Luke 20

Introduction

Luke 20 takes place entirely within the temple courts during the final week of Jesus' life in Jerusalem. Having entered the city in triumph (Luke 19:28-40) and cleansed the temple (Luke 19:45-46), Jesus now faces a series of hostile confrontations with the religious authorities -- chief priests, scribes, elders, and Sadducees -- who seek to discredit him publicly or trap him into a statement that would justify his arrest. The chapter is structured as a succession of challenge-and-response exchanges, a common pattern in ancient rabbinic and Greco-Roman rhetorical settings. In each encounter, Jesus not only deflects the trap but turns the question back on his opponents.

The chapter moves from the question of Jesus' authority (vv. 1-8), through the parable of the wicked tenants (vv. 9-19), the controversy over paying taxes to Caesar (vv. 20-26), the Sadducees' question about the resurrection (vv. 27-40), and Jesus' own counter-question about David's Lord (vv. 41-44), to a concluding warning against the scribes (vv. 45-47). Taken together, these passages reveal Jesus as the authoritative teacher who cannot be outwitted, the rejected son who is also the cornerstone, and the Messiah whose identity transcends the categories his opponents have prepared. By the end of the chapter, no one dares question him any further.

Jesus' Authority Challenged (vv. 1-8)

¹ One day as Jesus was teaching the people in the temple courts and proclaiming the gospel, the chief priests and scribes, together with the elders, came up to Him. ² "Tell us," they said, "by what authority are You doing these things, and who gave You this authority?"

³ "I will also ask you a question," Jesus replied. "Tell Me: ⁴ John's baptism -- was it from heaven, or from men?"

⁵ They deliberated among themselves and said, "If we say, 'From heaven,' He will ask, 'Why did you not believe him?' ⁶ But if we say, 'From men,' all the people will stone us, for they are convinced that John was a prophet."

⁷ So they answered that they did not know where it was from.

⁸ And Jesus replied, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things."

¹ And it happened on one of the days, as he was teaching the people in the temple and proclaiming the good news, the chief priests and the scribes came up to him together with the elders, ² and they said to him, "Tell us, by what authority are you doing these things, or who is the one who gave you this authority?"

³ And he answered them, "I will also ask you a question, and you tell me: ⁴ The baptism of John -- was it from heaven or from men?"

⁵ And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' he will say, 'Why did you not believe him?' ⁶ But if we say, 'From men,' all the people will stone us, for they are convinced that John was a prophet."

⁷ And they answered that they did not know where it was from.

⁸ And Jesus said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things."

Notes

The scene is set with Luke's characteristic construction Καὶ ἐγένετο ("And it happened"), a Septuagintal narrative marker that Luke uses frequently to introduce significant episodes. Jesus is described with two present participles -- διδάσκοντος ("teaching") and εὐαγγελιζομένου ("proclaiming good news") -- indicating that his temple activity was ongoing and public. The second participle is noteworthy: the verb εὐαγγελίζομαι is a favorite of Luke's, appearing more in Luke-Acts than in the rest of the New Testament combined. Jesus does not merely teach; he proclaims the gospel in the heart of the temple itself.

The delegation that confronts him represents the three constituent groups of the Sanhedrin: ἀρχιερεῖς ("chief priests"), γραμματεῖς ("scribes"), and πρεσβύτεροι ("elders"). Their question has a double form: ἐν ποίᾳ ἐξουσίᾳ ("by what kind of authority") and τίς ἐστιν ὁ δούς σοι τὴν ἐξουσίαν ταύτην ("who is the one who gave you this authority"). The first question asks about the nature of the authority; the second asks about its source. Behind both lies the unstated implication: Jesus has not been authorized by them, so his actions in the temple -- including the dramatic cleansing (Luke 19:45-46) -- are illegitimate.

