Lesson 38- Luke 11:45- 54 Telling the Tough Stuff

The Savior Continues to Insult the Experts in the Law, 11:45- 52

English Standard Version (Chapter 11)

45 One of the lawyers(Scribes)answered him, “Teacher, in saying these things you insult us also.” 46 And he said, “Woe to you lawyers also! For you load people with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers. 47 Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets whom your fathers killed. 48 So you are witnesses and you consent to the deeds of your fathers, for they killed them, and you build their tombs. 49 Therefore also the Wisdom of God said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and persecute,’ 50 so that the blood of all the prophets, shed from the foundation of the world, may be charged against this generation, 51 from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who perished between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, it will be required of this generation. 52 Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge. You did not enter yourselves, and you hindered those who were entering.”

The lawyers who were probably Pharisees or Scribes let’s us all know they were insulted. But of course, Jesus was returning back to them the hateful and hostile treatment they had given Him. After all, they wanted to kill the Savior, so He goes after them. This is a continuation of the previous insults that started in verse 42. Words have not been minced to protect anybody’s reputation, but rarely in these passages do we learn these men’s names. When we do learn them, they are speaking for the group or they are flailing about on their own in trying to argue down God’s Son, Jesus Christ.

There is no one more fitted for this job than the man on the throne. He encourages us to not seek vengeance but it is His alone:

Romans 12:19- “Dearly Beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord.”

Deuteronomy 32:35- “ to me belongeth vengeance, and recompense: for their foot shall slide in due time: for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste.”

Hebrews 10:30- “For we know Him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, saith the Lord. And again, the Lord shall judge His people.”

Isaiah 63:4- “For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come.”

Hebrews 10:31- “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God.”

This is that scenario. The lawyers are falling into His hands and His words cut deep. These charges should be a reminder of to God’s servants today. When we judge harshly, it is probably going to come back to visit us. The Preachers Homiletic Commentary had an interesting perspective of this passage. They called it “The Besetting Sins of Theologians”-

1. Harshness and insincerity (verse. 46). 2. A rancorous and persecuting spirit (verse. 47–51). 3. Arrogance and exclusiveness (verse. 52).

J. Willcock, Luke, The Preacher’s Complete Homiletic Commentary (New York; London; Toronto: Funk & Wagnalls Company, 1892), 325.

Their practice was characterized by rigid principles combined with personal lax conduct. This results in very bad doctrinal practices and moral decline. They were not willing to minister a touch to a persons burden with even the tips of one of their fingers. We wonder how things can get this bad, but it does when we do not share our shoulders with those burdens of those with whom we minister.

jesus points out also that they are the ones who built the tombs of the prophets their fathers killed. That’s extremely explicit. It’s right on point. This could have been a mic drop moment but there’s more! That makes them witnesses who did nothing to stop it and it means their actions were consensual. These two verses, 47 and 48 are like a double whammy against the lawyers/ pharisees. What makes it so biting is that the words add hypocrisy to their complicity.

Though some of the prophets mentioned were centuries before this generation, the lawyers were saying “yes” to the actions of their forefathers. Their burden now would be :

Verse 50 “so that the blood of all the prophets, shed from the foundation of the world, may be charged against this generation, 51 from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who perished between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, it will be required of this generation.”

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Luke 11:50–51.

These are very serious charges and crimes to be guilty of and liable for. All the water in Pilate’s bowl could not wash away the guilt of anybody, especially these blood guilty Pharisees and lawyers. Boom. They were guilty of the Law and God Himself had condemned them. The term, “This Generation” really means the current/same one of this chapter. The Lord barely takes a breath as He brings the last zinger-

“Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge. You did not enter yourselves, and you hindered those who were entering.”

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Luke 11:52.

The crime here is that the interpretation of the Scriptures is under their exclusive authority. When it gets to this way or the highway route, someone usually misuses it for their own fun and profit. But nobody is having any fun and only a few are profiting. I believe this statement may come from His anger of throwing the money changers out of the temple. The exclusivity club is now out of session. Jesus has saved the day. The people who had been hindered in their worship on the temple grounds are being justified by the men who were hindering. This is a classic case of something blowing up in your face and it did not look like you had a chance afterwards. Arrogance towards God’s commands can find a swift and sure judgement through the hands of a loving God.

After all, in His mercy, cannot even these guilty lawyers become followers of Christ? Yes, they can. As swift and sure as His judgement lands, His grace and mercy extends the hand of salvation to the willing repentant soul. Even today we shake our heads and wonder how did things get this bad? The we remember how hard the church has fallen in past weeks to it’s tainted sinful leaders. The prophet Isaiah told Israel that God said, “ Without me they shall bow down under the prisoners, and they shall fall under the slain. For all of this His anger is not turned away, but His hand is stretched out still.” Isaiah 10:4.

Jon Courson said in His commentary about this passage:

Jon Courson’s Application Commentary (Chapter 11)

The more I get to know people, the more I find myself praying, “Lord, don’t allow me to burden anyone this day more heavily than they’re already burdened.” You see, although our tendency is to think we’re the only ones going through hard times, everyone we meet, everyone we talk to is fighting a tough battle in some area of their lives. No wonder we are to be kind.

He is saying we don’t need more hard liners who are unloving and untouchable, but we do need loving Godly people who are willing to put their shoulder to the burden of ministry without thought of fleecing this generation of its finances, morality, spirituality, and ground for ministry. Ours is a goal of a humble sheep/servant going in among wolves and taking back ground in the kingdom for our Savior.

At this point, Jesus exits stage left. The Scribes and Pharisees are nipping at His heels. Theirs is a goal of laying traps to catch Him in a fault. But this is the Sinless Son of God Jesus Christ. He has plenty to give as He marches onward to the Hill called Golgotha. Wait for Him. But catch Him and hold on. Don’t make the mistake of being on the side asking the wrong questions. These are days to tell His truth first and let the Word of God draw them in. The days are evil and time is running out.