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Luke Chapter 11 1Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place,

when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.” 2So He said to them, “When you pray, say:

Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.

3 Give us day by day our daily bread. 4 And forgive us our sins,

For we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one.”

Question: What stands out and makes this a model prayer?

Answer: Simplicity, brevity, beauty, directness, generality.

Question: What are some of the lessons we learn from this prayer?

Answer: Glory and reverence to God come first …. Everything else falls in place after that.

- The prayer covers life: It covers present need ….

daily bread and related needs.

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It covers past sins ….. forgiveness.

It covers future trials …..

deliverance from temptation.

o Prayers need not be long and drawn out ….. they should be appropriate for the occasion if it is a public prayer.

o Most important of all ….. if Christians hope to be forgiven, they must also forgive.

5And He said to them, “Which of you shall have a friend, and go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves; 6‘for a friend of mine has come to me on his journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; 7“and he will answer from within and say, ‘Do not trouble me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give to you’? 8“I say to you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will rise and give him as many as he needs.

9“So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10“For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 11“If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? 12“Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? 13“If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”

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- The late arrival of a friend puts the householder in an embarrassing situation.

o His cupboard is bear …… he could not fulfill the sacred

obligation of hospitality. o And ….. his friends door is shut:

The poor Palestinian house ……consisted of one room with only a small window.

The room was divided …… into two parts by a

slightly raised platform. On the raised part …… the charcoal stove burned all

night, and round it the whole family slept ….. not on raised beds but on sleeping mats.

• Families were large …… and they slept close

together for warmth. • In the villages ……. it was the custom to bring

the livestock, the hens and the cocks and the goats, into the house at night.

• For one to rise …… was to disturb the whole

family.

• Is there any wonder ……. that the man did not want to rise?

o This story is given to tell us something about prayer.

This story …… is not so much based on likeness as it is on contrast.

The lesson …....is not ……. that we must persist in

prayer as if we were battering at God’s door until we finally compel Him from weariness to give us what we want ….. until we coerce God to answer.

What we see is a contrast …… if an unwilling

householder can in the end be coerced by a friend’s

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shameless persistence into giving him what he needs, how much more will God who is a loving Father supply all his children’s needs.

“If you,” he says, “who are evil …… know that you

are bound to supply your children’s needs, how much more will God?”

o This does not absolve us from intensity in prayer.

We assure ….. the reality and the sincerity of our desire only by the passion with which we pray.

o The conclusion is this:

We are not wringing gifts from an unwilling God, but going to one who knows our needs better than we know them ourselves and whose heart towards us is the heart of generous love.

If we do not receive what we pray for, it is not

because God grudgingly refuses to give it but because he has some better thing for us.

There is no such thing as unanswered prayer!

The answer given ……. may not be the answer we

desired or expected …. but even when it is a refusal it is the answer of the love and the wisdom of God.

“If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your

children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”

Question: What does this mean? o Many commentators ….. skip this verse without comment.

o Preachers preach ….. but not much on controversial verses

and subjects. (In most cases bible classes are probably a better place to discuss hard and controversial verses.)

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o Note how the similar verse in Matthew reads:

Matthew 7:11 …… 11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! RSV

Childers makes this comment:

• This discourse in Luke comes later in Jesus' ministry and

nearer to Pentecost than does the Sermon on the Mount, in which the passage cited in Matthew occurs. Therefore, Jesus can be more specific with reference to the needs of his disciples.

1. Burton Coffman summarizes his comments on this

verse with this statement: “From the passage here, it is clear that God's children should not hesitate to pray to the Father for the measure of the Holy Spirit which has been promised to baptized believers (Acts 2:38), and which is called "an earnest" of our inheritance (Eph. 1:13).”

Coffman obviously recognizes ……. the fact that this verse relates to the context of prayer, of which Jesus has just given us an example.

• However…. he takes it infinitely beyond the

events of Pentecost to include what he refers to as the “ordinary gift” which he believes is given to all baptized believers at the point of baptism.

2. The Bible Knowledge Commentary (written by faculty members

of one school—Dallas Theological Seminary.)1 It makes this statement …… “Jesus stated that this good gift is the Holy Spirit, the most important gift that followers of Jesus would receive (cf. Acts 2:1-4). The heavenly Father gives both heavenly gifts and earthly gifts. Believers today are not to pray for the Holy Spirit because this prayer of the disciples (for the Holy Spirit) was answered at Pentecost (cf. Rom. 8:9).”

