43 lines
2.2 KiB
Markdown
43 lines
2.2 KiB
Markdown
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title = "Luke 20:41–47"
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date = "2023-01-26"
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### [Read the passage.](https://biblia.com/bible/esv/Lk20.41-47)
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After answering the Sadducees about the resurrection, the appropriateness of
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paying taxes, and not answering the question of His authority, Jesus poses a
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question of His own. It was well-known that the Messiah would come from David's
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line, but Jesus cites [Psalm 110:1](https://biblia.com/bible/esv/Ps110.1) which
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makes things difficult for a straightforward interpretation. Whenever the Old
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Testament is quoted in the New Testament, it uses the Greek translation called
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the Septuagint, or LXX. In some cases, our English translations of the Hebrew
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text can differ from what the Septuagint's translators did, but that is
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thankfully not the case here.
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However we do have to pay attention to who the "Lords" are in "The Lord said to
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my Lord". Most translations will have the first "Lord" in small caps, but maybe
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only in the book of Psalms and in regular font here in Luke. "<span
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style="font-variant-caps: small-caps">Lord</span>" in small caps indicates the
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covenant name of God, "Yahweh". (Some translations use "Yahweh" in the text
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now.) Because it was common practice to say the Hebrew word for "lord"
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(_adonai_) in place of Yahweh, the Septuagint used the Greek word for "lord"
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when translating Yahweh from Hebrew.
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Jesus's point is that David's psalm is clearly about the Messiah, who is
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supposed to be his descendant (as promised in 2 Samuel 7), and yet David calls
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his descendant "my Lord". Thus, the Messiah is a greater king than David was,
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contrary to popular opinion which thought He was going to be a king of the same
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nature.
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Now that everyone is pondering this question, Jesus condemns the self-serving,
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shallow scribes who love to have the attention of the people because of their
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lofty knowledge and skill. They are supposed to be concerned with teaching
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God's word to the people, but they pursue the blessings from the people more
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than the blessings from God. Because they have the greater responsibility of
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greater knowledge of the Scriptures, they receive a greater condemnation for
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their unrighteousness.
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* * *
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Let us not be puffed up with knowledge but be humble as we seek Your will.
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