Luke 20:16 - Printer Friendly

ESV: He will come and destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others." When they heard this, they said, "Surely not!"

NIV: He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others." When the people heard this, they said, "God forbid!"

NASB: He will come and put these vine-growers to death, and will give the vineyard to others.' However, when they heard this, they said, 'May it never happen!'

CSB: He will come and kill those farmers and give the vineyard to others." But when they heard this they said, "That must never happen!"

NLT: I’ll tell you — he will come and kill those farmers and lease the vineyard to others.' 'How terrible that such a thing should ever happen,' his listeners protested.

KJV: He shall come and destroy these husbandmen, and shall give the vineyard to others. And when they heard it, they said, God forbid.

NKJV: He will come and destroy those vinedressers and give the vineyard to others.” And when they heard it they said, “Certainly not!”

Jesus is finishing the parable of the wicked tenants (Luke 20:9–15). Hired workers have been caring for a vineyard for several years. Seeking to keep the harvest for themselves, they beat or killed all the servants sent by the landowner (Matthew 21:35). Now, they've killed the landowner's son, thinking they will inherit the vineyard. Instead, the owner finally returns, kills them, and finds new tenants.

The crowd quickly gets the meaning of Jesus' parable. A group of priests, scribes, and elders have challenged Jesus' authority (Luke 20:1–8). They represent the "tenants" whom God has chosen to lead His people in right worship of Him. For hundreds of years, God has sent prophets to remind kings, priests, rabbis, and civil leaders to direct the people's attention to God and to walk in His ways. But the leadership likes the attention—and the money—they take from the people. So, God will destroy the priesthood, the temple, and Jerusalem. He will choose new leaders, like fishermen (Mark 1:17), doctors (Colossians 4:14), and sellers of purple cloth (Acts 16:14), and expand His vineyard into the Gentile nations (Acts 15:17).

The crowd is incredulous. They like how Jesus defends them against corrupt leaders. But to destroy them all, and to install new leaders seems extreme. They cannot imagine such a thing could ever happen. What the common people did not realize is that those same scribes and priests are already conspiring to kill Jesus, the Son. The telling of this story builds the scribes' and priests' murderous resolve even more (Luke 20:19–20).

Luke 20:9–18 records Jesus' response to religious leaders who challenged His authority (Luke 20:1–8). This comes in the form of the parable of the wicked tenants. The underlying meaning is that as the Son of God, Jesus has proper authority over religious leaders. However, the leaders of His era will kill Him, and God will destroy them. In the mirrored structure of Luke 20, the parallel argument is that Jesus is also superior to the line of the Jewish kings (Luke 20:41–44). In between, religious leaders foolishly challenge Jesus' understanding of the Mosaic law (Luke 20:19–40). This passage echoes the records in Matthew 21:33–46 and Mark 12:1–12.

After His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, Jesus find Himself in conflict with the city's religious leaders. Elders, priests, scribes, Pharisees, and Sadducees all attempt to discredit Him. This comes mostly in challenging Jesus with trick questions. Jesus deftly handles those challenges without falling into the trap. He provides several teachings about His role as the Son of God and directly warns the Jewish people against their generation of scribes, who are arrogant and pretentious.

Luke 20 is a chiasm about authority. Jesus has entered Jerusalem and cleansed the temple (Luke 19:28–46). Now, the priests and teachers attack Jesus' authority in religion, law, and doctrine; Jesus defends Himself and shows their sinful lifestyles disqualify them for authority. After holding up a widow as a better role model (Luke 21:1–4), Jesus warns His disciples about the challenges they will face in the coming years, including the destruction of Jerusalem (Luke 21:5–38). The events in Luke 20 are also discussed in Matthew 21—23 and Mark 11—12.

Luke was a traveling companion of Paul (Acts 16:10) and a physician (Colossians 4:14). Unlike Matthew, Mark, and John, Luke writes his gospel as an historian, rather than as a first-hand eyewitness. His extensive writings also include the book of Acts (Acts 1:1–3). These are deliberately organized, carefully researched accounts of those events. The gospel of Luke focuses on the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. Luke's Gentile perspective presents Christ as a Savior for all people, offering both forgiveness and direction to those who follow Him.