They seem to realize that this prayer for the Holy Spirit

was desirable before Pentecost …….. and they go on to say that believers today are not to pray for the Holy

1Walvoord, John F., and Zuck, Roy B., The Bible Knowledge Commentary, (Wheaton, Illinois: Scripture Press Publications, Inc.) 1983, 1985.

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Spirit because this prayer of the disciples (for the Holy Spirit) was answered at Pentecost (cf. Rom. 8:9).”

• Their reference to the meaning of Rom. 8:9 can

be summed up in their statement …… The indwelling Holy Spirit gives a believer a totally different life2

• The conclusion that it is not appropriate to pray

for the Holy Spirit today is certainly correct. (More on this later.)

3. The prophecy of Joel 2:28 – 32 ……. is the background of

Luke 11:13 ……and Pentecost and what followed is in the foreground.

Joel 2:28-32 ……. 28And it shall come to pass afterward, that I

will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: 29and also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my Spirit. 30And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth: blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. 31The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of Jehovah cometh. 32And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of Jehovah shall be delivered; for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those that escape, as Jehovah hath said, and among the remnant those whom Jehovah doth call. ASV 1901

Luke 11:13 …… If you then, being evil, know how to give good

gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!

• Luke chapter 11 begins by the disciples of Christ

asking Him to teach them how to pray as John taught his disciples.

o Verse 1 is the introduction ….. and verse

13 is the conclusion.

2Walvoord, J. F. (1983-c1985). The Bible knowledge commentary : An exposition of the scriptures (Ro 8:9). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

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• We don’t have an example ….. of a prayer of John but we do have a record of his preaching.

o His preaching was no doubt in harmony

with his prayers.

• What was the context of his preaching? o Primarily two things:

Baptism of repentance for the

remission of sins in view of the coming kingdom.

• Matthew 3:2 ….. 2Repent ye; for

the kingdom of heaven is at hand. ASV 1901.

The baptism of the Holy Spirit.

• Matthew 3:11 ….. 11I indeed

baptize you in water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you in the Holy Spirit and in fire: ASV 1901

• Christ started where John left off.

o His preaching …… was also about the

coming kingdom and the Holy Spirit.

Mark 1:14-15 ….. 14Now after John was delivered up, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, 15and saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe in the gospel. ASV 1901

o In the model prayer ….. the first petition

is, “Thy kingdom come” (Luke 11:2) which was certainly an appropriate thing to petition God for at this time.

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• Consider the following verses concerning the Holy Spirit (Counselor) and the kingdom.

o Recall that Mark 9:1 ……. tells us that the

kingdom is to come soon and with power.

1 And he said to them, “Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see that the kingdom of God has come with power.” RSV

• John 16:7-8 …… here he talks to the twelve

shortly before going to the cross.

o 7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. 8 And when he comes, he will convince the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: RSV

o And when did this happen?

o Luke 24:45-49 …… 45 Then he opened their

minds to understand the scriptures, 46 and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, 47 and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be preached in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 And behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you; but stay in the city, until you are clothed with power from on high.” RSV

o Acts 1:8 …… 8 But you shall receive power when

the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth.” RSV

As Peter goes on to preach the first

gospel sermon we see the kingdom instituted with power.

The kingdom and the power of the

Holy Spirit were closely tied together.

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The statement of Jesus in verse 13 talks to the fact that God wants to answer prayer.

• “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your

children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”

o Key thought …… For Jesus to encourage His disciples to pray for the Holy Spirit was simple another way of encouraging them to pray for the kingdom to come as he did in the model prayer.

o The Spirit had not come in the

miraculous outpouring as prophesied by Joel.

The miraculous outpouring of the

Spirit came at Pentecost.

• This was the fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy.

This was the event toward which

Christ pointed …… the miraculous endowments continued through the laying on of the apostles hands following Pentecost.

• After all the apostles died …..

and those whom they laid hands on died, the age of miracles ceased. The gifts served there purpose during the churches infancy. (Eph. 4:11-13)

There is a great deal of difference ……. in studying

the passage at the time Christ made the statement ……. and in taking the passage out of its context and saying that it authorizes a Christian to pray for the Holy Spirit today.

