Beneath the Surface and Beyond Ourselves (Luke 11:45-52)

Dr. Deric Thomas

[45] One of the lawyers 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.”

1. Will you bring unnecessary burden or unforeseen blessing to others (Burden or Blessing) (45-46)?

2. Will you bring destruction and death to others or restoration and life (Blood or Blessing) (47-51)?

3. Will you bring lies and barriers to people or truth and love (Barriers or Blessing) (52)?

[29] “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous, [30] saying, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ [31] Thus you witness against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. [Matt 23:29-31 ESV]

[8] Cain spoke to Abel his brother. And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him. [9] Then the LORD said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” He said, “I do not know; am I my brother’s keeper?” [10] And the LORD said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to me from the ground. [11] And now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. [Gen 4:8-11 ESV]

[20] Then the Spirit of God clothed Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest, and he stood above the people, and said to them, “Thus says God, ‘Why do you break the commandments of the LORD, so that you cannot prosper? Because you have forsaken the LORD, he has forsaken you.'” [21] But they conspired against him, and by command of the king they stoned him with stones in the court of the house of the LORD. [2Chron 24:20-22 ESV]

[24] …to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. [Heb 12:24 ESV]
[50] And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit. [51] And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom… [Matt 27:50-51 ESV]

Extra-biblical laws of the scribes (example)

On the sabbath do not carry a burden, “in your right hand or your left hand, in your bosom, or on your shoulder.” But you can carry a burden, “on the back of your hand, or with your foot or with your mouth or with your elbow, or in your ear or in your hair or in your wallet (carried) mouth downwards, or between your wallet and your shirt, or in the hem of your shirt, or in your shoe or in your sandal.”

(Shabbat 10:30).