Luke 20:8 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

NIV: Jesus said, 'Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.'

NASB: And Jesus said to them, 'Neither am I telling you by what authority I do these things.'

CSB: And Jesus said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things."

NLT: And Jesus responded, 'Then I won’t tell you by what authority I do these things.'

KJV: And Jesus said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.

NKJV: And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

Jesus has abruptly stopped a verbal challenge from Jewish leaders who have come to accuse Him. The leaders want to know who gave Him the authority to drive the merchants out of the Temple Mount. Jesus counters, but not by telling them that His authority is from God. Instead, He challenges them to define their view of authority: specifically, what do they think of John the Baptist? With that step, the hunters have now become the hunted (Luke 20:1–4).

The conversation is happening amid a crowd who has been listening to Jesus teach. John has been gone for about three years, but he's still extremely popular. And John said that Jesus is the Messiah (John 1:29–34). If Jesus' accusers say that John's ministry was divinely approved, Jesus will rightfully counter that they ought to believe in Him. But if the religious leaders deny John, the crowd may stone them. So, they try to avoid the issue by saying they don't know.

If they refuse to answer, neither will Jesus answer (Luke 20:5–7). This is reasonable: Jesus asked for clarification of their question, and His critics gave no answer. That means they're not sincere about the topic, and there is no reason to provide them with an answer.

And yet, Jesus will provide an indirect answer. He'll explain the parable of the wicked tenants. A man rents his vineyard to tenants who decide to keep the land. When the owner sends servants to collect rent, the renters either beat up or kill the servants. When he sends his son, they kill him, too. So, the owner drives out the renters, kills them, and finds new tenants. Jesus ends by saying they are rejecting the very cornerstone of their faith, and that cornerstone will be their deaths (Luke 20:9–18).

Jesus was angry with the merchants because they were cheating the people, but also because they were filling the Court of the Gentiles (Luke 19:45–46). The Jews were supposed to be a blessing to the Gentiles (Genesis 12:1–3), "a light for the nations" (Isaiah 42:6) who introduces them to the Savior of the world. Instead, the Jewish leaders reject the prophets and their Messiah. So, God will drive them out in the Roman attack of AD 70.

Luke 20:1–8 begins the religious leaders' attack on Jesus' authority. Chief priests, scribes, and elders question Jesus' religious authority regarding the cleansing of the temple (Luke 19:45–46). In turn, Jesus challenges them to judge John the Baptist, the witness to Jesus' authority. Afraid of the crowd who believed John was a prophet, the religious leaders refuse to answer. Jesus responds with a parable about the Son of God (Luke 20:9–18). In the mirror image of this segment, Jesus will describe how the scribes' own sinful actions prove them unqualified to lead (Luke 20:45–47). Matthew 21:23–27 and Mark 11:27–33 also give accounts of this interaction.

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.