Jesus' counter-question about John's baptism reframes the entire exchange. The verb συνελογίσαντο ("they reasoned together") appears only here in the New Testament and suggests careful, calculated deliberation. Their dilemma is inescapable: if John's baptism was ἐξ οὐρανοῦ ("from heaven"), they should have submitted to it -- and to the one John pointed to. If ἐξ ἀνθρώπων ("from men"), the people will καταλιθάσει ("stone") them -- a vivid and unusual compound verb found only here in the New Testament, suggesting not merely throwing stones but pelting them to death. Their answer -- "We do not know" -- is not honest ignorance but a calculated evasion. Jesus' refusal to answer matches their evasion with his own: since they will not answer honestly, he will not reveal what they are not willing to receive. The parallels in Matthew 21:23-27 and Mark 11:27-33 are close, though Luke's version is more compact.

The Parable of the Wicked Tenants (vv. 9-19)

⁹ Then He proceeded to tell the people this parable: "A man planted a vineyard, rented it out to some tenants, and went away for a long time. ¹⁰ At harvest time, he sent a servant to the tenants to collect his share of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat the servant and sent him away empty-handed.

¹¹ So he sent another servant, but they beat him and treated him shamefully, sending him away empty-handed.

¹² Then he sent a third, but they wounded him and threw him out.

¹³ 'What shall I do?' asked the owner of the vineyard. 'I will send my beloved son. Perhaps they will respect him.'

¹⁴ But when the tenants saw the son, they discussed it among themselves and said, 'This is the heir. Let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.' ¹⁵ So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.

What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? ¹⁶ He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others."

And when the people heard this, they said, "May such a thing never happen!"

¹⁷ But Jesus looked directly at them and said, "Then what is the meaning of that which is written: 'The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone'?

¹⁸ Everyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed."

⁹ And he began to tell this parable to the people: "A man planted a vineyard, leased it out to tenant farmers, and went away for a considerable time. ¹⁰ And at the proper time, he sent a servant to the tenants so that they would give him his share of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed.

¹¹ And he proceeded to send another servant, but they beat that one too and treated him shamefully and sent him away empty-handed.

¹² And he proceeded to send a third, but this one also they wounded and threw out.

¹³ Then the owner of the vineyard said, 'What shall I do? I will send my beloved son. Perhaps they will respect him.'

¹⁴ But when the tenants saw him, they reasoned with one another, saying, 'This is the heir. Let us kill him, so that the inheritance may become ours.' ¹⁵ And they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.

What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? ¹⁶ He will come and destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others."

And when they heard this, they said, "May it never be!"

¹⁷ But he looked directly at them and said, "Then what is this that is written: 'The stone that the builders rejected -- this has become the cornerstone'?

¹⁸ Everyone who falls on that stone will be shattered, but the one on whom it falls -- it will crush him to dust."

Notes

The parable draws on the vineyard imagery of Isaiah 5:1-7, where the vineyard represents Israel and the owner is God. Luke's version differs from Matthew 21:33-46 and Mark 12:1-12 in several details. Luke omits the elaborate description of the vineyard's construction (hedge, winepress, tower) found in Matthew and Mark, keeping the focus on the relationship between owner and tenants. The phrase χρόνους ἱκανούς ("a considerable time") is unique to Luke and may emphasize God's patience with Israel over the long sweep of salvation history.

The construction προσέθετο πέμψαι ("he proceeded to send" or literally "he added to send") in verses 11-12 is a Semitism typical of Luke, reflecting the Hebrew idiom of adding an action (compare Genesis 4:2, Genesis 8:10 in the Septuagint). This Hebraic flavor gives the parable an Old Testament resonance. The escalating pattern -- three servants, each treated worse (beaten, beaten and shamed, wounded and thrown out) -- represents the prophets sent to Israel throughout its history.

The owner's deliberation, Τί ποιήσω ("What shall I do?"), expressed as a deliberative subjunctive, is unique to Luke and conveys the owner's vulnerability. He sends τὸν υἱόν μου τὸν ἀγαπητόν ("my beloved son") -- the same phrase used at Jesus' baptism (Luke 3:22) and transfiguration (Luke 9:35). The word ἴσως ("perhaps") suggests genuine hope that the tenants might respond differently, even though the outcome is already foreseen. The tenants' reasoning -- "this is the κληρονόμος ('heir')" -- reveals a cold calculation. They assume that by killing the son, the inheritance will default to them.

