Luke 20:39 - Meaning and Application

The scribes were teachers and explainers of the law. They were respected for wisdom and honor, but most of them were enemies of Christ and his gospel. Here, though, some of them were listening to him, and these verses show four things about them.

First, they praised Christ’s answer to the Sadducees about the resurrection. Some scribes said, “Teacher, you have spoken well” (Luke 20:39). Christ had even the support of his opponents on this point. The scribes were his enemies because he would not follow the traditions of the elders, but when he defended the basic truths and practices of religion, they admitted he had answered well. Many who call themselves Christians do not even show that much fairness.

Second, they were filled with awe at Christ and his wisdom and authority (Luke 20:40). They did not dare ask him any more questions, because they saw he was too strong for everyone who challenged him. His own disciples, though weak, still asked him questions because they wanted to learn from him. But the Sadducees, who argued against his teaching, did not dare ask him anything else.

Third, they were baffled by a question about the Messiah, Christ (Luke 20:41). The Scriptures clearly showed that the Messiah would be David’s Son, and even the blind man had known that (Luke 18:39). Yet David also called the Messiah his Lord, his ruler and benefactor (Luke 20:42, Luke 20:44). “The Lord said to my Lord” means that God spoke this to the Messiah (Psalm 110:1). So if the Messiah is David’s Son, why does David call him Lord? And if he is David’s Lord, why do we call him David’s Son? Christ left them to think about that, but they could not solve the seeming problem. We can, by God’s help, because Christ was David’s Lord as God, but David’s Son as man. He was both the root and the descendant of David (Revelation 22:16). In his human nature, he came from David’s family. In his divine nature, he was the source from whom David had life, being, and every supply of grace.

Fourth, Christ exposed their evil character and warned his disciples to stay away from them (Luke 20:45-47). This is the same warning found in Mark 12:38 and more fully in Matthew 23. Christ tells his disciples to beware of the scribes, meaning two things. First, do not be led into sin by them. Do not adopt their way of life or their spirit. Do not become in the Christian church what they were in the Jewish church. Second, do not let them bring you into trouble, as in Matthew 10:17, “Beware of men, for they will hand you over to the councils.”

They were proud and self-important. They liked to walk around in long robes, showing that they were above ordinary work, since working men wore their belts tightened for action. They wanted people to greet them in the marketplaces and gave great value to being seen as important. They loved the best seats in the synagogues and the most honored places at feasts. When they got those seats, they looked down on everyone else with contempt. They thought of themselves as queenly and above correction.

They were also greedy and harsh, using religion as a cover for sin. They devoured widows’ houses, taking control of their property and then finding ways to keep it, or living off it until it was gone. Widows were easy targets because they could be fooled by their smooth words. For show, they made long prayers, perhaps even praying at length with widows in their grief, as if they had tender and holy concern for them. In this way they tried to win their trust and then get their money and goods. Such apparently devout men might seem safe with great wealth, but they will give an account of it in the way they choose.

Christ gives their sentence in a few words: they will receive a more severe judgment, a heavier condemnation, both for abusing poor widows whose houses they devoured, and for abusing religion, especially prayer, which they used as a cover for their worldly and wicked schemes. Pretended holiness is double sin.