Luke 20

20-26. sent forth--after consulting ( Matthew 22:15 ) on the best plan.
spies--"of the Pharisees and Herodians" ( Mark 12:13 ). See Mark 3:6 .

21. we know, &c.--hoping by flattery to throw Him off His guard.

25. things which be Cæsar's--Putting it in this general form, it was impossible for sedition itself to dispute it, and yet it dissolved the snare.
and unto God--How much there is in this profound but to them startling addition to the maxim, and how incomparable is the whole for fulness, brevity, clearness, weight!

27-34. no resurrection--"nor angel nor spirit" ( Acts 23:8 ); the materialists of the day.

34. said unto them--In Matthew 22:29 , the reply begins with this important statement:--"Ye do err, not knowing the Scriptures," regarding the future state, "nor the power of God," before which a thousand such difficulties vanish (also Mark 12:24 ).

36. neither . . . die any more--Marriage is ordained to perpetuate the human family; but as there will be no breaches by death in the future state, this ordinance will cease.
equal--or "like."
unto the angels--that is, in the immortality of their nature.
children of God--not in respect of character but nature; "being the children of the resurrection" to an undecaying existence ( Romans 8:21 Romans 8:23 ). And thus the children of their Father's immortality ( 1 Timothy 6:16 ).

37, 38. even Moses--whom they had just quoted to entangle Him.

38. not . . . of the dead, . . . for all, &c.--To God, no human being is dead, or ever will be; but all sustain an abiding conscious relation to Him. But the "all" here meant "those who shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world." These sustain a gracious covenant relation to God, which cannot be dissolved. In this sense our Lord affirms that for Moses to call the Lord the "God" of His patriarchal servants if at that moment they had no existence, would be unworthy of Him. He "would be ashamed to be called their God, if He had not prepared for them a city" ( Hebrews 11:16 ). How precious are these glimpses of the resurrection state!

39. scribes . . . well said--enjoying His victory over the Sadducees.
they durst not--neither party, both for the time utterly foiled.

Luke 20:41-47 . CHRIST BAFFLES THE PHARISEES BY A QUESTION ABOUT DAVID AND MESSIAH, AND DENOUNCES THE SCRIBES.

41. said, &c.--"What think ye of Christ [the promised and expected Messiah]? Whose son is He [to be]? They say unto Him, The son of David. He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit [by the Holy Ghost, Mark 12:36 ] call Him Lord?" ( Matthew 22:42 Matthew 22:43 ). The difficulty can only be solved by the higher and lower--the divine and human natures of our Lord ( Matthew 1:23 ). Mark the testimony here given to the inspiration of the Old Testament (compare Luke 24:44 ).

46, 47. Beware,

47. devour, &c.--taking advantage of their helpless condition and confiding character, to obtain possession of their property, while by their "long prayers" they made them believe they were raised far above "filthy lucre." So much "the greater damnation" awaits them. What a lifelike description of the Romish clergy, the true successors of "the scribes!"