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• It was scriptural during the days of miracles for people to pray for the Holy Spirit.

o There is only one passage ……. that

makes any reference of anyone praying for the Holy Spirit.

o This inspired commentary … ought to be

sufficient on the subject:

Acts 8:14-21 ….. 14 Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John, 15 who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit; 16 for it had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit. 18 Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, 19 saying, “Give me also this power, that any one on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” 20 But Peter said to him, “Your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money! 21 You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for your heart is not right before God. RSV

14And He was casting out a demon, and it was mute. So it was,

when the demon had gone out, that the mute spoke; and the multitudes marveled. 15But some of them said, “He casts out demons by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons.” 16Others, testing Him, sought from Him a sign from heaven. 17But He, knowing their thoughts, said to them: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and a house divided against a house falls. 18“If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? Because you say I cast out demons by Beelzebub. 19“And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges.

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20“But if I cast out demons with the finger of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you. 21“When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are in peace. 22“But when a stronger than he comes upon him and overcomes him, he takes from him all his armor in which he trusted, and divides his spoils. 23“He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters.

Note: Burton Coffman makes this comment on the word …….

{Beelzebub ...} This name is the same as Baalzebul, being derived through a mocking Hebrew corruption of the name of the old Canaanite god, Baalzebul, meaning "lord of the high place"; the Hebrew alteration of it, Baalzebub, meant "lord of flies" or of "the dunghill." Baal was actually not one god, but many, more accurately referred to as the Baalim. When the Israelites entered Canaan, they found that "every piece of land had its own deity; thus there were many Baals."<21> This was "the name of innumerable local gods controlling fertility of the soil and domestic animals."<22> The name Beelzebub, as used by Luke, however, means "Satan." The Hebrews had developed this insulting name of the old Canaanite god into a common synonymn for the devil; and their application of this shameful word in connection with the holy Christ was as vulgar and evil as anything the Pharisees ever did.

- When the enemies of Jesus were helpless to oppose him by fair means they resorted to slander.

o They declared that His power over the demons was due to

the fact that He was in league with the prince of demons.

They attributed His power not to God but to the devil.

• Luke 11:15 says …. “but some of them said” • Matthew 12:24 says …. “but when the

Pharisees heard it” • Mark 3:22 says …. “scribes which came down

from Jerusalem”

They speak to those in the crowd but Jesus answers their thoughts (vs. 17)

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• We notice several things here:

1. A general truth is stated:

Most kingdoms fall by the weakness due to divisions.

If demons were cast out by the aid of

Satan then Satan was fighting against his own servants.

His kingdom was divided against

itself. It cannot stand!

2. Verse 19 says ….. “By whom do your sons cast them out?”

There were Jewish exorcists who

professed to cast out demons. Josephus tells us of one named

Elezar, whom he says did cast them out.

Christ does not say whether they did

or not.

But He argues ….. “If I, by Satan, cast out demons, by whom do your sons cast them out?”

• Consequently ….. they stand

in judgment against you. • In other words ….. if you

condemn me, you are only condemning yourselves. (Hypocritical)

3. Verse 20 says ……“But if I cast out demons with

the finger of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.

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Matthew 12:28 puts it this way ….. “But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you. NKJV

In other words …... if it is the power

of God manifested in Jesus, then it demonstrates that He is the expected Messiah King, the Son of David, of whom the multitudes spoke (Matt.12:23)

4. Verses 21 and 22 ….. Strong man vs.

Stronger man.

If Jesus had been in league with Satan He would have left him His power over men in peace; but by casting out demons, He showed that He is an enemy to Satan and superior to him …… that He had overpowered and conquered him.

5. He goes on to say …… “He that is not with me

is against me”

This is a proverbial saying. It declares that there can be no middle ground.

He that does not take part with God

and Christ must take part with Satan. 24“When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through

dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ 25“And when he comes, he finds it swept and put in order. 26“Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first.”

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Question: What does this mean and who does it apply to?

Answer: Note the parallel passage in Matthew 12:43-

45.

o 43 “When the unclean spirit has gone out of a man, he passes through waterless places seeking rest, but he finds none. 44 Then he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when he comes he finds it empty, swept, and put in order. 45 Then he goes and brings with him seven other spirits more evil than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first. So shall it be also with this evil generation.” RSV

- The application of these verses is found

in verse 45 …… So shall it be also with this evil generation.

o Verse 23 says ….. “He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters.”