That they ἐκβαλόντες αὐτὸν ἔξω τοῦ ἀμπελῶνος ("threw him out of the vineyard") before killing him echoes Jesus' crucifixion outside the walls of Jerusalem (Hebrews 13:12). Luke's order differs from Mark, where the killing precedes the casting out.

The crowd's response, Μὴ γένοιτο ("May it never be!"), is a strong Greek expression of horrified rejection -- the same phrase Paul uses in Romans (e.g., Romans 6:2, Romans 9:14). They understand the parable's implications and recoil from them. But Jesus presses further, quoting Psalm 118:22: the rejected λίθον ("stone") becomes the κεφαλὴν γωνίας ("cornerstone" or literally "head of the corner"). This psalm was already associated with the triumphal entry (Luke 19:38). Verse 18 adds a saying about the stone's destructive power: συνθλασθήσεται ("will be shattered") for those who fall on it, and λικμήσει ("will crush to dust" or "winnow") for those on whom it falls. The second verb is agricultural, referring to the winnowing of grain -- total pulverization. This may allude to Daniel 2:34-35, where a stone "cut without hands" crushes the great statue of world empires.

Interpretations

The identity of the "others" to whom the vineyard is given (v. 16) has been debated. Some interpret this as a reference to the Gentile church replacing Israel as God's people -- a supersessionist reading common in patristic and some Reformed interpretation. Others, particularly within dispensational theology, argue that the "others" are faithful Jewish leaders or a future remnant, and that God's covenant with ethnic Israel remains intact (see Romans 11:1-2, Romans 11:25-29). A mediating position holds that the "others" are the new community of faith, composed of both Jews and Gentiles, that emerges through the apostolic mission -- not a replacement of Israel but a reconstitution of God's people around the Messiah.

Paying Taxes to Caesar (vv. 20-26)

¹⁹ When the scribes and chief priests realized that Jesus had spoken this parable against them, they sought to arrest Him that very hour. But they were afraid of the people.

²⁰ So they watched Him closely and sent spies who pretended to be sincere. They were hoping to catch Him in His words in order to hand Him over to the rule and authority of the governor. 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. ²² Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?"

²³ But Jesus saw through their duplicity and said to them, ²⁴ "Show Me a denarius. Whose image and inscription are on it?"

"Caesar's," they answered.

²⁵ So Jesus told them, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's."

²⁶ And they were unable to trap Him in His words before the people. And amazed at His answer, they fell silent.

¹⁹ And the scribes and the chief priests sought to lay hands on him at that very hour, but they feared the people, for they knew that he had spoken this parable against them.

²⁰ So they watched him closely and sent spies who pretended to be righteous, in order to catch him in something he said, so as to hand him over to the rule and authority of the governor. ²¹ And they asked him, "Teacher, we know that you speak and teach rightly, and you show no partiality, but truly teach the way of God. ²² Is it lawful for us to pay tribute to Caesar, or not?"

²³ But perceiving their craftiness, he said to them, ²⁴ "Show me a denarius. Whose image and inscription does it have?"

They said, "Caesar's."

²⁵ And he said to them, "Then give back to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's."

²⁶ And they were unable to catch him in a saying before the people, and marveling at his answer, they fell silent.

Notes

Verse 19 serves as a narrative bridge connecting the parable to what follows. The word ἐν αὐτῇ τῇ ὥρᾳ ("at that very hour") conveys the immediacy of their desire to seize him. Luke alone uses the term ἐνκαθέτους ("spies" or "planted agents") in verse 20 -- the word appears nowhere else in the New Testament and refers to people hired to lie in wait. These agents ὑποκρινομένους ἑαυτοὺς δικαίους εἶναι ("pretended to be righteous") -- the verb ὑποκρίνομαι is the root of our word "hypocrite" and originally meant to play a part on stage.

Their question about the φόρον ("tribute" or "tax") is specifically about the census tax paid directly to Rome, a deeply sensitive issue in first-century Judea. The zealot movement had been partly fueled by opposition to this tax (see Judas the Galilean in Acts 5:37). If Jesus says "yes," he alienates the populace and appears to endorse Roman oppression. If he says "no," he can be reported to the governor as a revolutionary.

