July 23, 2026 · David Farmer
Under the Microscope
“The scribes and the chief priests sought to lay hands on him at that very hour, for they perceived that he had told this parable against them, but they feared the people. So they watched him and sent spies, who pretended to be sincere, that they might catch him in something he said, so as to deliver him up to the authority and jurisdiction of the governor.”
Luke 20:19-20 →
## Liars Among The Sheep
Luke 20 begins with the leading men of God fearing man. Then Jesus speaks a parable against them saying they not only fear man, but hate God too and are murderous at heart. He expresses that they will lose everything in the end. Knowing He spoke openly against them, they now seek to do Him harm, but again, “they feared the people” (20:19), so they did nothing. They went out of their way to do harm to their enemy. They intended not just to persecute Him but to prosecute Him! Yet even behind “closed doors” with followers, He speaks nothing off color. Jesus told His Disciples He was sending them out as “sheep among wolves” (Matthew 10:16), but 1 John speaks of non-believers coming into the Church. John goes so far as to call them “antichrist” and “liars”. James and 2 Peter also warn about false teachers coming in among the Church. The strange thing to consider is this: I doubt they hired some back alley rabble to go in and catch Him. Whoever went in would need to know the Scriptures, laws, rituals, and customs to be able to know they had heard Him say something wrong. So, they had to have sent in one of their own to be this pretending liar.
## Give ‘Em Nothing
Can our words be scrutinized to this level?! What if everything you say and do as a Christian was put under a microscope?! I’ve heard many men of God preach that you shouldn’t speak against men of God. They act like they are a “protected by lightning” breed. God will bring swift retribution down on your head if you
whisper less than favorable words in the dark about a preacher...even if it’s true. He’s an arrogant and prideful man, BUT DON’T YOU DARE SAY IT! He’s a jealous man, BUT DON’T YOU DARE SAY IT! He’s rather cold and selfish and doesn’t care about his congregation truly, BUT DON’T YOU DARE SAY IT! But here is Jesus being scrutinized this minutely, and He gives them nothing to use. Do you want to be like Jesus preacher?! Then be like Jesus. Christian, do you want to be like Jesus?! Then be like Jesus. Give 'em nothing to use.
## Self-Check
Watching every word we say in the end is nearly impossible, but much more effort can be made than we make. Watching every single action we take in the end is almost impossible, but much more effort can be made than we make. Why don’t we make more effort in this area? We are usually like these Pharisees looking for faults in others and denying them in ourselves.
## Paying Tribute