Luke 20:19-21

New Catholic Bible

¹⁹The scribes and the chief priests realized that this parable was directed at them, and they wanted to seize him at that very hour, but they feared the people.

²⁰God or Caesar.^[a] So they watched him closely and sent spies who pretended to be honorable men. They intended to trap Jesus in something he might say so that they could hand him over to the authority and jurisdiction of the governor. ²¹They posed this question to him: “Teacher, we know that you say and teach what is right. Moreover, you show no partiality to anyone but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth.

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Footnotes

Luke 20:20 The tribute was a tax collected by the Roman occupiers. To justify its payment meant collaborating with the enemy of the people; to disallow its payment meant labeling oneself as rebellious in the eyes of the Romans. The snare seems to be inescapable, but Jesus foils the plan by loudly proclaiming the absolute primacy of God (see Lk 12:31). See also note on Mt 22:15-22.

Luke 20:19-21

New International Version

¹⁹The teachers of the law and the chief priests looked for a way to arrest him^(A) immediately, because they knew he had spoken this parable against them. But they were afraid of the people.^(B)

Paying Taxes to Caesar^(C)

²⁰Keeping a close watch on him, they sent spies, who pretended to be sincere. They hoped to catch Jesus in something he said,^(D) so that they might hand him over to the power and authority of the governor.^(E) ²¹So the spies questioned him: “Teacher, we know that you speak and teach what is right, and that you do not show partiality but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth.^(F)

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