Jesus perceives their πανουργίαν ("craftiness" or "treachery") -- a word that literally means "ready to do anything." His request to see a δηνάριον ("denarius") is significant: the coin would bear the image and inscription of Tiberius Caesar, likely reading "Tiberius Caesar, Son of the Divine Augustus." The words εἰκόνα ("image") and ἐπιγραφήν ("inscription") are both loaded. The word εἰκών is the same word used in Genesis 1:26-27 (Septuagint) for the image of God in which humanity is made. Jesus' answer -- ἀπόδοτε τὰ Καίσαρος Καίσαρι καὶ τὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ τῷ Θεῷ ("give back to Caesar the things of Caesar, and to God the things of God") -- uses the verb ἀπόδοτε ("give back, return"), not simply "give." The implication is that the coin, bearing Caesar's image, already belongs to Caesar. But the deeper, unstated implication follows: if the coin bears Caesar's image and therefore belongs to Caesar, then human beings, who bear God's image, belong to God.

The result is that they ἐσίγησαν ("fell silent") -- the verb suggests not merely ceasing to speak but being struck dumb.

Interpretations

The relationship between the "things of Caesar" and the "things of God" has generated extensive debate. Lutheran two-kingdoms theology tends to see the passage as establishing two legitimate but distinct spheres of authority -- the civil and the spiritual -- each with its own domain. Reformed theology, while affirming the legitimacy of civil government, tends to emphasize the subordination of all earthly authority to God's sovereignty: Caesar's claims are real but limited and derivative, while God's claims are absolute. Anabaptist traditions have sometimes read the passage more subversively, noting that if everything ultimately belongs to God, then Caesar's claim is relativized to the point of near-irrelevance. Most Protestant commentators agree that the passage neither endorses uncritical obedience to the state nor justifies rebellion, but establishes a framework in which political obligation is real yet always bounded by the prior and supreme obligation to God.

The Sadducees and the Resurrection (vv. 27-40)

²⁷ Then some of the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to question Him. ²⁸ "Teacher," they said, "Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man is to marry his brother's widow and raise up offspring for him. ²⁹ Now there were seven brothers. The first one married a wife but died childless. ³⁰ Then the second ³¹ and the third married the widow, and in the same way all seven died, leaving no children. ³² And last of all, the woman died. ³³ So then, in the resurrection, whose wife will she be? For all seven were married to her."

³⁴ Jesus answered, "The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage. ³⁵ But those who are considered worthy to share in the age to come and in the resurrection from the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage. ³⁶ In fact, they can no longer die, because they are like the angels. And since they are sons of the resurrection, they are sons of God.

³⁷ Even Moses demonstrates that the dead are raised, in the passage about the burning bush. For he calls the Lord 'the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.' ³⁸ He is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to Him all are alive."

³⁹ Some of the scribes answered, "Teacher, You have spoken well!" ⁴⁰ And they did not dare to question Him any further.

²⁷ Then some of the Sadducees -- who deny that there is a resurrection -- came and questioned him, ²⁸ saying, "Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies having a wife, and he is childless, his brother should take the wife and raise up offspring for his brother. ²⁹ Now there were seven brothers. The first took a wife and died childless. ³⁰ And the second ³¹ and the third took her, and likewise all seven left no children and died. ³² Finally, the woman also died. ³³ In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will she be? For all seven had her as wife."

³⁴ And Jesus said to them, "The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage, ³⁵ but those who are considered worthy to attain that age and the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. ³⁶ For they cannot die anymore, because they are equal to the angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.

³⁷ But that the dead are raised, even Moses revealed at the bush, when he calls the Lord 'the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.' ³⁸ Now he is not God of the dead, but of the living, for all live to him."

³⁹ And some of the scribes answered, "Teacher, you have spoken well." ⁴⁰ For they no longer dared to ask him anything.