There is no neutral ground.

o In context ……. The Jewish nation had

been “swept” clean of idolatry and “decorated” with all the ritual of the law ….. but it was “empty.”

It was like a whited sepulcher.

They became more and more

wicked ….. “the last state being worst that the first” until they crucified the Lord and were destroyed.

o Out of context …… there are many

applications of this parable.

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For instance …… William Barclay titled this section, “The Peril of the Empty Soul.”

Stressing:

1. That a man’s soul may not be left empty.

2. That a genuine religion cannot be erected on negatives.

3. And ….. that the best way to avoid evil is to do good.

o But first and foremost ……..we should

see the prophetic warning of Israel against rejecting her King.

27And it happened, as He spoke these things, that a certain

woman from the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, “Blessed is the womb that bore You, and the breasts which nursed You!” 28But He said, “More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”

- B.W. Johnson makes this comment:

o “This woman, in her untaught enthusiasm, comes nearer the adoration of the mother of Jesus than anything elsewhere in the New Testament. The Lord rebukes it by saying: "Rather are they blessed who hear and keep the word of God" (Lk. 11:28). Mariolatry is idolatry. There is not the slightest foundation for it in the New Testament.”

While this is true …… it’s interesting to note that this

good woman is fulfilling Mary’s own prophecy.

• Luke 1:48 ……” 48 for he has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden. For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed; RSV

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• Jesus didn’t deny the reference to his mother ….. he affirmed it ….. but He went on to stress spiritual kinship as far more important than earthly relationship to Jesus.

29And while the crowds were thickly gathered together, He

began to say, “This is an evil generation. It seeks a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah the prophet. 30“For as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so also the Son of Man will be to this generation. 31“The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here. 32“The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here.

- The Jews wanted Jesus to do something sensational to prove that He really was the anointed one of God.

o Earlier ……. Luke 11:16 – Some accused Him of casting out devils

through Beelzebub while others tempted him by seeking a sign from heaven.

o Matthew connects this request for a sign and Jesus response together:

Matthew 12:38-39 …… 38 Then some of the scribes and

Pharisees said to him, “Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.” 39

But he answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign; but no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. NIV

To meet their demand …… to give them the type of

signs they wanted was to discredit the signs which Jesus was giving (those prophetic signs that pointed to the Messiah.)

• Such as …… Luke 4:17-19 …… 17 The scroll of the

prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: 18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me,

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because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” RSV

o Their motives were evil.

In verse 29 He calls them an “evil generation.”

o In Matthew 12:39 he adds “and an

adulterous generation.”

That is to say ….. unfaithful to their covenant relationship to Jehovah.

o “And no sign will be given to it”

You can just about hear them start to say …. “we told you so.”

But He adds the words …… “But the sign of Jonah

the prophet.”

• A very special sign:

o One in which their own guilt will culminate in crucifying Jesus.

o One in which their own judgment will be

indicated by the resurrection and the glorification of Jesus.

o “The sign of Jonah” is nothing less than

the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ as typified by Jonah and his delivery after three days in the belly of the great fish.

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• The conclusion is this:

o When Jonah disappeared in the belly of the great fish, his career seemed to be ended ….. it was not.

o When the Jews would see Jesus laid in the

tomb they would think that his career was ended ….. it would not be.

He would return …… and his mighty

work would go on according to the divine will.

o The sign of Jonah …...... and what

happened to him was the very sign which these Jews would in a very brief time see in what would happen to Jesus.

o This sign of Jonah proclaimed their

judgment in advance.

Ninevah’s repentance … condemns the Jews (They being Gentiles)

• A greater than Jonah is here!

The queen of the south …. (Sheba – 1Kings 10:1) A Gentile woman in a distant land with uncertain reports undertakes a great journey to hear the wisdom of Solomon.

• Solomon was inferior to Christ!

33“No one, when he has lit a lamp, puts it in a secret place or

under a basket, but on a lampstand, that those who come in may see the light. 34“The lamp of the body is the eye. Therefore, when your eye is good, your whole body also is full of light. But when your eye is bad, your body also is full of darkness. 35“Therefore

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take heed that the light which is in you is not darkness. 36“If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, the whole body will be full of light, as when the bright shining of a lamp gives you light.”

