Luke 20:20-40
20 Keeping a close watch on him, they sent spies, who pretended to be sincere. They hoped to catch Jesus in something he said, so that they might hand him over to the power and authority of the governor. 21 So the spies questioned him: “Teacher, we know that you speak and teach what is right, and that you do not show partiality but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. 22 Is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”
23 He saw through their duplicity and said to them, 24 “Show me a denarius. Whose image and inscription are on it?”
“Caesar’s,” they replied.
25 He said to them, “Then give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”
26 They were unable to trap him in what he had said there in public. And astonished by his answer, they became silent.
27 Some of the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Jesus with a question. 28 “Teacher,” they said, “Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man must marry the widow and raise up offspring for his brother. 29 Now there were seven brothers. The first one married a woman and died childless. 30 The second 31 and then the third married her, and in the same way the seven died, leaving no children.32 Finally, the woman died too. 33 Now then, at the resurrection whose wife will she be, since the seven were married to her?”
34 Jesus replied, “The people of this age marry and are given in marriage.35 But those who are considered worthy of taking part in the age to come and in the resurrection from the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage,36 and they can no longer die; for they are like the angels. They are God’s children, since they are children of the resurrection. 37 But in the account of the burning bush, even Moses showed that the dead rise, for he calls the Lord ‘the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ 38 He is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive.”
39 Some of the teachers of the law responded, “Well said, teacher!” 40 And no one dared to ask him any more questions.
In Luke 20:20-40, we see Jesus confronted by religious leaders trying to trap him with questions about allegiance and obedience. They approached Jesus with flattery, saying he “teaches rightly” and “does not show partiality” (v. 21). But Jesus saw through their false praise. These leaders weren’t seeking truth; they wanted to prove that his teachings lacked God’s authority and ultimately hoped to discredit him legally.
They asked Jesus two questions:
1. Should we, as Jews, pay taxes to Caesar? We are not Romans, and we have our own laws.
2. In the resurrection, whose wife will a woman be if she was married multiple times through death, according to our laws?
Jesus first instructed them to honour the laws of the land. Holding up a denarius, Jesus asked whose face was on the coin, and then said, “Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and to God what belongs to God” (v. 25). By doing this, Jesus drew a line between earthly authority and divine authority. Caesar has a kingdom, and God has a kingdom.
Their immediate silence might have come from realizing that Jesus wasn’t there to esteem the Jewish people above earthly laws or justify rebellion. Instead, he pointed to two kingdoms: the kingdom of Caesar and the kingdom of God. Did they understand? Perhaps not, as they quickly moved to their next question.
Jesus responded to the resurrection question by explaining that “in the age to come, “those worthy of resurrection will neither marry nor be given in marriage.” (v.35). Instead, they would be transformed to God’s children, like the angels, fully belonging to God’s kingdom. He reminded them that Moses received this revelation at the burning bush, where he called God the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
So how can we learn from this passage? Three themes we can meditate on:
1. Earthly and Spiritual Laws—taxes symbolized earthly rule, while marriage customs represented Mosaic law, both representing earthly laws and customs. While we are called to respect and follow earthly laws, our ultimate allegiance is to God. His laws may challenge those of the land when human systems depart from His truth, but they never oppose the law given through Moses. Our focus is deep consecration, not superiority. The closer we are to God, the more we understand this alignment.
2. Manipulation and Flattery —the leaders flattering words did not deceive Jesus. He saw their true intentions. Our heart’s intentions matter to God, who sees all. He desires not only obedience but also purity of heart. Even in prayer, we can risk manipulation or flattery. Do we pray to genuinely connect with God, or merely to say we did, or submit our lists of wants.
3. Jesus’s Wisdom—Jesus affirmed earthly laws but pointed to a higher reverence owed to God. God’s guidance will never lead to disobedience; rather, it brings understanding and will lead to authentic repentance.
Today, let us consider our own practices:
• Are there areas where we try to manipulate or test God?
• Do we truly give to God what belongs to him, or do we focus more on earthly practices?
• How can we balance earthly responsibilities while fully devoted to God’s kingdom?
As we reflect, let’s pray:
Lord, help me see through my own intentions, that I may come to you sincerely and give my whole self to you. May I be faithful in this world by fulfilling my responsibilities, while always knowing that I belong to Your kingdom.
Author Bio
Andrea Adetimehin is the Project Coordinator at The National Ministry Center for The Alliance Canada. She is dedicated to the work of God and understanding His work.
Luke and Acts taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®
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