One of the experts in the law answered him, “Teacher, when you say these things you insult us too.

Luke 11:45

I’ve often wondered about this lawyer. What was he thinking? Perhaps he was just disturbed by Christ’s accusations and wanted to make a statement. Maybe the truth was hitting too close to home. Or, better yet, could he have recognized the evil among the ranks of the Jewish elites and was upset about it himself?

We don’t know for sure now, but most likely this lawyer recognized that Jesus was attacking their interpretation of the law. Thus, His harangue on the Pharisees was also directed at the lawyers.

In any case, Jesus confirmed this man’s statement by launching into a commentary on the lawyers.

Heavenly Father, thank You for consistently presenting us with Your truth. We like to think we understand so much, but we know so little. God bless our forays into Your Word. We want to know Your will and way. You are the Mighty Creator! Thank You! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Woe to you! You are like unmarked graves; the people who walk over them don’t know it.

Luke 11:44

Here Jesus is comparing the Pharisees to unmarked graves. A field of graves would not be a place where people would want to work, or a parcel that someone would buy. But if the graves are unmarked, nobody is the wiser.

The Pharisees looked okay on the surface, but underneath they were full of greed and covetousness. Their form of religiosity had led to great evil.

Heavenly Father, thank You for helping us see ourselves. That is perhaps one of the greatest blessings You supply. By seeing our sinfulness we can know hope in Christ. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Woe to you Pharisees! You love the front seat in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces.

Luke 11:43

The Pharisees thought they were the best people around. So, they felt others needed to see their piety. Though it is good for people to see true piety, the Pharisees had corrupt motivations.

The greetings in the marketplaces we’re also intended to make them appear holy. But it had the opposite effect. They were self-assured and self-righteous.

Heavenly Father, thank You for bringing our self-righteous tendencies to light. The temptation to think much of ourselves melts away when we truly understand our position before You. You are the Only One Worthy. All glory be to You! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

But woe to you Pharisees! You give a tenth of mint, rue, and every kind of herb, and you bypass justice and love for God. These things you should have done without neglecting the others.

Luke 11:42

Here Jesus upholds the tithe, but reminds the Jewish people once again that it is no substitute for an obedient heart. Financial giving is not a means by which to buy into God’s good graces. It is simply one of many forms of worship.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your justice and love! It is only because You are just and loving that we can be. I will seek to honor You by reflection, being just and loving. You are amazing! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

But give from what is within to the poor, and then everything is clean for you.

Luke 11:41

This verse is often missed. Jesus was supplying the Pharisees with a short path to righteousness. They needed only to have a proper understanding of the purpose of the poor.

These Jewish elites believed that being rich was a sign of God’s approval. Thus, in their thinking, the poor were not holy because God had not blessed them with good things.

Heavenly Father, You are the Only One we can turn to! You are my protection. You help me every day, every moment. I will yeild to Your way, and it is perfect. You are holy, holy, holy! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Fools! Didn’t he who made the outside make the inside too?

Luke 11:40

To live in honor to God only in the externals of life is to miss at least half of everything. This was the foolish mistake of the Pharisees. They were on the right track in a lot of ways, but their inner thoughts were evil.

Living for the Lord only externally is a poor substitute for true spiritual living. The heart and soul of us must be governed by our spirit yeilded to the Lord God.

Heavenly Father, You are not a God who wants lipservice. You are looking for true followers, real disciples of Christ. You demand and deserve loyalty. You are worthy of our thanks and praise for ever and ever! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

But the Lord said to him, ‘Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and evil.’

Luke 11:39

The Pharisees excelled at keeping up appearances. But, the inner man, where God looks upon the heart, was left to grow in evil.

We generally focus on the hypocrisy of the Pharisees. And we assume this means that their words and their actions did not match. However, we tend to oversimplify the situation. The Pharisees were not necessarily inconsistent. But they were consistently wrong.

Heavenly Father, Your wisdom is limitless! Your Word is perfect. Your grace is amazing. We can never praise You enough. Your love and holiness are awesome. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

When the Pharisee saw this, he was amazed that he did not first perform the ritual washing before dinner.

Luke 11:38

This ritual was not the law of God, but a ceremonial law invented by the Jewish elite. The Pharisees though Jesus was trying to outdo them in the eyes of the people. In other words, because they were self-righteous hypocrites, they thought they everyone else was too.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your mercy! It is a great joy to be able to have the righteousness of Christ. You are holy and just! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

As he was speaking, a Pharisee asked him to dine with him. So he went in and reclined at the table.

Luke 11:37

Jesus seems to have a low opinion of Pharisees. And yet, He did not decline this invitation. Why? Well, His feeling towards Pharisees is actually compassion. Bringing their hypocrisy to light was a merciful thing to do.

Heavenly Father, You are the Wise One. It is so easy for us to forget that. You know exactly what we need, and You care for us more than we care for ourselves. You are a True Father. Thank You for giving us Christ, Who is The Way. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

If, therefore, your whole body is full of light, with no part of it in darkness, it will be entirely illuminated, as when a lamp shines its light on you.

Luke 11:36

The Holy Spirit of God can, through the power of the Word of God, bring you to a place of complete illumination. Remember, in Christ we are a new creation. Thus, it is possible to live in the light of God’s glory even now. He gives us all that we need to live lives that are full of joy, peace, and grace.

Heavenly Father, You are so gloriously wonderful! You make everything different. A life lived with You on the throne of the heart is a life of purpose and contentment. Oh to enter the joys of your treasures of grace! To understand and know You intimately is to be the happiest of people. You are the rejoicing of our hearts. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.