Denial of Superficial Religion Luke 11:37-44

-Would seem that the pharisees would be the ones who would be ready to follow Jesus, the most religious, knew the law, but just the opposite

-Denied Jesus over and over again

-the pursuit of religion is not the answer to our sin sick hearts, only the gospel can change our hearts

-those who pursue religion are hypocrites, they portray on the outside a moral upright person, but are sick within, Jesus said this of they scribes and pharisees six times in Matthew 23:13

Matthew 23:13 ESV

13 “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in.

-religion blinds, pharisees were so focused on their works that they failed to see the Messiah

Luke 11:37 ESV

37 While Jesus was speaking, a Pharisee asked him to dine with him, so he went in and reclined at table.

-Pharisee

-dine = breakfast, lunch

-recline

-Instead of denying Jesus, rejecting the gospel, what should those caught up in man made religion deny?

Denial of Rituals

Luke 11:38 ESV

38 The Pharisee was astonished to see that he did not first wash before dinner.

-This is not a sanitary washing, but a ceremonial washing

βαπτίζω - baptizo

-purification

-a collection of Jewish writings known as the Talmud - it is recorded, they would pour 2-3 times over both hands, starting with finger tips and down the arm

Mark 7:3–4 ESV

3 (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands properly, holding to the tradition of the elders, 4 and when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other traditions that they observe, such as the washing of cups and pots and copper vessels and dining couches.)

-man made ritual,

-Jesus paid no attention to man made rituals, on purpose He brought it to light

Denial of a Sinful Heart

Luke 11:39–41 ESV

39 And the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. 40 You fools! Did not he who made the outside make the inside also? 41 But give as alms those things that are within, and behold, everything is clean for you.

-What did the Pharisee say that led Jesus to speak on the matter? Nothing.

-Jesus knew what the Pharisee was thinking.

-What did Jesus say?

-All you worry about is the outside of the plate, you clean only the outside

-inside you are full of greed and wickedness

-greed = possibly financially, more than likely you are robbing people of their souls

Matthew 23:15 ESV

15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves.

-wickedness = maliciousness, sinfulness, ill intent

-The point Jesus made: God is concerned with your heart not your outward rituals

Deuteronomy 6:5 ESV

5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.

Hosea 6:6 ESV

6 For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.

-You give your alms - you do everything to be seen, you fast, you pray in public, but you have missed the mark

Denial of Pride

Luke 11:42–43 ESV

42 “But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and every herb, and neglect justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. 43 Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the best seat in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces.

-Woe - judgment

-Focus on the wrong things, mint and rue were never commanded to tithe, they were small, little things in which to tithe - so focused on the unimportant that they missed the most important

-what drove them to pursue all these things rather than a love for God?

-love the best seat, love to be seen, love the power, love the prestige, love themselves rather than God

Denial of Leading Others Astray

Luke 11:44 ESV

44 Woe to you! For you are like unmarked graves, and people walk over them without knowing it.”

-their impact on others

-unmarked grave - never touch a dead body or you were unclean

-Jesus made the point that the Pharisees were spiritually unclean and were leading others to spiritual death