Luke 20-21: When the World is Scary

We read Luke 20 to 21 and watch Jesus stay steady while leaders try to trap him with questions about authority, politics, and doctrine. We end by talking about fear, persecution, and why Jesus’ words make today’s chaos less mysterious and less controlling. 
• religious leaders pressing Jesus for authority and Jesus refusing their false framing 
• parable of the tenants and the rejected cornerstone 
• the tribute tax question and giving God what belongs to God 
• resurrection explained as life beyond the rules of this age 
• warning against religious show that harms the vulnerable 
• the widow’s offering as a picture of sacrificial trust 
• the temple’s fall, end times signs, and Jesus’ call to endurance 
• resisting anxiety by staying alert, praying, and leaning on Jesus for words and strength 

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Transcript

Welcome And Today’s Reading

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Hey, this is the Out Loud Bible Podcast, and this is Mike. We're reading through the book of Luke. Let's just keep going with it, shall we? Luke chapter 20 through 21 today in the New English Translation. Now, one day, as Jesus was teaching the people in the temple courts and proclaiming the gospel, the chief priests and the experts in the law with elders came up and said to him,

Who Gave Jesus Authority

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Tell us, by what authority are you doing these things? Or who is it who gave you this authority? He answered them, I will also ask you a question, and you tell me, John's baptism, was it from heaven or from people? So they discussed it with one another, saying, Well, if we say from heaven, he'll say, Why do you not believe him? But if we say from people, all the people will stone us because they're convinced that John was a prophet. So they replied that they did not know where it came from. And then Jesus said to them, Well, neither will I tell you by whose authority I do these things. It's great, it's not Jesus being dodgy or petty. He's just throwing back at them the same dichotomy that they were throwing at him. And he's not fallen for that. Let's keep going. Well then he began to tell the people this parable. A man planted a vineyard, leased it to tenant farmers, and went on a journey for a long time. When harvest time came, he sent a slave to the tenants so that they would give him his portion of the crop. However, the tenants beat his slave and sent him away empty handed. So he sent another slave. They beat this one too, treated him outrageously, and sent him away empty handed. So he sent still a third. They even wounded this one and threw him out. Then the owner of the vineyard said what should I do? I'll send my one dear son. Perhaps they'll respect him. But when the tenants saw him, they said to one another, This is the heir. Let's kill him so the inheritance will be ours. So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? He will come and destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others. But when the people heard this they said, Oh may this never happen. But Jesus looked straight at them and said, Then what is the meaning of that which is written the stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone? Everyone who falls on the stone will be broken to pieces, and the one on whom it falls will be crushed. Then the experts in the law and the chief priests wanted to arrest him that very hour because they realized that he had told this parable against them. But they were afraid of the people. Then they watched him carefully and sent spies who pretended to be sincere, and they wanted to take advantage of what he might say so that they could deliver him up to the authority and jurisdiction of the

Taxes, Resurrection, And A Trick

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governor. Thus they asked him, Oh teacher, we know that you speak and teach correctly and show no partiality, but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right for us to pay the tribute tax to Caesar or not? But Jesus perceived their deceit and said to them, Show me a denarius whose image and inscription are on it? They said Caesar's So he said to them, Then give Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's. Now there were seven brothers. The first one married a woman and died without children, the second, and then the third married her, and in this same way all seven died leaving no children, and finally the woman died too. In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For all seven had married her. So Jesus said to them, The people of this age marry and are given in marriage, but those who are regarded as worthy to share in that age and in the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. In fact, they can no longer die because they're equal to angels and are sons of God, since they are sons of the resurrection. But even Moses revealed that the dead are raised in the passage about the bush, or he calls the Lord the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. Now he's not the God of the dead, but of the living, for all live before him. And then some of the experts in the law answered, teacher, you've spoken well. Hmm. For David himself says in the book of Psalms, The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet. If David then calls him Lord, how can he be his son? As all the people were listening, Jesus said to his disciples, Beware of the experts in the law. They like walking around in long robes, and they love elaborate greetings

Empty Religion And True Giving

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in the marketplaces and the best seats in the synagogues and at the places of honor at banquets. They devour widows' property and as a show make long prayers. They will receive a more severe judgment. Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering box, and he also saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins, and he said, I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put in more than all of them, for they all offered their gifts out of their wealth, but she, out of her own poverty, put in everything she had to live on. Now while some were speaking about the temple and how it was adorned with beautiful stones and offerings, Jesus said, That's for these things that you're gazing at, the days

