Our three previous lessons were focused around a certain sermon Jesus gave. Today’s lesson picks up at the point where Jesus had just finished that sermon. Read today’s text at Luke 11:37-54.
The previous sermon had been directed to some Pharisees who had asked Jesus to show them a sign. They were wanting to see Him perform a miracle. They were interested in seeing the magic more than they were interested in His teaching. This is what had sparked the content of His sermon. In today’s text, we see that Jesus had just finished speaking. One of those Pharisees present then invited Jesus to eat with him. He must have lived close by.
The Bible tells us that Jesus accepted the invitation, and we know from verses 45 and 53 that others were invited also. Jesus was part of a group of people who were invited to supper.
We are told, in verse 37, that He went in and reclined at the table. It was customary, at that time, that the guests would have washed their hands before reclining at the table. Handwashing before eating was tradition and the Pharisee did notice and was surprised when Jesus did not do this. Please understand that people did not know about germs and bacteria back then. The Law required handwashing when eating items offered in sacrifice to God, but not in normal eating. Handwashing was ceremonial and traditional only, not required by The Law. However, Jesus was at supper with Pharisees and religious leaders who would have practiced this anyway out of tradition and the Pharisee was surprised to see that Jesus, a religious teacher, did not do so.
Jesus, of course, knew what he was thinking. Verses 39-41 tell us Jesus’ words to the Pharisee addressing this issue. Jesus said that the Pharisees are concerned about cleaning the outside of vessels, but on the inside, they are still full of greed and wickedness. He told him that God cares for the inside AND the outside (Mark 7:20-23). Man needs to be clean on the inside by being more generous to the poor and giving alms.
In verse 42, Jesus then declared woe to the Pharisees because they faithfully tithe while ignoring justice and love. Jesus was not against tithing. The Bible teaches that we should do this (Lev 27:30, Mal 3:10). Here again, Jesus was addressing adherence to an outward practice while ignoring inward reflections of their character such as justice and love (Mic 6:8). He was saying that they should have been attending to both outward AND inward matters.
In verses 43-44, Jesus declared woe to the Pharisees because they loved having the most important seats in the synagogue (pride) and getting respectful greetings in the marketplaces (notoriety). He compared them to unmarked graves that people walk on without realizing it. The Bible has much to teach us about this issue of pride (Prov 16:18, Psalm 10:4, Mark 7:21-23).
It stands between us and God. And Jesus was saying that it was a problem for the Pharisees.
Verse 45 tells us that there were Scribes present at the supper also and that they were feeling convicted by everything Jesus had said about the Pharisees being clean only on the outside. The Bible tells us that everything Jesus had said about the Pharisees was also true of the scribes (Mark 12:38-39, Luke 20:46, Matt 23:27).
The scribes’ job was to copy The Law and Scriptures from one scroll to another, so they would have become very familiar with the content. They were considered ‘experts in The Law’ and were sometimes called lawyers. The Pharisees and scribes were the religious leaders of the times.
In verse 46, Jesus then declared another woe to the scribes because they laid heavy burdens on the people which they did not then help them to carry. The folks Jesus was addressing here were the scribes, or lawyers of the time. They would have identified all the rules that the people had to follow. The Pharisees would then have come up with many additional rules to keep the people from accidentally breaking any of The Law, creating burdens for the people, but no one would have been concerned about helping the people live under these burdens. Jesus was judging them for putting this burden of tradition on peoples’ backs without showing any compassion. Here again, they were clean on the outside without having anything of God on the inside.
In verses 47-51, Jesus declared woe to the scribes, saying that they were like their ancestors. In the Old Testament, God sent prophets and they were rejected and killed… even those who prophesied of the coming Messiah. In the New Testament, God sent apostles and Jesus, and they were all persecuted and martyred (Matt 23:33-39, Acts 7:51-53). Jesus then said to these folks at the supper that their generation would be held responsible for all of the Old Testament deaths, from the first murder ever, Abel (Gen 4:8) through to Zechariah (2 Chron 24:20-21).
I believe the key to understanding verse 52 is to compare it with Matthew 23:13. Jesus declared woe on the scribes because they took away the key to knowledge. This shut the door to the Kingdom of Heaven by not correctly teaching the meaning of God’s Word. God’s Word is the key to opening the door of Heaven. These scribes have not entered into God’s Kingdom and they have hindered others from entering. The scribes believed that they possessed the key to God’s knowledge, but they were an obstacle to the truth. This was the strongest condemnation of all that Jesus gave that day at the supper.
In verses 53-54, we are told what happened when Jesus left the supper. He went outside and the Pharisees and the scribes began to attack Him with questions hoping to trip Him up in something He said. We can assume, from this, that His remarks at the supper had hit home.
Responding to God: Assess your religious habits and ask yourself whether legalism is a problem in your life. Discuss this issue with God. Praise God and worship Him for His love and wisdom. Seek His guidance in relating to others in terms of giving alms and treating others with justice and love. Ask Him to show you where you might help others in their Christian walk. Seek opportunities to teach others about God’s Word. Speak to God concerning areas where pride might be an issue in your life.
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