- In the different discourses of Jesus ……… this illustration occurs repeatedly …….. being used for various purposes, yet always appropriate.

o The eye has been called …….. “the window of the soul.” o The “eye is single” when it is undimmed …… that is, when

it has its natural and proper powers for straight and clear seeing.

o When “the eye is (bad, evil, or full of darkness),” ……. that

is, it lacks powers of clear and correct sight, the eye is full of darkness.

- The Pharisees as well as others were disputing and

questioning the work and authority of Jesus.

o Demanding ……. unreasonable signs.

o Disbelieving the signs …… which he has already given.

o This was like having an eye that is dark ….. the whole spiritual man is soon filled with evil, with deep spiritual darkness.

2 Cor. 4:3-7 ……. 3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that

are lost: 4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. 5 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. KJV

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37And as He spoke, a certain Pharisee asked Him to dine with him. So He went in and sat down to eat. 38When the Pharisee saw it, he marveled that He had not first washed before dinner. - This Pharisee was astonished …… to see that He did not first

wash before dinner.

o This Pharisee was friendlier than many of the Pharisees.

Jesus accepted the invitation. It was an early meal …. Perhaps breakfast (less

formal than dinner) Why he invited Jesus …… we are not informed.

He marveled ……. when Jesus didn’t observe the

Jewish custom of dipping His hands before eating.

• It became an occasion for Jesus to teach them a lesson.

39Then the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees make the outside of the cup and dish clean, but your inward part is full of greed and wickedness. - The Pharisees kept the external regulations ……. but their

hearts were full of wickedness.

o Even though Jesus was a guest in the house of this Pharisee He did not hesitate to condemn the traditions which had been added to the law and which stood in the way of this Pharisee accepting the truth.

The Psalmist had said: Psalms 51:6 …… 6 Behold, thou

desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom. KJV

Someone has said …… “A cleansed body does not make a

pure heart any more than fine clothes make a noble character.”

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40“Foolish ones! Did not He who made the outside make the inside also? 41“But rather give alms of such things as you have; then indeed all things are clean to you.

- They are called “foolish ones” because they put emphasis on the wrong thing.

o At other times he called them hypocrites.

- They lacked the law of love (exemplified by the good Samaritan) - Concerning alms giving the conclusion is this:

o Paraphrase of vs. 41 …… “Let them do one single loving, unselfish act, not for the sake of the action itself, not for any merit inherent in it …… but out of pure good will toward others, and their whole inward condition would be different.”

42“But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass by justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.

- According to Strong’s concordance Woe means: 3759 ouai { oo-ah’-ee} a primary exclamation of grief;; interj AV - woe 41, alas 6; 47 GK - 4026 { oujaiv } 1)alas, woe - Several versions ……. give this type of translation to “woe” as

used here …… for example:

o “How terrible it will be for you Pharisees! ISV

- Tyndale New Testament Commentaries says ……. “Woe is an expression of regret, not of vindictiveness, with a meaning like ‘Alas’. Jesus grieves over the Pharisees for their tithing practices.”

o He also refers back to the usage of the same word in

Luke 6:24 – 26 and says …… “It is an expression of regret and compassion, not a threat.”

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o This thought of regret agrees with Jesus’ statement in Matthew 23:37 …..37“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! NKJV

- H. Leo Boles commenting on verse 42 says …… “A curse is

pronounced upon the Pharisees; Jesus was not talking ‘about’ the Pharisees, but he was talking ‘to’ them.”

- Lenski says …… “Woes” is the Lord’s own verdict upon these Pharisees.”

o No where in the New Testament …….. do we see Jesus come down as hard on a group of people as he does these Pharisees, and even to a greater extent in the “Woe Chapter” of Matthew 23.

There is no doubt ……. that Jesus regretted the fact

that the Pharisees would not give up their vain, man made traditions, that so many times alienated them and those that they taught from God.

There is also little doubt ……. that from the context

this is pronouncements of condemnation by Jesus on their actions and attitudes.

- They were tithing garden plants that were primarily used for

flavoring purposes.

o They were specialists in “majoring in minors” and “minoring in majors.”

