay away from them.

The warning: the condemnation of those who act this way is greater—especially those in leadership. So don’t go along with them.

Application:

Read the Bible for what it is, not for what you want.

Jesus has shown that the religious authorities did not read the Bible for what it was, but rather in the light of their own desires. People do this all the time: they come to the Bible like some kind of divine vending machine (“I’ll take a Mars Bar, and a Snickers, and a Twix… But no, I hate Bounty, I’ll leave that there”).

But Jesus warns that if you come to the Bible this way, you will become the type of people he warns his people to watch out for.

You’ll become prideful. You will use Scripture as a weapon to further your own interests (you’ll take out texts that are convenient to prove your point, and ignore any text that says the opposite).

You’ll become greedy. Reading the Word of God is the continual, formative experience in the life of the Christian. And if you read the Bible like this, you will be so accustomed to coming to the Bible for your own selfish gain that eventually, that selfishness will spill over into everything else.

will seek your own good above others. Why? Because you’ve learned to read the Bible for your own selfish gains. And if the continual, formative spiritual experience of your life is selfish, that selfishness will spill over into everything else.

You’ll become hypocritical. You will love the idea of being a Christian more than actually being a Christian. People will be impressed by your spirituality and your knowledge of the Bible, but you’ll stop short of obedience when it actually costs you something. As long as everyone thinks you’re serving God, that will be enough.

In short, you’ll become the type of person Jesus warns his people about.

So don’t go to the Bible like that.

Don’t go to the Bible to “get a blessing.”

Don’t go to the Bible to justify your own opinion.

Or to

Don’t go to the Bible to find reasons to complain about someone else's sin.

Or to

Don’t go to the Bible to feel better about your own sin. (Habitual sinners love reading passages about God’s grace, like , but they always manage to forget passages like , which tells us to strive for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. God’s grace drives us to fight our sin, not to excuse it.)

Don’t come to the Bible to get what you want; rather, come to the Bible to meet your God. To hear his voice. To learn his will and his plan for the world he created. To see his glory. And let that vision of the God who created you, who loved you, who saved you, and who redeemed you teach you what you should desire. Let the God you meet in the Bible shape your hearts and loves and desires.

Come to the Bible for what it is, and take the God you find there as he is. Because I guarantee you, God as he is is infinitely better than God as you want him to be.

DON’T TAKE MY WORD FOR IT—Don’t come to the Bible with a received ide

Secondly: in this text, Jesus calls us to choose our friends and mentors well. To follow those who live like Christ, not just those who say the right things.

Follow those who live like Christ, not just those who say the right things.

This isn’t just about who you are; it’s about who you follow. Make no mistake, we all follow someone. We all learn from someone. We all look up to someone.

It’s the way we were created. God created us for community—to live in community, to grow in community, to learn from one another in community. And we naturally tend to want to follow those people who are impressive, who are eloquent, who can explain things to us, who have answers to our questions.

The problem is that we don’t just learn from what we hear; we learn from what we see. Loanne and I have often talked about how, several years ago, Philip and Rachel Moore took us under their wing. We learned as much, if not more, from Philip and Rachel by watching them as we did from listening to them. Sometimes we’d talk doctrine, sure—but mostly, we watched how they talked to each other. We watched how they were with their kids. We observed their interactions with other people. We saw what Christian life looks like in practice.

The simple fact of the matter is that some people are worth following, and others aren’t—even within the church. These people Jesus warned against were the leaders—the best of the best.

And yet, he said, look at their lives. Look at the way they conduct themselves. Look at why they do what they do, and you’ll see that they aren’t the kind of people you’ll want to imitate.

But even in Christian community—as in the community of the Jewish people at the time of Christ—some people were simply not worth following.

We have a Savior, a Messiah, who saved us out of sin, that we might grow into a global family of brothers and sisters who help one another grow in him. This Savior, Jesus Christ, fulfilled all of the promises of the Messiah, and anyone who had eyes to see recognized him for who he was: not a strong military or political leader, but a humble servant, who laid down his life for his enemies.

He is the goal of every Scripture, the fulfillment of every promise. So let us be, and let us surround ourselves with, people who come to Scripture to see him. Who gratefully live their lives like him. Who help one another grow into his image.

cf.

Have you ever wondered why so many Christians seem even worse than unbelievers? This hypocrisy is what drives so many people away from the faith: people say they love Jesus, they say the Bible is the authority in their lives… And yet we can think of a dozen of our unbelieving friends we’d rather emulate.

One could always recognize a scribe because he wore a white linen robe with a long white fringe that reached to his feet. They were religious “power dressers”—ecclesiastical swans regally gliding among the mudhens of common humanity. Joachim Jeremias, the great New Testament authority, says in his book Jerusalem in the Time of Jesus that all the people rose respectfully when a scribe passed by, and that only tradesmen busy at their work were exempt. They were greeted respectfully as “Rabbi” (“my great one”) or “Master” or “Father.” When the wealthy gave feasts, scribes were considered necessary ornaments to adorn the meal. They were always given a place of honor, reclining to the right or left of the host. The teachers of the Law were honored above the aged, even above their own parents. When they came to the synagogue, they sat in the place of ultimate honor—facing the congregation with their backs against the chest holding the Torah, so all could see their pious visages