Three Woes

Greetings

As we continue our journey through Luke, we are now in Luke 11.  this post and the one that will follow will cover verses 37-53.  In these verses, Jesus delivers a series of woes.  This comes from the Greek word οὐαὶ (ouai). According to Alan Thompson, these woes express  “the judgment that will come because of what they do in contrast to what they ought to have done.”  (Thompson, 195.) 

As Jesus is finishing up his comments on the eyes and light in the previous verses, he is invited for a meal by a Pharisee. Jesus accepts the invitation. There doesn't seem to be any hostility initially, but the conversation does become quite intense. 

It is not a one-on-one situation, with Jesus eating with one Pharisee.  Other leaders have been invited, and Jesus was undoubtedly being watched very closely. 

Bock points out that Jesus has just given a stern rebuke to the current generation, but the Pharisees could have easily shrugged this off as a rebuke for the “wicked.” Since they perceived themselves as righteous, they quite possibly did not think Jesus was referring to them in his rebuke. Now, in a smaller setting, Jesus delivers the rebuke to the Pharisees and teachers of the law. (Bock, 1111.)   

This time Jesus sits down to the meal without washing first.  To the Pharisees this was a grievous error and Luke records that the Pharisee was surprised by it (verse 38).  Did Jesus do this on purpose, knowing the response that it would bring?  I suspect that he did.  He used this as an opportunity to expose the hearts of the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law for what they were, self-righteous and far from God. For the Pharisees, the washing was a matter of ritual purity before God.  To Jesus, the washing was an unnecessary burden that had nothing to do with God. Jesus lays down a stinging rebuke against the Pharisee, and I don’t think this is about Jesus defending his actions of not washing his hands.  

Jesus' complaint against the Pharisees: All of the ceremonial washing was meaningless if their hearts were not right.  They were not really working on their hearts, because they wrongly assumed that their hearts were fine. This assumption leaves their hearts unexamined.  Meanwhile, they kept the letter of the law, and ignored its intent. 

He begins in verse 39, challenging them to cleanse themselves on the inside as well as the outside.  Jesus says that on the outside, they clean up pretty well, but on the inside they are full of greed and wickedness.  Jesus offers them an alternative.  Give generously to the poor. (Verse 40.)

God made them, both inside and outside.  Outwardly, they had given themselves to God.  They gave every appearance of following God, but in reality, it was all a facade. Jesus is taking on the tone of an Old Testament prophet, challenging their meaningless religion. (See Isaiah 58:4, Amos 5:21.)

In his first 'woe', Jesus intensifies the attack. In verse 42, he says that they are meticulous in their tithing, giving even a tenth of their spices, all while neglecting more important things like justice and the love of God. What they have done: Given of their possessions.  What should they have done: Given justice and love. Note that Jesus is not condemning their giving.  He is, however, placing a greater emphasis elsewhere. They have a very different view of God than Jesus did.  In their view of God, He is very precise and legalistic.  Jesus’ view of His Father is one of love.  We are not sinners in the hands of an angry God, but sinners in the hands of a loving God. 

In his second 'woe', Jesus doesn’t let up.  He points out their self-seeking nature, as men who constantly seek the places of honor and praise. What have they done: Sought praise and places in which they are honored.  What should they have done: Honor others and in particular, honor Jesus, something they have repeated failed to do. 

In his third ‘woe”, he calls them unmarked graves.  Spiritually dead. I think that this goes back to where Jesus has started this conversation, their intense focus on externals, while ignoring matters of the heart.  What have they done:  Cleaned up the outside.  What they should have done: Clean up the inside: 

Jesus says that if they clean up the inside, the outside while be clean, as well. This lack of dealing with heart issues has numbed their hearts, and made them spiritually dead.

Bock says “The Pharisees, who see themselves as the paragon of purity, are in fact leaders of spiritual uncleanness whose teachings lead people to death.” (Bock, 1117.) Their bad habits harm both themselves and those who follow them. Bock says their “pseudo-spirituality leads them to the grave.”  

At least the Pharisees can serve us as an example of what we should not be. To be continued. 

Tom