- Their religion ….. of man made traditions, had taken them to the

point where they were completely bound up in the external forms and ceremonies of the law and well beyond the law, while completely neglecting the inward qualities of true religion like justice and the love of God.

o All of these things ……. had greatly contributed to the

destruction of the spiritual life of the nation because they were the spiritual leaders of the nation.

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Luke 12:1 points this out …… 1In the meantime, when an innumerable multitude of people had gathered together, so that they trampled one another, He began to say to His disciples first of all, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. NKJV

o The law did not require this kind of detail in tithing.

But …… Jesus does not say that they shouldn’t have done this …… this was not the problem.

The problem ……. was that the concentration on the

trivial had caused them to overlook the weightier more important matters.

• Tyndale said ….. “in their zeal for trifles they neglected

justice and the love of God.” 43“Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces. - These were ……. "seats at the front of the synagogue, around the pulpit, or

lectern, and faced the congregation." Coffman - Boles says ……. “The chief seats were elevated in a semicircle at one end of

the synagogue and facing the congregation.”

o Sometimes ……. these seats were sold to those who were able to pay the best price for them.

- The desire ……. for the chief seats or the chief places at feasts

was characteristic of the Pharisees ….. they loved positions of honor.

o They appeared very pious ……. and they loved religious

titles, the praise of men, and anything else that would give them pre-eminence among men

44“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like graves which are not seen, and the men who walk over them are not aware of them.”

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- Harpers Bible Dictionary …… hypocrisy, a term and idea that are primarily limited in the Bible to the NT writings. The Greek word transliterated into English as ‘hypocrite’ was used to denote an actor, one who performed behind a mask. Thus the popular understanding came to be that of persons who pretended to be something that they were not. It is interesting to note, however, that hypocrisy does not appear to be so limited in meaning in the NT. The term can sometimes denote general wickedness or evil, self-righteousness, pretense, or breach of ‘contract.’

- He says …… For you are like graves which are not seen, and the men who walk over them are not aware of them.”

o The Jewish New Testament says ……. 44 “Woe to you, because you are like unmarked graves, which people walk over without knowing it.”

Numbers 19:16 ….. 16‘Whoever in the open field touches one

who is slain by a sword or who has died, or a bone of a man, or a grave, shall be unclean seven days. NKJV

o In like manner ……… the people who were following the

Pharisees would be spiritually contaminated, through contact with, and emulation of, these hypocritical teachers.

45Then one of the lawyers answered and said to Him, “Teacher, by saying these things You reproach us also.”

- Lawyers ……. Luke is more concerned to distinguish Pharisees from professional legal experts than Matthew is (cf. Mt 23:13–29). Although some Pharisees worked as legal experts and some legal experts were Pharisees, these groups were not identical. The IVP Bible background commentary : New Testament

- This lawyer felt the heat and reacts accordingly.

o Tyndale says …… “You reproach us is scarcely strong enough. The verb means insult.”

The Jewish New Testament says …….. 45 One of the

experts in Torah answered him, “Rabbi, by saying these things you are insulting us also.” The NIV, ISV, DARBY, NRSV and others also.

- Coffman makes this insightful comment …… "The hit dog hollers;

so the lawyer complained."

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o The result ……. was that the Lord promptly pronounced three "woes" against the lawyers.

46And He said, “Woe to you also, lawyers! For you load men with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers.

- Matthew 23:1-4 …… 1Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples, 2saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. 3“Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do. 4“For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. NKJV

- Tyndale makes these comments …….. “The burdens hard to bear

were the scribal interpretations of the Law and the traditions of the elders. These were taken with the utmost seriousness. The Mishnah lays it down that it is more important to observe the scribal interpretations than the Law itself (Sanhedrin 11:3). The reasoning is that if it was a serious matter to offend against the Law which was sometimes hard to understand, it was a much more serious matter to offend against the interpretation which, the scribes thought, made everything clear. The lawyers ought to have expounded God’s Law in such a way that it helped and inspired people. Instead they made it a wearisome burden. The lawyers’ failure to touch the burdens with one of your fingers may mean that they did not lift a finger to help other people, or that their interpretations enabled them to escape themselves. They did not need even to use one finger.

