Woe to the Lawyers
January 3, 2022
Commentary
The lawyers (scribes) of that day were teachers of the Mosaic law who claimed that nobody could understand and explain the law except them (v. 45). In contrast to the day in which we live, their civil law was the same as their religious law, so these lawyers were called students of the Old Testament.
Jesus then pronounces three woes on these lawyers:
For adding burdens (v. 46) – They laid down all kinds of burdensome regulations which they taught as essential to salvation, yet they gave little heed to these rules themselves. What a tragedy when “ministers” create problems for people who already have problems For building tombs (vv. 47-51) – They built elaborate tombs professing to honor the prophets of old while their own conduct showed that their real state of mind was the same as those of their ancestors who murdered these prophets. Church history shows that the true servants of God are usually rejected by the people who most need their ministry.For hindering instead of helping people come to God (v. 52) – It was bad enough that they refused to enter the kingdom themselves but they were also hindering others from going in. The Scribes and Pharisees tried hard to find a legal way to get rid of Jesus (vv. 53-54).
Application
I need to be careful that I do not have religion but a relationship with the Lord. It is wrong for me to give people the impression that the Holy Spirit cannot teach anyone who does not know the Hebrew and Greek. The most important principles for me to have in Bible study are a yielded heart and an obedient will.
Luke 11:45– 54 (NET)
45 One of the experts in religious law answered him, “Teacher, when you say these things you insult us too.” 46 But Jesus replied, “Woe to you experts in religious law as well! You load people down with burdens difficult to bear, yet you yourselves refuse to touch the burdens with even one of your fingers! 47 Woe to you! You build the tombs of the prophets whom your ancestors killed. 48 So you testify that you approve of the deeds of your ancestors, because they killed the prophets and you build their tombs! 49 For this reason also the wisdom of God said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and persecute,’ 50 so that this generation may be held accountable 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, it will be charged against this generation. 52 Woe to you experts in religious law! You have taken away the key to knowledge! You did not go in yourselves, and you hindered those who were going in.”
53 When he went out from there, the experts in the law and the Pharisees began to oppose him bitterly, and to ask him hostile questions about many things, 54 plotting against him, to catch him in something he might say.