Notes

The Sadducees were the aristocratic priestly party who controlled the temple and accepted only the five books of Moses (the Torah) as authoritative Scripture. They denied the resurrection of the dead, the existence of angels, and the immortality of the soul (Acts 23:8). Luke introduces them with the participial clause οἱ ἀντιλέγοντες ἀνάστασιν μὴ εἶναι ("who deny that there is a resurrection"), using the verb ἀντιλέγω ("to speak against, contradict").

Their hypothetical scenario is based on the law of levirate marriage in Deuteronomy 25:5-10, which required a man to marry his deceased brother's childless widow to preserve the family line and inheritance. The scenario of seven brothers is designed to make the concept of resurrection appear absurd -- if the institution of marriage continues after death, the result is an impossible tangle of competing claims.

Jesus' response operates on two levels. First, he distinguishes between οἱ υἱοὶ τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου ("the sons of this age") and οἱ καταξιωθέντες τοῦ αἰῶνος ἐκείνου τυχεῖν ("those considered worthy to attain that age"). The verb καταξιωθέντες ("considered worthy") is a divine passive -- God does the reckoning. Marriage belongs to the present age because it is connected to procreation and the continuation of the human race in the face of death. In the resurrection, death is abolished, so marriage's procreative function becomes unnecessary. The risen are ἰσάγγελοι ("equal to angels") -- a word found only here in the New Testament. This does not mean they become angels, but that like the angels they no longer die. Luke uniquely adds the phrase υἱοὶ τῆς ἀναστάσεως ("sons of the resurrection"), a Semitic expression meaning those who participate in and are characterized by the resurrection.

Second, Jesus argues from the Torah itself -- the only Scripture the Sadducees accepted. He appeals to Exodus 3:6, the passage about the burning bush (ἐπὶ τῆς Βάτου, literally "at the Bush," used as a section heading, similar to Mark 12:26). When God says "I am the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob" -- using the present tense -- he implies that these patriarchs are still alive to him. The concluding statement, πάντες γὰρ αὐτῷ ζῶσιν ("for all live to him"), is unique to Luke and makes the argument even stronger: from God's perspective, all the righteous dead are living. The dative αὐτῷ ("to him") indicates that the living relationship is from God's vantage point, not merely from a human perspective.

The scribes' response -- Διδάσκαλε καλῶς εἶπας ("Teacher, you have spoken well!") -- is an acknowledgment from the Pharisee-aligned scribes, who did believe in the resurrection and were delighted to see the Sadducees refuted. The note that no one dared question him further (οὐκέτι ἐτόλμων ἐπερωτᾶν αὐτὸν οὐδέν) marks a turning point: the initiative now shifts to Jesus himself.

Interpretations

Jesus' teaching that the risen "neither marry nor are given in marriage" has generated significant theological reflection. Most Protestant interpreters take this to mean that marriage as an institution is limited to the present age, while the relational bonds of love forged in marriage will be transformed and fulfilled -- not destroyed -- in the resurrection. Some theologians, following C.S. Lewis, suggest that earthly marriage is a shadow or type of the greater union between Christ and his church (Ephesians 5:31-32), which will be fully realized in the age to come. The passage also bears on debates about the intermediate state: Luke's emphasis that "all live to him" (v. 38) has been used to support the doctrine of conscious existence between death and resurrection, against the view of "soul sleep" held by some traditions.

Whose Son Is the Christ? (vv. 41-44)

⁴¹ Then Jesus declared, "How can it be said that the Christ is the Son of David? ⁴² For David himself says in the book of Psalms: 'The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit at My right hand ⁴³ until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet."'

⁴⁴ Thus David calls Him 'Lord.' So how can He be David's son?"

⁴¹ And he said to them, "How do they say that the Christ is the son of David? ⁴² For David himself says in the book of Psalms, 'The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit at my right hand ⁴³ until I put your enemies as a footstool for your feet."'

⁴⁴ David therefore calls him 'Lord.' So how is he his son?"

