Luke 11:45-54 — Jesus offendin' everybody

READ THIS: Luke 11:45-54

45 One of the experts in the law answered him, “Teacher, when you say these things, you insult us also.” 46 Jesus replied, 

“And you experts in the law, woe to you, because you load people down with burdens they can hardly carry, and you yourselves will not lift one finger to help them. 47 “Woe to you, because you build tombs for the prophets, and it was your ancestors who killed them. 48 So you testify that you approve of what your ancestors did; they killed the prophets, and you build their tombs. 49 Because of this, God in his wisdom said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and others they will persecute.’ 50 Therefore this generation will be held responsible for the blood of all the prophets that has been shed since the beginning of the world, 51 from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, this generation will be held responsible for it all. 52 “Woe to you experts in the law, because you have taken away the key to knowledge. You yourselves have not entered, and you have hindered those who were entering.” 

53 When Jesus went outside, the Pharisees and the teachers of the law began to oppose him fiercely and to besiege him with questions, 54 waiting to catch him in something he might say. 

WHAT’S THIS MEAN, ANYWAY?

Yesterday's reading showed Jesus picking apart the Pharisees for being hypocritical and focusing on all the wrong things instead of having a genuine relationship of God, but the way He spoke also included the teachers of the law. The teachers of the law held a similar expertise over the law as the Pharisees, but Pharisees held certain beliefs that made them Pharisees specifically. (Think about how someone criticizing a Catholic might also end up criticizing Christianity...same idea!)

Jesus makes it clear that He intended to criticize all the teachers of the law because they hold people to a standard that no one can meet and pretend like they're meeting it. On top of that, they act like they're special because they come from Jews, but those very Jews killed prophets that God sent. Jesus knew that they were going to advocate to kill Him as well, so He says that they are just the same as their ancestors, so they'll be held guilty of the same crimes. Instead of actually teaching the law, they have puffed themselves up and distracted others from being able to follow God. 

THINK ABOUT IT:

1. Have you ever overheard someone being criticized and you realized that that criticism also applied to you? What was the criticism? How did it make you feel? How do you think the teachers of the law felt?

2. The teachers of the law started to plot against Jesus...how should we respond when we get called out? When was a time that you responded well to criticism? 

TRY THIS:

Name one thing that other people do that makes you upset (like when someone talks over you or when someone calls you too early in the morning). Now think about if you have ever done that exact same thing. How does this apply to the verses we read? : )

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