Reading for Friday, March 30: Luke 20

Jesus’ opponents try to trip him up on matters of authority in this chapter: first on the issue of authority for His ministry; second on paying taxes to the governing authorities; finally, on the authority of Mosaic Law. But at each turn, Jesus proves to be more than a master tactician; He stands as God’s Son, the authoritative agent of Truth. As such, Jesus doesn’t have to give answer to those who press Him about His authority to preach the gospel (v1-2). He doesn’t fall for the trap of politics; Jesus advocates respect for the governing authorities God has established (Romans 13). And He certainly won’t be boxed in by outlandish religious hypotheticals proposed by the teachers of the law.

Jesus stands as the authoritative Son of God. And the rest of Luke’s Gospel will continue to underscore this thought.