Word@Work Luke298 - Luke 20:20
Published: Tue, 02/22/11
Word@Work from BeaconLight
TRYING TO TRAP TRUTH
Luke 20:20 Keeping a close watch on him, they sent spies, who pretended to be honest. They hoped to catch Jesus in something he said so that they might hand him over to the power and authority of the governor. (NIV)
Within days of Jesus' appointment with death, His accusers still had no way to bring Him to a legal trial. Although they had decided that He must die, under Roman occupation they had no authority to execute Him: and He never did anything to offend the authorities. So the Jewish lawyers hoped that He could be provoked into incriminating Himself in some way, perhaps by speaking against Caesar - which would be treason, a capital offence. But Jesus saw through it all. Even their spies were as obvious as if they had been labelled. Mingling with the crowd, rather like press reporters around a modern day celebrity, they waited for Him to say something they could twist into an admission of error. Of course He didn't, because everything He did was full of righteousness and every word He spoke was wise and true. Nevertheless, they believed that Jesus would condemn Himself out of His own mouth ... and waited for Him to say it.
They were applying the best principles of legal evidence: whatever is in the heart will come out of the mouth (Luke 6:45), if pressed hard enough. Interestingly, that is how every sinner will be judged before Christ's throne: our mouths are both the vehicle for confessing that Jesus is Lord (Romans 10:9-10), and the way we shall account to God for every wasted breath. Jesus said in Matthew 12:36-37, "But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned." And those who teach will be judged even more strictly (James 3:1). Romans 14:11-12 says, "It is written 'As surely as I live,' says the Lord, 'Every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God.' So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God."
How perverse that Jesus was being subjected to the same legal scrutiny that all will face when He returns. But He displayed no fault, because every word was full of grace and truth. However hard they tried to trap Him, they were amazed at the gracious words that came from His lips (Luke 4:22). If only that was also true for those of us who follow Him. But surely it must be one of our ambitions even though we may fail. Inevitably when people want to ridicule Jesus they will try to trap His people through what they say. That is why Jesus said that His disciples must be as wise as serpents and harmless as doves. He has certainly set a high standard for us, but with His help our words can confirm the validity of the gospel rather than defame it. Perhaps it is a good challenge for today, "How can I speak like Jesus?"
Prayer: Dear Lord God. You are true in everything You are and do and say. Trying to trap You is useless and only reveals the perversity of our human nature. Please forgive me if I ever try to judge You by my own standards, especially when I fail so miserably to attain Yours. Help me to learn to speak about Jesus by having a heart that is hungry to be filled with His Holy Spirit every day, with the grace to reflect on what I say and how I say it and thereby to learn a different style of communication which honours You. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
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You can read the verses around this Bible passage from the Internet Bible: - in English, and many other languages
Within days of Jesus' appointment with death, His accusers still had no way to bring Him to a legal trial. Although they had decided that He must die, under Roman occupation they had no authority to execute Him: and He never did anything to offend the authorities. So the Jewish lawyers hoped that He could be provoked into incriminating Himself in some way, perhaps by speaking against Caesar - which would be treason, a capital offence. But Jesus saw through it all. Even their spies were as obvious as if they had been labelled. Mingling with the crowd, rather like press reporters around a modern day celebrity, they waited for Him to say something they could twist into an admission of error. Of course He didn't, because everything He did was full of righteousness and every word He spoke was wise and true. Nevertheless, they believed that Jesus would condemn Himself out of His own mouth ... and waited for Him to say it.
They were applying the best principles of legal evidence: whatever is in the heart will come out of the mouth (Luke 6:45), if pressed hard enough. Interestingly, that is how every sinner will be judged before Christ's throne: our mouths are both the vehicle for confessing that Jesus is Lord (Romans 10:9-10), and the way we shall account to God for every wasted breath. Jesus said in Matthew 12:36-37, "But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned." And those who teach will be judged even more strictly (James 3:1). Romans 14:11-12 says, "It is written 'As surely as I live,' says the Lord, 'Every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God.' So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God."
How perverse that Jesus was being subjected to the same legal scrutiny that all will face when He returns. But He displayed no fault, because every word was full of grace and truth. However hard they tried to trap Him, they were amazed at the gracious words that came from His lips (Luke 4:22). If only that was also true for those of us who follow Him. But surely it must be one of our ambitions even though we may fail. Inevitably when people want to ridicule Jesus they will try to trap His people through what they say. That is why Jesus said that His disciples must be as wise as serpents and harmless as doves. He has certainly set a high standard for us, but with His help our words can confirm the validity of the gospel rather than defame it. Perhaps it is a good challenge for today, "How can I speak like Jesus?"
Prayer: Dear Lord God. You are true in everything You are and do and say. Trying to trap You is useless and only reveals the perversity of our human nature. Please forgive me if I ever try to judge You by my own standards, especially when I fail so miserably to attain Yours. Help me to learn to speak about Jesus by having a heart that is hungry to be filled with His Holy Spirit every day, with the grace to reflect on what I say and how I say it and thereby to learn a different style of communication which honours You. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
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