Luke 20:23

Luke 20:23, in plain English

But Jesus sees right through their trick. He knows exactly what they're up to before they finish asking.

Why it's here

You can't trick someone who sees your heart. Jesus isn't fooled by flattery or thrown by clever questions. He sees the motive behind the words.

Who's speaking

Luke reveals that Jesus was never in danger of being trapped — He saw the deception from the start.

Where it sits in the story

They thought they were clever. Jesus thought they were transparent. The one who knows all hearts can't be fooled by well-chosen words.

The scholarly reading

Jesus perceives their craftiness (panourgia — a word connoting cunning or unscrupulous cleverness). His perception exposes the question as insincere before He even answers it.

Language and setting

Luke uses the strongest term for deceptive cunning (panourgia, used in 2 Corinthians 11:3 for the serpent's deception). Jesus' ability to see through the disguise contrasts with the spies' pretense of sincerity.

Voice

Luke notes that Jesus saw through the spies' deception immediately.

Significance

The disguise fools no one — at least not Jesus. He sees their cunning for what it is: a trap dressed in flattery. His response will be one of the most brilliant moments in all of Scripture.

21“Teacher,” they inquired, “we know that You speak and teach correctly. You show no partiality but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth.

22Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”

23But Jesus saw through their duplicity and said to them,

24“Show Me a denarius. Whose image and inscription are on it?”

25So Jesus told them, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”

Read all of Luke 20 — The religious leaders challenge Jesus' authority. He answers with a parable about murderous tenants that leaves them furious and afraid.