Temple Collapse And End Times Warnings

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will come when not one stone will be left on one another. All will be torn down. So they asked him teacher, when will these things take place? What will be the sign that these things are about to take place? He said, Watch out that you're not misled, for many will come in my name, saying, I am he, and when the time is near, don't follow them. And when you hear of wars and rebellions, don't be afraid, for these things must happen first, but the end will not come at once. Then he said to them, Nation will rise up in arms against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes and famines and plagues in various places, and there will be terrifying sights and great signs from heaven. But before all this, they will seize you and persecute you, handing you over to the synagogues and prisons. You'll be brought before kings and governors because of my name. This will be a time for you to serve as witnesses. Therefore be resolved not to rehearse ahead of time how to make your defense, for I'll give you the words, along with a wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict. You'll be betrayed, even by parents, brothers, relatives, friends, and they'll have some of you put to death. You'll be hated by everyone because of my name. Yet not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance you will gain your lives. But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near, and then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains, those who are inside the city must depart, those who are out in the country must not enter it, because these are the days of vengeance to fulfill all that's written. Woe to those who are pregnant and those who are nursing their babies in these days, for there will be great distress on the earth and wrath against this people. They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led as captives among all nations. Jerusalem will be trampled down by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. And there will be signs in the sun and moon and stars, and on the earth nations will be in distress, anxious over the roaring of the sea and the surging waves. People will be fainting from fear and from expectation of what's coming on the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken, and then they'll see the Son of Man arriving in a cloud with power and great glory. But when these things begin to happen, stand up and raise your heads because your redemption is drawing near. Then he told them this parable look at the fig tree and all the other trees. When they sprout leaves, you see for yourselves and know that summer is now near. So also you, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near. I tell you the truth, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. But be on your guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life, and that day close down upon you suddenly like a trap, for it'll overtake all who live on the face of the whole earth. But stay alert at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that must happen, and to stand before the Son of Man. So every day Jesus was teaching in the temple courts, but at night he went and stayed on the Mount of Olives, and all the people came to him early in the morning to listen to him in the temple courts. What I see here in these chapters that we just read is Jesus leading the way. What I mean by that is he's leading by example. That even

Trading Fear For Trust

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he was being trapped by the religious leaders and people who wanted to trap him and kill him and find some accusation against him. And he, of course, had the perfect response to those. And then he says, You're going to be persecuted in the same way. But don't worry about trying to rehearse what you're going to say in those situations. Just trust that I will give you the words to say. Jesus is leading the way through the persecution that his followers can expect by being persecuted, by being accused, by even telling people what to expect when these times would come. I think Jesus is talking about a couple different times here in this section. He's talking about the fall of Jerusalem, which would come, and the fall of the temple, which already did happen. And I think he's also taking a look at a fig tree generation that's going to see the end of time, heaven and earth passing away. And I think that time is still ahead of us, if I'm interpreting that correctly, but I others may disagree with me. And I think it's for this time that he's also leading the way for us, saying, look, I know things are going to get bad. I know things are going to get scary, but do not worry. Don't be overcome with the fear of all the things that the other nations on earth are going to be worried about. They're going to be in distress. They're going to be anxious over the weather events and things happening in the world, and people are going to be fainting from fear because of what's happening in the world. Or even, like he says, fainting from fear from the expectation of what's coming on the world. Just being afraid of being afraid of what's coming. Isn't that relatable? But Jesus is leading the way here, saying to his followers, saying to you and me, you do not need to be afraid of all the things that are happening in the world. It's nothing I haven't already seen, and it's nothing that is going on without my say-so. And it's nothing that I don't already have victory over. I've already gone ahead and won the victory. All you need to do is step into it. If you need words to say, I'll give you words to say. If you need strength, I will strengthen you. If you need peace, I will be the prince of peace. So what's our job today? In light of all these things going on in the world and where we see the world headed, our job is to keep trusting him, know his words, read passages like this in the Bible. Things are a little bit less scary because fear comes from the unknown, but when you read the Bible, it's like, wait a minute, what we're seeing now is known. It was known by Jesus 2,000 years ago, and it's known and in Jesus' control now. So let's be on our guard, like he says in verse 34, so that our hearts aren't weighed down with the worries of this life. If reading your news feed causes you more fear and anxiety than it does causing you to praise Jesus for the victory he has already won and in joyful anticipation of his coming, it's time to put down the news, go to Jesus, repent of your fear and your worry, and ask him to help you see and engage with the world the way he does. That's the Thinking Out Loud thought for the day. Thanks for joining me here. We'll see you next time on the Out Loud Bible Podcast.