- This is some of Barclay’s comments ……. “They were experts in the

law; they laid upon men the thousand and one burdens of the ceremonial law; but they did not keep them themselves, because they were experts in evasion. Here are some of their evasions. (I picked only one for use here)

o One of the forbidden works on the Sabbath was the tying of knots, such as

sailors' and camel drivers' knots, and knots in ropes; but a woman might tie a knot in her girdle. Therefore, if a bucket of water had to be raised from a well, a rope could not be knotted to it; but a woman's girdle could, and it could be raised by that!

- Barclay goes on to say …… It is incredible that men should ever have

thought that God could have laid down laws like that, and that the working out of such details was a religious service and the keeping of them a matter of life and death. But that was scribal religion. Little wonder that Jesus turned on the scribes, and that the scribes regarded him as an irreligious heretic.

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47“Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets, and your fathers killed them. 48“In fact, you bear witness that you approve the deeds of your fathers; for they indeed killed them, and you build their tombs. 49“Therefore the wisdom of God also said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill and persecute,’ 50“that the blood of all the prophets which was shed from the foundation of the world may be required of this generation, 51“from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah who perished between the altar and the temple. Yes, I say to you, it shall be required of this generation.

- They built tombs for the prophets ……. thus identifying with their forefathers who killed the prophets.

o Outwardly they seemed to honor the prophets …. but

inwardly they were rejecting the prophets.

And…… they never condemned their fathers for killing the prophets. This was another mark of their hypocrisy.

o They would be held responsible for the blood of all the

prophets.

The blood of Abel and Zechariah ……refers to the killing of innocent men involved in serving God.

• Abel was the first innocent victim (Gen. 4:8), and Zechariah

the priest (not the writing prophet, though see Matt. 23:35) was the last martyr in the Old Testament (2 Chron. 24:20-21; Chron. was last in the OT – according to the Jewish arrangement of the Old Testament).

o They professed to admire those prophets who were

dead …… with tombs and memorials …… but they hypocritically wanted to persecute and kill the living ones.

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52“Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge. You did not enter in yourselves, and those who were entering in you hindered.” - Jesus’ comes down hard on the lawyers …….. He points out

that not only were they staying away from knowledge …… they were also taking away the key, that is, they were keeping the true knowledge of Jesus and of the Scriptures from others.

o The “keys of knowledge” are those things that point to Jesus as the promised Messiah ……. the Old Testament Scriptures, the teachings of Jesus concerning the kingdom while He was among them, as well as all of His other teachings.

The lawyers were specialist …….in detailed trivial

exercises that perverted God’s word and made it impossible for the average man to understand God’s will at all.

• The lawyers professed to teach the meaning of

the Law, to be teachers of the people, but in fact they had taken away the key of knowledge …… the key that unlocks the meaning of Scripture and brings people to the knowledge of God.

The key point is this …….. because of this, and

their many other added traditions …… they were not able to enter the kingdom of God themselves and they hindered others from entering.

o Coffman makes this statement that makes us pause and

think about our own times …… “It should not fail to be noted that Satan still has his multitudes of "interpreters" who are neither entering the kingdom nor permitting others to enter.”

” 53And as He said these things to them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to assail Him vehemently, and to cross-examine Him about many things, 54lying in wait for Him, and seeking to

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catch Him in something He might say, that they might accuse Him.

o J. B. Phillips translation puts it this way …… And when he left the house, the scribes and the Pharisees began to regard him with bitter animosity and tried to draw him out on a great many subjects, waiting to pounce on some incriminating remark.

- Luke writes of this great tragedy of the mounting opposition to Jesus:

o Luke 6:9-11 …… 9Then Jesus said to them, “I will ask you one thing: Is

it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy?” 10And when He had looked around at them all, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he did so, and his hand was restored as whole as the other. 11But they were filled with rage, and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus. NKJV

o Luke 19:45-48 …… 45Then He went into the temple and began to drive

out those who bought and sold in it, 46saying to them, “It is written, ‘My house is a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’ ” 47And He was teaching daily in the temple. But the chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people sought to destroy Him, 48and were unable to do anything; for all the people were very attentive to hear Him. NKJV

o Luke 22:1-2 …… 1Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread drew near, which is called Passover. 2And the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might kill Him, for they feared the people. NKJV

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3The Holy Bible, New King James Version, (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, Inc.) 1982.