Luke 11:37-52

3^rd Midweek Advent Service

December 16, 2009

Luke 11:37-52 (New International Version)

³⁷When Jesus had finished speaking, a Pharisee invited him to eat with him; so he went in and reclined at the table. ³⁸But the Pharisee, noticing that Jesus did not first wash before the meal, was surprised.

³⁹Then the Lord said to him, "Now then, you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. ