Luke 20:43Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

It was fitting that they, being the shepherds and instructors of the people, should not be kept in ignorance of this mystery, which had been foretold since ancient times by the law of Moses, expressed through types and shadows, and proclaimed by a magnificent assembly of holy prophets. Thus, Christ is rightly called the fulfillment of the law and the prophets. The Saviour questioned them, asking, "How is it that Christ is referred to as the Son of David? For David himself states in the book of Psalms, 'The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thy enemies thy footstool.' David calls Him Lord; how then is He his son?" The essence of understanding begins with faith, for, as it is written, "unless ye believe, ye shall not understand," yet the quest for profound truths also leads to salvation. Therefore, Emmanuel is both the Son and Lord of David, yet those who desire comprehension must engage in a diligent and truthful inquiry into His mystery, which "was kept secret from the foundation of the world, but is now made manifest in the last times." However, the Pharisees remained silent when confronted with Christ's question, revealing their malicious intent, as they did not wish to uncover the salvation rooted in His inquiry. Their desire was not for the truth; instead, they sought to grasp for themselves the inheritance of the Lord, denying the Heir, and even violently seeking His death. Their love for power and greed led them to reject faith, even stoning Him at one point, justifying their actions with the argument, "We do not stone You for a good deed, but for blasphemy, because You, being a man, make Yourself God." At other times, they disparaged Him as a Samaritan, a drunkard, a publican, and the son of a carpenter, suggesting He was from humble beginnings and undesirable lineage, and even dared to slander His birth from the holy Virgin, saying bitterly, "We are not born of a harlot." To counteract their derogatory perception of Him, He posed the question: "How do they claim that Christ is the Son of David?" Yet, as noted, they remained silent due to their ulterior motives, condemning themselves to be unworthy of eternal life and the knowledge of the truth. We too may pose a similar challenge to present-day Pharisees: let those who reject that He born of the holy Virgin is both the Son of God the Father and Himself God, and who mistakenly separate the one Christ into two distinct sons, provide clarity on how the son of David can refer to his Lord, not merely from a human standpoint, but as a divine sovereign. To be seated at the Father's right hand signifies the assurance of the highest honor. Those who share the same throne possess equal dignity, with shared glory imparting equality of nature. To sit alongside God indicates supreme authority, proclaiming dominion over all creation by right of His essence. How can the Son of David also be Lord of David while seated at the right hand of God the Father and on the throne of divinity? Is it not in accordance with the eternal truth of the mystery that the Word, being God and emanating from the very essence of God the Father, and being in His likeness and equality, became flesh, that is, fully human, without departing from the incomparable majesty of His divine nature, ever remaining God even while taking on human form? Thus, He stands as David's Lord in relation to His divine glory, nature, and authority, and as his son in accordance with His human lineage. It is, therefore, the responsibility of the Jewish leaders, who prided themselves on their understanding of divine laws, to pay heed to the utterances of the holy prophets. The blessed Isaiah proclaims, "Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel, which is translated, God with us." The Word was indeed with us as God, assuming our nature and not shunning the humility of humanity for the purpose of redemption for all people. Moreover, it is written, "But you, Bethlehem, house of Ephrathah, are too small to be among the thousands of Judah; out of you shall He come forth to me who is to be the ruler in Israel." Bethlehem was indeed modest, and its population was small compared to the multitude of the Jewish people; nevertheless, from this place arose Christ, born of the holy Virgin—not to be confined by the shadows of the law, but as the sovereign of both the law and the prophets. Therefore, we shall neither follow the ignorance nor the erroneous teachings of the foolish, lest we are led into a corrupt mindset; rather, we unite ourselves with the pure doctrines of the holy apostles and evangelists, who consistently affirm that Christ, the Saviour of all, is both the Son and Lord of David, as we have outlined. "One Lord, therefore, one faith, one baptism: one Lord hath purchased us, not with corruptible things, silver or gold, but with His blood," as it is written, that we should serve Him, and by Him, and with Him, the Father. For in Him and through Him we have access to the Father. Nevertheless, as previously mentioned, the Jewish leaders disregarded the truth, and those seeking to understand their continual rejection of divine precepts will find clarity in their unwillingness to relinquish their insatiable desire for praise and their corrupt craving for profit. The Saviour rebuked them, saying, "How can ye believe, who receive glory one from another, and seek not the glory that comes from the only God?" They ought to desire the glory that originates from God, rather than from men, which is fleeting and ephemeral, like a dream that vanishes.

Upon hearing their pleas, He showed compassion, halted His journey, healed them, and restored their sight, for He recognized His title. The Apostle Paul affirms this truth by stating that He was “born of the seed of David according to the flesh” (Rom. 1:3). Furthermore, to Timothy, he writes, “Remember Jesus Christ of the seed of David, raised from the dead, according to my gospel” (2 Tim. 2:8). Since the Virgin Mary was of David’s lineage, it follows that the Lord is also of David’s seed. The Jews sought to fault Christ, primarily wishing to accuse Him of claiming royal status if He referred to Himself as the Christ, in the context of the Davidic line as they understood it. His response surpassed their expectations: while they aimed to challenge Him as the son of David, He declared Himself the Son of God.

To say that He is in the Father and at His right hand indicates His co-eternity with the Father and His lack of subordination to any being. He is sent by the Father (see Jn. 3:17; 6:40), meaning He descended from heaven to fulfill the Father's will. Let us set aside unholy complexities, so that our worship may be pure! The Son is neither above nor below the Father at His right side; He is distinct yet equal. There exists no hierarchy in the divine fullness.

There is also a contradiction to consider: Christ disavows those who regard Him merely as the Son of David while simultaneously providing healing to the blind man who addressed Him as such (see Luke 18:35-43). Did not the praise of the children, "Hosanna to the Son of David" (Matt. 21:9), glorify God supremely? The Pharisees are rebuked not for acknowledging Christ as the Son of David, but for their disbelief in Him as the Son of God. Both acknowledgments are essential to genuine faith. Initially, we sought to know nothing except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified (1 Cor. 2:2); however, as we await judgment, we no longer regard Christ solely as crucified (see 2 Cor. 5:16), but look for His return in glory (Matt. 26:64). Those without faith scrutinize His wounds, while the faithful are caught up to meet Christ (see 1 Thess. 4:17).

Let us firmly believe that Christ is both God and Man, One in two natures, and not two separate beings. The Father's defeat of adversaries before Him is not due to any lack of power, but arises from the unity of their natures, with the One acting through the Other; the Son subdues foes for the Father, glorifying Him on earth (see Ps. 109:1; Jn. 17:4). Just as the Father bestows a name above every name (Phil. 2:9), the Son declares to the Father, "I have manifested Your name to the men whom You gave Me" (Jn. 17:6). In exalting the Son’s name, the Father grants Him all that He possesses. The name given ensures that every tongue acknowledges that Lord Jesus is the honor of God the Father (Phil. 2:11).

We should observe everything in its proper order: the Father submits to the Son, and the Son to the Father. The Father raises the Son, and the Son has authority to raise Himself (see 2 Cor. 4:14; Jn. 10:18). According to the Father's proclamation: "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up" (John 2:19). The Father is Lord, and the Son is Lord (as stated in Ps. 109:1), yet there is but one Lord. The Father is God, as is the Son, yet there exists only one God because the Father indwells the Son, and the Son dwells in the Father. The unity of their deity is affirmed: "Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever; the scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Thy kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, Your God, has anointed You" (Ps. 45:6-7). One God, where the teachings of both the New and Old Testaments find agreement. The Old Testament instructs, “You shall love the Lord your God” (Deut. 6:5) and “You shall worship the Lord your God and serve Him alone” (Deut. 6:13), while the New Testament declares, “One God and Father of all” (Eph. 4:6). Thus, both the Father and the Son are Lord, yet they are one Lord. The scripture states, "You cannot serve two masters" (Matt. 6:24). This principle is supported in the Old Testament as well: "Hear, O Israel: the Lord your God, the Lord is one" (Deut. 6:4). The Apostle proclaims, not to affirm two Gods or to diminish the honor of either the Son or the Father, but to establish: “One God the Father, from whom are all things, and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things” (1 Cor. 8:6). He who is God is indeed Lord, and he who is Lord is God. In conclusion, it is written, “Know that the Lord, He is God” (Ps. 100:3).

All that belongs to the Father is shared by the Son (see Jn. 17:10). The Father is God by virtue of His primacy, while the Son is God in unity with His image. The Son is Lord, having brought all under His dominion through wisdom, although He possesses the power to do so. The Father is Lord as the source of the Son. In our doctrine, the Father and the Son are distinct in person yet unified in authority; they are One in the Other, and together. The Father’s glory is exemplified in the Son, and the Son's beauty lies in the visibility of the Father through Christ. In Him, the supreme majesty of unity is maintained, and He remains accessible, where His presence embodies the truth of His divine nature.

The Pharisees, ensnared by a literal interpretation of Scripture and having lost the deeper understanding of its message, failed to grasp that Christ the Messiah, being both God and Man, must inherently be - in His divine essence - the Son of God, while also being in His human nature - a descendant of David. They anticipated the Messiah to be the one who would liberate the Jews from Roman dominance and conquer all nations. With such distorted expectations, they were incapable of responding to Jesus' inquiry.

Therefore, Christ’s kingdom is not of this earth; the learned scribes and lawyers, failing to grasp this truth, were clearly unaware of the genuine dignity of the Messiah. Had they comprehended this, they would have recognized that the qualities of the Messiah resonated entirely in the figure of Jesus of Nazareth, whom they had sought to persecute.

Unlike Matthew and Mark, Luke does not recount the dialogue between the Lord and the scribe concerning the greater commandment; rather, the Lord's inquiry about Christ was initiated by Him, rather than by His questioners. Thus, Luke highlights their hesitance to engage with the Lord, and positions this questioning after His response to the Sadducees about the resurrection—“How then is He His Son?” Notably, Luke refrains from detailing how the Lord's question impacted His audience, while Matthew and Mark fill in this context: Matthew notes that no one could respond to Him, and Mark mentions that the crowd listened to Him with joy.