The Wicked Vinedressers (Lk 20:9-26)

This lesson applies the parable of the wicked vinedressers to our lives today followed a discussion of paying taxes, then and now plus a discourse on paying taxes.

Luke 20:9-19)

The Parable of the Wicked Vinedressers

Luke 9-19

9 Then He began to tell the people this parable: "A certain man planted a vineyard, leased it to vinedressers, and went into a far country for a long time.  10 Now at vintage-time he sent a servant to the vinedressers, that they might give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the vinedressers beat him and sent him away empty-handed.  11 Again he sent another servant; and they beat him also, treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed.  12 And again he sent a third; and they wounded him also and cast him out.

13 "Then the owner of the vineyard said, 'What shall I do? I will send my beloved son. Probably they will respect him when they see him.'  14 But when the vinedressers saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying, 'This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours.'  15 So they cast him out of the vineyard and killed him. Therefore what will the owner of the vineyard do to them?  16 He will come and destroy those vinedressers and give the vineyard to others."

And when they heard it they said, "Certainly not!"       

17 Then He looked at them and said, "What then is this that is written:

'The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone'?  18 Whoever falls on that stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder."

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

(Compare  Mark 12:1-12)

This parable occurs also in the Gospels of Matthew and of Mark and follows in both places the discussion by the scribes, chief priests, and elders. In the Gospel of Matthew an additional parable intervenes, the Parable of the Two Sons.

Matthew 21:33-46

33 "Hear another parable: There was a certain landowner who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it and built a tower. And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country.  34 Now when vintage-time drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers, that they might receive its fruit.  35 And the vinedressers took his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another.  36 Again he sent other servants, more than the first, and they did likewise to them.  37 Then last of all he sent his son to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.'  38 But when the vinedressers saw the son, they said among themselves, 'This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.'  39 So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him.

40 "Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vinedressers?"

41 They said to Him, "He will destroy those wicked men miserably, and lease his vineyard to other vinedressers who will render to him the fruits in their seasons."

42 Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the Scriptures:

'The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone. This was the Lord's doing, And it is marvelous in our eyes'?  43 "Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it.  44 And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder."

45 Now when the chief priests and Pharisees heard His parables, they perceived that He was speaking of them. 46 But when they sought to lay hands on Him, they feared the multitudes, because they took Him for a prophet.

Mark 12:1-12

12 Then He began to speak to them in parables: "A man planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a place for the wine vat and built a tower. And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country.  2 Now at vintage-time he sent a servant to the vinedressers, that he might receive some of the fruit of the vineyard from the vinedressers.  3 And they took him and beat him and sent him away empty-handed.  4 Again he sent them another servant, and at him they threw stones, wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully treated.  5 And again he sent another, and him they killed; and many others, beating some and killing some.  6 Therefore still having one son, his beloved, he also sent him to them last, saying, 'They will respect my son.'  7 But those vinedressers said among themselves, 'This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.'  8 So they took him and killed him and cast him out of the vineyard.

9 "Therefore what will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the vinedressers, and give the vineyard to others.  10 Have you not even read this Scripture   'The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone.  11 This was the Lord's doing, And it is marvelous in our eyes'?"   12 And they sought to lay hands on Him, but feared the multitude, for they knew He had spoken the parable against them. So they left Him and went away.

This parable has several applications. This evening I want to look at two of these. At the most direct level, as Luke 20:19 makes clear, the Parable of the Wicked Vinedressers is intended by Jesus to stir up the scribes and chief priests who had questioned Jesus’ authority earlier in the chapter. The parable is Jesus’ response to what He knows is in their hearts. It is, I believe, a call for their repentance and, at the same time, an indirect answer to their question about the source of His authority.

Here is my high-level interpretation of the parable in this context. This is what I believe the Holy Spirit has shown me. As always, I encourage you to read and meditate on the parable yourselves, and to listen to what the Holy Spirit reveals to you. If there is any of God’s truth in what I say tonight – and I hope and pray that there is – the Holy Spirit will confirm that to you. But what the Holy Spirit reveals to you will always be much better for you than any man’s interpretation.

As I understand this parable, the owner of the vineyard is God. The vineyard can I believe be seen in several ways. Scripture often uses a vineyard to refer to the nation of Israel (Psalm 80:1-19). For example, open your Bibles with me to Isaiah 5:1-7:

5 Now let me sing to my Well-beloved A song of my Beloved regarding His vineyard:

My Well-beloved has a vineyard On a very fruitful hill.  2 He dug it up and cleared out its stones, And planted it with the choicest vine. He built a tower in its midst, And also made a winepress in it; So He expected it to bring forth good grapes, But it brought forth wild grapes.

3 "And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, Judge, please, between Me and My vineyard.  4 What more could have been done to My vineyard That I have not done in it? Why then, when I expected it to bring forth good grapes, Did it bring forth wild grapes?  5 And now, please let Me tell you what I will do to My vineyard: I will take away its hedge, and it shall be burned; And break down its wall, and it shall be trampled down.  6 I will lay it waste; It shall not be pruned or dug, But there shall come up briers and thorns. I will also command the clouds That they rain no rain on it."

7 For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, And the men of Judah are His pleasant plant. He looked for justice, but behold, oppression; For righteousness, but behold, a cry for help.

I believe that the vineyard represents the nation of Israel in the sense of both the people and the land. I also think that one could say that the vineyard represents the kingdom of heaven (or the kingdom of God). The exact meaning of this phrase is hard to define because it is used in the New Testament in a variety of contexts. While the phrase “kingdom of heaven” or “kingdom of God” is found only in the New Testament, there are references to God’s kingdom in the Old Testament (Psalm 145:11-13). The kingdom of heaven is used to refer both to what Jesus’ ministry on earth as well as to eschatological events that will occur in the future. I believe that the term “the kingdom of heaven” refers to both the physical and spiritual aspects of God’s work of salvation, past, present, and future. In fact, in Matthew’s account of this parable, Jesus tells the scribes and chief priests that “the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it.” (Matthew 21:43) If I am correct, then the vineyard of the parable includes not just the nation of Israel and the Promised Land, but also the Word and promises of God to His people.

As Luke 20:19 makes clear, the vinedressers are the scribes and chief priests, to whom God has entrusted the care of His people and His Word. The tribe of Levi was set aside by God to serve Him in first the tabernacle and later the temple. And from the family of Aaron, who was himself a Levite, the priests were drawn. The Levites were expected to stand in the gap between the people of Israel and God, singing praises to the Lord, praying for the people, offering sacrifices, interpreting the Law, and instructing the people about their God and what He required of them (Malachi 2:7).

However, over time many problems arose with the behavior of priests and Levites. Turn with me now to Ezekiel 34 and let’s read verses 1-24 to see how the shepherds of God’s people had failed in their responsibilities:

Ezekiel 34:1-24

1 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 "Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy and say to them, 'Thus says the Lord God to the shepherds: "Woe to the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flocks? 3 You eat the fat and clothe yourselves with the wool; you slaughter the fatlings, but you do not feed the flock. 4 The weak you have not strengthened, nor have you healed those who were sick, nor bound up the broken, nor brought back what was driven away, nor sought what was lost; but with force and cruelty you have ruled them. 5 So they were scattered because there was no shepherd; and they became food for all the beasts of the field when they were scattered. 6 My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and on every high hill; yes, My flock was scattered over the whole face of the earth, and no one was seeking or searching for them."

7 'Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: 8 "As I live," says the Lord God, "surely because My flock became a prey, and My flock became food for every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd, nor did My shepherds search for My flock, but the shepherds fed themselves and did not feed My flock" —  9 therefore, O shepherds, hear the word of the Lord! 10 Thus says the Lord God: "Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will require My flock at their hand; I will cause them to cease feeding the sheep, and the shepherds shall feed themselves no more; for I will deliver My flock from their mouths, that they may no longer be food for them."

11 'For thus says the Lord God: "Indeed I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out. 12 As a shepherd seeks out his flock on the day he is among his scattered sheep, so will I seek out My sheep and deliver them from all the places where they were scattered on a cloudy and dark day. 13 And I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land; I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, in the valleys and in all the inhabited places of the country. 14 I will feed them in good pasture, and their fold shall be on the high mountains of Israel. There they shall lie down in a good fold and feed in rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. 15 I will feed My flock, and I will make them lie down," says the Lord God. 16 "I will seek what was lost and bring back what was driven away, bind up the broken and strengthen what was sick; but I will destroy the fat and the strong, and feed them in judgment."

17 'And as for you, O My flock, thus says the Lord God: "Behold, I shall judge between sheep and sheep, between rams and goats. 18 Is it too little for you to have eaten up the good pasture, that you must tread down with your feet the residue of your pasture — and to have drunk of the clear waters, that you must foul the residue with your feet? 19 And as for My flock, they eat what you have trampled with your feet, and they drink what you have fouled with your feet."  20 'Therefore thus says the Lord God to them: "Behold, I Myself will judge between the fat and the lean sheep. 21 Because you have pushed with side and shoulder, butted all the weak ones with your horns, and scattered them abroad, 22 therefore I will save My flock, and they shall no longer be a prey; and I will judge between sheep and sheep. 23 I will establish one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them — My servant David. He shall feed them and be their shepherd. 24 And I, the Lord, will be their God, and My servant David a prince among them; I, the Lord, have spoken. 

No wonder that in Malachi 3:3 the Lord had promised to send His Messenger to “purify the sons of Levi, And purge them as gold and silver, That they may offer to the Lord An offering in righteousness.”

Returning to the interpretation of our Parable of the Wicked Vinedressers, I believe that the fruits of the harvest referred to there are the tithes and sacrifices of praise and worship that the Lord requires from His people. To the owner of the vineyard belongs the entire harvest; he can rightfully ask for whatever portion he desires. And as we read in Malachi last week, the people had become lax with regard to both the tithes and sacrifices they were offering to God. Malachi relates that they had taken to sacrificing animals which were blind, lame, and sick and not bringing their tithes into the temple storehouses.

The servants sent by the owner of the vineyard to the vinedressers in the parable are the Lord’s prophets, who were sent by God to call His priests and His people to repentance. The passage from Malachi we read last week and the passage from Ezekiel we read earlier are excellent examples of this. And finally, the beloved son of the vineyard owner is none other than Jesus Himself, Whom God twice (Matthew 3:17, Matthew 16:26) referred to as “My beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased”. 

Notice what the parable says. A man plants a vineyard and went away to a far country for a long time. By this I understand that the owner prepared the soil, planted seeds or cuttings, then pruned, fertilized, and nurtured the plants to get them to the point of producing grapes. It takes roughly three years for a plant to produce fruit if started from a seed or cutting. In other words, the vineyard owner invested quite a bit of work. In the parallel account in Matthew we see that the owner also built a hedge or fence around the vineyard, to keep out animals from eating the plants and people from trampling them, as well as a wine-press and a tower in which those who tended the vines lived.

Note the arrangement here. The owner has a productive vineyard but he is leaving and so cannot supervise its cultivation. So he leases his vineyard to vinedressers. These vinedressers were not servants of the owner nor were they hired hands. Rather they were people who knew how to cultivate grapevines and essentially rented the vineyard from the owner. So the owner benefited because his vineyard would be well tended in his absence. In return the vinedressers probably received the lion’s share of the grape harvest. We are not told the exact nature of the arrangement.

When it is harvest time, the owner of the vineyard sends three separate servants to collect his share of the grape harvest. The vinedressers beat all three and sent them away empty handed. Finally the owner of the vineyard sends his beloved son, expecting that the vinedressers will treat him with respect and honor their arrangement. The vinedressers recognize the son for who he is but kill him to be able to keep for themselves the vineyard that would one day have been the son’s inheritance.

At this point in the account in Luke Jesus first asks a rhetorical question about what action the owner of the vineyard will now take and then answers, saying that he will kill these wicked vinedressers and lease the vineyard out to other  vinedressers. The scribes and chief priests immediately react to the parable by saying “Certainly not!” or “May it never be!” However in both Matthew and Mark’s account, Jesus asks the question but the scribes and chief priests answer him. In these accounts, it appears that Jesus, like Nathan before King David, is indirectly convicting the scribes and chief priests of their sin. It is almost as if He wants to arouse their anger against the wicked vinedressers in the parable before He reveals to them that they are those men.

Jesus next asks the scribes and chief priests the meaning Psalm 118:22, a messianic passage about the stone which the builders had rejected becoming the chief cornerstone, and tells them that those who fall on the cornerstone will be broken but those on whom it falls will be grown into powder. At this the scribes and chief priests, realizing that He had spoken the parable against them, seek to lay hands on Jesus but restrain themselves again from fear of the people’s reaction. 

Just like the owner of the vineyard in the parable, God had done all the work to create His vineyard of the nation of Israel settled in the Promised Land. He had led them out of captivity in Egypt with a mighty arm. He had driven out the inhabitants of the Promised Land before them. He gave them a land of milk and honey and promised them He would bless them if they would keep His commandments. God appointed the priests and Levites as vinedressers over His vineyard. They were to be God’s representatives, to pray for the people, to lead them in worship, to perform sacrifices for the people, and to interpret for them and instruct them in God’s word.

In return God provided for them. He was their portion and their provision so the tribe of Levi did not receive their own area of the Promised Land. There were cities set aside throughout Israel for the Levites. Furthermore the Lord gave them lands from each of the other tribes for their animals and portions of His sacrifices as their food.

But over time the priests and Levites grew greedy. They came to value the praise and preferential treatment they received from people more than the favor God had shown them. They began to teach the opinions of men alongside the truth of God. Man’s words, not God’s words, were on their lips. They began to allow – or at least tolerate - practices that were abhorrent to God, such as divorce or the sacrifice of blind, lame, and sick animals.

When God sent His prophets to rebuke the priests and the peoples, they ignored them, stoned them, drove them out, or put them to death. And when God sent His beloved Son to them, they eventually turned away from Him and called for His crucifixion. In the parable, the wicked vinedressers recognize the beloved son for who he was. They knew he was the owner of the vineyard’s son but they killed him anyways. And this they did, our parable tells us, because they wanted to take the vineyard, which would have been the beloved son’s inheritance, for themselves. Does this mean that the scribes and chief priests recognized Jesus for Who He was and killed Him because they desired Jesus’ inheritance? That is what the parable would imply, but I cannot say for sure. Perhaps they wanted to be as gods themselves, speaking not for God but as God. They were more concerned with losing what they had than angering God.

Notice that Jesus tells them exactly what their fate will be. “Therefore what will the owner of the vineyard do to them?  16 He will come and destroy those vinedressers and give the vineyard to others.” (Luke 20:15-16). Destruction was not far removed from Israel and Jerusalem. As we have mentioned, in 70 A.D. and then again in 135 A.D., Jerusalem would be destroyed, along with the temple, and many of the scribes, Pharisees, and priests would be slain or scattered. The Gospel would spread among the Gentiles, who would be grafted into the vine.

Notice also how this parable answers the question the scribes, chief priests, and elders had asked Jesus regarding the source of His authority in Luke 20:2. Jesus is the Beloved Son of God and God is therefore the source of His authority.

But this parable is also applicable to each one of us as believers. I believe that in a general sense, this parable is a picture of the interaction between mankind and God. In this interpretation each person, each believer, is a wicked vinedresser. This becomes easier to see if we glance back to the Book of Genesis at the first interactions between God the Creator and His creation, Adam and Eve. God’s creation of the earth and all things on it. I believe that God’s physical creation was one part of His original vineyard. Adam and Eve were given authority over the rest of creation to cultivate and keep it (Genesis 2:15). In Genesis 1:26-31 we read:

Genesis 1:26-31

26 Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." 27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth."

29 And God said, "See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food. 30 Also, to every beast of the earth, to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for food"; and it was so. 31 Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

Not only did God give man and woman dominion over every living thing that moves on the earth, and every herb and tree that yields seed for food, He also blessed them with His fellowship. Adam and Eve experienced the presence of God as He walked among them there in the Garden during the cool of the day. He spoke to them and they spoke back to Him, as one man speaks to another.

And in return for these blessings, God asked man to have faith in Him and to obey those things which God commanded. The one command which Genesis records is to not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. And yet, as we all know, both Adam and Eve disobeyed God and ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The consequences of their disobedience were immediate and severe. They are driven out of the Garden of Eden and their lives become more difficult.

Genesis 3:16-19

16 To the woman He said:

"I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; In pain you shall bring forth children; Your desire shall be for your husband, And he shall rule over you."

17 Then to Adam He said, "Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, 'You shall not eat of it':

"Cursed is the ground for your sake; In toil you shall eat of it All the days of your life.  18 Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, And you shall eat the herb of the field.  19 In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread Till you return to the ground, For out of it you were taken; For dust you are, And to dust you shall return."

Thus begins a pattern which would be repeated again and again in scripture. God gives people blessings and expects obedience In return. Men and women receive these blessings and prosper, only to turn away from God and seek their own way.

From Abraham, to Isaac and Jacob, from Moses, to Joshua, from the Judges of Israel, to the kings of Israel and Judea, all these “like sheep have gone astray and … have turned, every one, to their own way.” (Isaiah 53:6) My prayer for you is that you would faithfully draw near to Him and be led by His Holy Spirit.

The Pharisees: Is It Lawful to Pay Taxes to Caesar?

Luke 20:20-26

20 So they watched Him, and sent spies who pretended to be righteous, that they might seize on His words, in order to deliver Him to the power and the authority of the governor.

21 Then they asked Him, saying, "Teacher, we know that You say and teach rightly, and You do not show personal favoritism, but teach the way of God in truth: 22 Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?"

23 But He perceived their craftiness, and said to them, "Why do you test Me?  24 Show Me a denarius. Whose image and inscription does it have?"

They answered and said, "Caesar's."

25 And He said to them, "Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's."

26 But they could not catch Him in His words in the presence of the people. And they marveled at His answer and kept silent.

(Compare Matthew 22:15-22; Mark 12:13-17)

The Pharaisees now send spies to try to catch Jesus in His words, to deliver Him into the hands of the governor, Pontius Pilate. The Gospels of Matthew and Mark give us additional detail as to who those spies might have been – namely Pharisees and Herodians. The Pharisees we are quite familiar with. The Herodians, as their name implies, were Jews who favored Herod Antipas and his Hellenistic policies. The son of Herod the Great and Tetrarch over Galilee and Persea, Herod Antipas had jurisdiction over Jesus, Who was born in the Galilee in Bethlehem. For this reason, when Jesus was brought before Pontius Pilot by the Sanhedrin, Pilate sent Him to Herod Antipas, who happened to be in Jerusalem at that time. Luke 23:6-8 tells us that “6 When Pilate heard of Galilee, he asked if the Man were a Galilean. 7 And as soon as he knew that He belonged to Herod's jurisdiction, he sent Him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem at that time.”

Look at how the spies flatter Jesus before they ask their question. They address Him as “teacher” or “master,” a term of respect used for those who teach the things of God. They confess that He says and teaches rightly, that He does not “regard the person of men” (i.e., show partiality to people), and that He teaches the way of God in truth. Having thus flattered Jesus, the spies now ask Him the question the hope will bring about His downfall: “Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?” The Greek word translated in the NKJV as “taxes” means generally “tribute.”  Both Matthew and Mark contain a different word, kensos, which was an enrollment or census tax. The tax that the spies are referring to was probably the so-called “poll-tax” (or head tax), which was leveled on every Jew and was seen as a mark of their servitude to Rome.

We see in this passage an example of why the Book of Proverbs tells us in several places to avoid a flatterer:

Proverbs 20:19:

19 He who goes about as a talebearer reveals secrets;  Therefore do not associate with one who flatters with his lips.

Proverbs 26:28:.

28 A lying tongue hates those who are crushed by it, And a flattering mouth works ruin.

Proverbs 29:5:

5 A man who flatters his neighbor  Spreads a net for his feet.

Sometimes, as in this case, flattery can be intended as a trap. Praise can have the tendency to make an individual either prideful or foolish, or both. These spies probably are hoping that because of their flattering words, Jesus will let down His guard. Perhaps He will be more likely to say something controversial or compromising, believing that He is speaking with men who respect Him.

As believers we need to be careful that we are not flattering one another when what we intend to do is give praise. I believe there is a difference between flattery and praise. Praise is to express admiration or approval for another person’s words, deeds, or qualities. We are called to praise the Lord regularly, both for Who He is and what He does. The intent of praise is to give credit where credit is due. Praise is designed to draw attention to the person being praised. However, praise, if we receive it in the wrong spirit, can tempt us to be prideful. For this reason Proverbs 27:21 tells us that “The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but man is tested by the praise he receives [NIV].” Flattery, on the other hand, is excessive praise or compliments, especially when intended to secure an advantage for the person doing the flattering. The spies flatter Jesus because they want to trap Him with His words.

If Jesus answers that it is unlawful to pay taxes to Caesar, the spies will be able to make a case against Him to Pilate that Jesus is speaking against the Roman authorities. On the other hand, if He answers that it is lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, they hope to stir up the people against Jesus, because He is advocating the paying of taxes to Rome. The poll tax was a polarizing subject among the Jews. From Acts 5:36-37 we learn about a riot, perhaps led by the Zealots, that resulted from a recent census and the accompanying poll tax.

Jesus, however, can see what is in the heart of the spies. He recognizes the craftiness, wickedness, or hypocrisy of their words, depending on which Gospel account you read. Jesus asks them directly why they are testing Him and then calls for them to give Him a denarius, a Roman silver coin that was the equivalent to a day’s wages for a laborer and was often referred to as the tribute penny.

Jesus first asks the spies whose image and inscription was on the denarius, to which they replied “Caesar’s.” Jesus avoids the controversy altogether in His answer to their question: “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.” Rather than take sides either for or against the Romans, Jesus speaks to the principle underlying this question – that all authority is from God. Listen to what Paul has to say on this subject to the believers in Rome:

Romans 13:1-7

1 Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. 4 For he is God's minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God's minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. 5 Therefore you must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience' sake. 6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for they are God's ministers attending continually to this very thing. 7 Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor.

The Lord wants His children to be obedient to Him and to the authorities He has placed over them on the earth, to the extent that the exercise of their authority does not conflict with His. We are to obey the laws of our land, pay our taxes, and show fear and give honor to those who are in authority. And we are to do so not because we voted for them, or because we agree with them, or because they benefit us, but because we desire to be obedient to God. In many cases civil disobedience is tantamount to disobedience toward God. 

The spies realize that they have failed to “catch Him in His words in the presence of the people.” Their marveled at Jesus’ answer, ceased to test Him, and went on their way. Nevertheless, when Jesus will be brought before Pontius Pilate by the Sanhedrin, they did not hesitate to accuse Jesus falsely of stirring up the people to not pay taxes to Caesar. Look at Luke 23:1-2:

1 Then the whole multitude of them arose and led Him to Pilate. 2 And they began to accuse Him, saying, "We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, saying that He Himself is Christ, a King." 

So fearful of losing their power and prestige among the people had they become, and so desperate to do away with Jesus had they grown, that they would stop at virtually nothing to eliminate Him. If they could have legally killed Him their selves, I believe that they would have done so. However, Rome had removed from the Jews the power to execute criminals. To have killed Jesus would have been a crime against Rome. The fear of man had triumphed over the fear of God. May it never be so in our lives! May we always remember what scripture tells us:

Psalm 118:5-9

5 I called on the Lord in distress; The Lord answered me and set me in a broad place.  6 The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?  7 The Lord is for me among those who help me; Therefore I shall see my desire on those who hate me.  8 It is better to trust in the Lord Than to put confidence in man.  9 It is better to trust in the Lord Than to put confidence in princes.

Proverbs 29:25-26

25 The fear of man brings a snare, But whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe.

26 Many seek the ruler's favor, But justice for man comes from the Lord.