Sermon Tone Analysis
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The Pharisaic Problem ()
Jesus is invited to dine with a Pharisee: Jesus was often criticized for eating with tax collectors and sinners, but He also ate with Pharisees.
Jesus did not eat and mingle with people as a means of approving their behavior.
He ate and mingled with people in order to help them and teach them!
Ritual cleansing vs. spiritual cleansing: The Pharisee is shocked that Jesus doesn’t follow the tradition of the elders regarding ritual cleansing before eating.
This typifies the problem with Pharisaic thinking.
While they ardently obey traditions they themselves have created, they neglect or reject true religion.
They are more concerned with ritual washing of their hands (which wasn’t even commanded in the Law) than with loving and caring for their neighbors.
They are concerned with ritual uncleanness, but Jesus highlights their spiritual uncleanness.
Jesus was often criticized for eating with tax collectors and sinners, but He also ate with Pharisees.
Jesus did not eat and mingle with people as a means of approving their behavior.
He ate and mingled with people in order to help them and teach them!
Woes to the Pharisees and Scribes ()
Woe 1: Majoring in the Minors (Lk.
11:42)
While the Pharisees were particular to count out a tenth, even of their little gardens, they did not execute justice or love God and His people.
Mt.
While details are important, we should never focus on the details to the detriment of the major themes and purposes of God.
If we go through all the right motions but neglect righteousness and love, then we have followed the way of the Pharisee.
Woe 2: Arrogance (Lk.
11:43)
The Pharisees wanted to lead for the power and prestige.
God wants shepherds that serve as leaders, not egomaniacs and tyrants that domineer God’s people.
Woe 3: Defiling the People (Lk.
11:44)
Touching a grave made one unclean for 7 days.
Thus, it was important to mark graves so that someone didn’t inadvertently cross over one, defiling themselves unsuspectingly.
Jesus says the Pharisees are unmarked graves.
In other words, those who followed the Pharisees suspected they were doing right, when really they were being led down the road of hypocrisy and formalism.
As Jesus says in other places, the Pharisees were “blind leaders of the blind.”
A leader’s job is to lead people to Christ through faithful obedience to Christ and sound teaching.
One of the greatest tragedies in existence is that of leaders who lead people away from God.
At this point, a scribe interrupts.
Scribes were also Pharisees, but the most highly trained ones.
They viewed themselves as better than normal people and even better than typical Pharisees.
They were the experts of the Law.
They were offended that Jesus grouped them with the other Pharisees.
The next several woes show that was intentional on Jesus’ part!
Woe 4: Burdening the People (Lk.
11:46)
The lawyers and religious experts were the ones who created and enforced the myriads of traditions in addition to the Law.
The effect of these man-made traditions was to place an unbearable burden on the people.
For example, the Sabbath was a day created for man’s spiritual benefit, but their traditions turned a blessing from God into a burden.
Worse still, as experts in the Law they knew and found all forms of loopholes which allowed them to do mostly what they wanted.
What they should have done with their knowledge was use it to teach the simple truth of God’s Law, thus helping the people, not burdening them.
Leaders today must be good students of the Word, but they must then take that knowledge to teach and serve the people.
We must also stick simply to the law of Christ, without adding traditions and commandments of our own which become a burden to God’s people.
Woe 5: Killers of God’s Prophets (Lk.
11:47-51)
Israel had a terrible track-record for killing the prophets whom God sent to them.
The Pharisees thought they were different - they even built fancy tombs and memorials to the prophets.
This outward show didn’t change their inner wickedness.
Like their forefathers, they too hated the truth and God’s servants.
They would show this absolutely when they killed Jesus.
Their forefathers had killed the servants and forerunners.
They would kill God’s Son.
They would kill the very Messiah the prophets of old typified and pointed forward to.
Their fathers killed individual prophets—they would kill the culmination of all the prophets, Jesus the Christ.
Woe 6: Taking Away the Keys (Lk.
11:52)
As experts in the Law, the Lawyers should have possessed the key to understanding the Law’s interpretation and purpose.
Instead, they locked up the blessing of God’s Law through their traditions and attitude towards Scripture.
They viewed God’s Law as something only the expert could understand, thus everyone would have to rely on them to understand and obey the Law.
Since they preferred their traditions, they didn’t understand or obey the Law themselves, and they kept others from doing so also.
Leaders have a responsibility to study and teach, but not for prominence or glory.
We teach the Scripture so that all can hear and understand them.
We help one another unlock the truth of Scripture.
A knowledgeable congregation isn’t a threat to a church leader - it’s a glory to God! Leaders are not experts with all the answers, they are servants seeking the truth of God’s Word, and they help others do the same.
Warnings to the Disciples ()
Jesus leaves the Pharisee’s home, but the crowds are aware of what’s transpired.
Thousands of people gather to see an here Jesus.
Jesus uses the opportunity to teach primarily His disciples, but His words are surely meant for the crowd as well.
From the disciple’s point of view, however, these words are directed at them.
Religious people often aim their teaching at outsiders and unbelievers.
While they need the truth, we can’t make the mistake of thinking Jesus’ demands and commands are meant for others, not ourselves.
Much of what is recorded in is identical or at least similar to the Sermon on the Mount, which Jesus had taught sometime earlier in Galilee.
Warning 1: Hypocrisy ()
As Jesus points out directly on other occasions, the primary problem among the Pharisees is hypocrisy.
This is something followers of Christ must be particularly wary of.
Everyone hates hypocrisy, but everyone is tempted to play the hypocrite at some point.
Just as leaven is an invasive influence, so too is the hypocrisy of the Pharisees.
Hypocrisy is simply saying one thing but behaving in a different way.
Claiming to love the Lord yet living like the world is hypocrisy.
It tarnishes our reputation and influence, and damages our own spiritual welfare.
All Christian bust beware the danger of hypocrisy.
Warning 2: Proper Fear ()
One reason for hypocrisy is fear.
When we fear men or desire the praise of men, we may act in ways that contradict our actual belief.
This was true then, and true now.
Whether we fear ridicule, ostracism, financial persecution, or even death, the truth is we have nothing to fear.
There is only so much that man can do to us.
In fact, the worst they can do is send us home to be with the Lord.
On the other hand, God holds power over both our life and soul.
-43
With this warning comes a promise: you are of immense value to God above.
As one man says:
“Don’t fear men who hate you.
Rather, fear the Father who loves you.”
(Mark Moore, Chronological Life of Christ, pg.
393)
Warning 3: Attitude Towards the Holy Spirit ()
Simply put, the Pharisees denied Jesus despite the testimony of Old Testament Scripture which pointed to Him, His own words, and the miracles He performed by the Holy Spirit.
The reason there was no forgiveness was they had denied everything God had provided.
If they wouldn’t believe after those things, there was nothing else God would send that could convince them.
The warning is this: don’t reject what God has provided.
The Spirit has given us the Word.
If we reject that, then there is no hope of salvation.
Once more, Jesus gives a promise.
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