Notes

Having silenced all his opponents, Jesus now takes the offensive with a question of his own. The question is framed indirectly in Luke -- Πῶς λέγουσιν ("How do they say?") -- whereas in Matthew 22:42 Jesus asks the Pharisees directly. The quotation is from Psalm 110:1, the most frequently cited Old Testament passage in the New Testament. In the Greek, Εἶπεν Κύριος τῷ Κυρίῳ μου ("The Lord said to my Lord") uses the same word Κύριος for both God (translating the Hebrew YHWH) and the Messiah (translating the Hebrew אֲדֹנִי). David, the presumed author of the psalm, calls the Messiah "my Lord" -- but a father does not normally call his descendant "Lord." If the Messiah is merely David's human descendant, David would not address him with such deference.

Jesus does not deny that the Messiah is the son of David -- the genealogies in Matthew 1:1-17 and Luke 3:23-38 both establish this. Rather, he is pressing beyond the purely political, nationalistic understanding of the Messiah as a new David who would restore the earthly kingdom. The Messiah is David's son, yes -- but he is also David's Lord, seated at the right hand of God. The phrase κάθου ἐκ δεξιῶν μου ("sit at my right hand") denotes the position of supreme honor and co-regency. The ὑποπόδιον τῶν ποδῶν ("footstool for the feet") is ancient Near Eastern imagery for total victory and subjugation of enemies.

The question is left unanswered in all three Synoptic accounts -- a rhetorical device that invites the reader to supply the answer. Jesus' immediate point is that the Messiah's identity transcends a merely political, Davidic-warrior conception: the Messiah is not only David's descendant but also David's Lord — a figure whose dignity surpasses the great king's own. The early church developed this insight further, finding in Psalm 110:1 a key text for understanding Jesus' exaltation, heavenly session, and divine identity (Acts 2:34-36, Hebrews 1:13, 1 Corinthians 15:25). The fuller incarnational and preexistence formulations, however, belong to the broader New Testament theological reflection rather than to this exchange alone.

Warning Against the Scribes (vv. 45-47)

⁴⁵ In the hearing of all the people, Jesus said to His disciples, ⁴⁶ "Beware of the scribes. They like to walk around in long robes, and they love the greetings in the marketplaces, the chief seats in the synagogues, and the places of honor at banquets. ⁴⁷ They defraud widows of their houses, and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will receive greater condemnation."

⁴⁵ And in the hearing of all the people, he said to his disciples, ⁴⁶ "Beware of the scribes, who like to walk about in long robes and who love greetings in the marketplaces and the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets, ⁴⁷ who devour the houses of widows and for a pretense make long prayers. These will receive greater condemnation."

Notes

This brief warning is Luke's condensed version of the much longer denunciation of the scribes and Pharisees found in Matthew 23. Luke saves it for a pointed conclusion to the series of temple confrontations. Jesus speaks publicly -- ἀκούοντος παντὸς τοῦ λαοῦ ("in the hearing of all the people") -- but addresses his disciples specifically, indicating that the warning is primarily pastoral, not polemical.

The verb Προσέχετε ("beware" or "watch out for") is a present imperative, indicating ongoing vigilance. The scribes' faults are catalogued in two categories: vanity and exploitation. Their στολαῖς ("long robes") are the distinctive garments of the learned, worn to attract respect. They love ἀσπασμοὺς ἐν ταῖς ἀγοραῖς ("greetings in the marketplaces") -- elaborate public acknowledgments of their status. They seek πρωτοκαθεδρίας ("chief seats") in the synagogues, the seats facing the congregation, and πρωτοκλισίας ("places of honor") at banquets, the reclining positions closest to the host.

More seriously, they κατεσθίουσιν τὰς οἰκίας τῶν χηρῶν ("devour the houses of widows"). The verb κατεσθίω means "to eat up, consume entirely." This likely refers to scribes who, acting as legal trustees or financial advisors for vulnerable widows, exploited their trust for personal gain. The mention of widows connects directly to the episode that follows in Luke 21:1-4, where a poor widow gives her last two coins. Their long prayers are a πρόφασις ("pretense" or "pretext") -- a facade of piety that masks predatory behavior.

The passage concludes with περισσότερον κρίμα ("greater condemnation"). The comparative περισσότερον ("greater, more excessive") implies that while all sin is judged, those who exploit others under the cover of religious authority face an intensified judgment. This principle echoes James 3:1: "Not many of you should become teachers, for you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly."