April 8. 2025-Meditation Luke 20:19–40 The Question about Taxes and the Resurrection

 Luke 20:19–40

The Question about Taxes and the Resurrection

Jesus tells the Parable of the Wicked Tenants. In the story, the owner of a vineyard sends his servants to collect some of the fruit. But the wicked tenants beat and mistreat them, sending them back empty-handed. Their mistreatment of the servants is, in effect, a rejection of the owner himself. Finally, the owner sends his beloved son. But the tenants kill the son, thinking they can take the vineyard for themselves.

In this parable, the servants represent the prophets, and the son is Jesus Christ, the heir. The wicked tenants symbolize those who reject the prophets and the Christ. When the scribes and Pharisees hear this parable, they realize that Jesus is speaking about them.

What would be the proper response in such a situation? They should have investigated whether the message was true. But instead, the scribes and Pharisees immediately conclude that the parable is about them and try to seize Jesus. The Greek word used here for “seize” is epiballō (ἐπιβάλλω), meaning “to throw upon,” “to lay hands on,” or “to ensnare.” This suggests they were trying to trap Him in a scheme.

Their actions were evil. If they felt convicted by Jesus’ words, the right response would have been repentance. After all, even if the rebuke came through a man, it was ultimately God speaking through him. The way we respond to such conviction—whether with repentance or resistance—determines the direction of our lives.

Though they wanted to take action immediately, they held back because they feared the people. The word “feared” here implies being afraid. It’s ironic. These were religious leaders—scribes and Pharisees—responsible for the spiritual well-being of the people. Above all, they should have been people who feared God and revered His Word. But instead, they feared people. They were more concerned with how others might react than with what God thought.

True fear of God means living with the awareness that God sees our thoughts and intentions. But these leaders, though they plotted evil and schemes in their hearts, lived as if God wasn’t even watching.

Is this problem unique to the scribes and Pharisees? Don’t we sometimes act this way as well? Do we live as though God sees even our hidden thoughts and clever deceptions? Deceit is a characteristic of Satan. And just as the scribes and Pharisees stirred up people to carry out evil schemes, that too is a work of the devil. We must be people who live with awareness of God, discerning good from evil through God’s Word, and choosing what is good.

The scribes and Pharisees wanted to trap Jesus so that He would be punished by Roman authorities. What an evil thing this was! As we see in verse 20, they pretended to be righteous in order to catch Jesus in His words.

To pretend to be righteous is to present oneself as righteous when God does not consider that person righteous. We must strive not to appear righteous to others, but to be counted righteous by God—that’s the life of a true Christian.

Next, the Sadducees approach Jesus with a question, just as the scribes and Pharisees had done. The Sadducees were a group made up of aristocrats, priestly families, and the political elite. They denied the afterlife, resurrection, the spiritual realm, and the existence of angels. For them, the present life was all that mattered. They lived for material gain and earthly power.

So why would they ask Jesus about resurrection? Not because they truly wanted to understand—it was another attempt to trap Him. Their question focused only on the mechanics of living after death, not on the deeper spiritual meaning.

What does resurrection mean for a Christian? It's not just about coming back to life. Resurrection means overcoming death. Humanity, because of sin, is destined for eternal death and separation from God. But through Jesus’ death and resurrection, our relationship with God is restored—we are now children of God. That’s the real meaning of resurrection.

Even those who do not believe in Jesus will experience resurrection. As Jesus says in John 5:29:

“Those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned.”

So there are two resurrections: the resurrection of life for the righteous, and the resurrection of judgment for the wicked. For believers, resurrection is the entrance into eternal life.

As we approach Resurrection Sunday (Easter), may we reflect deeply on the true meaning of the resurrection. Let’s be people who understand it clearly and live in its truth.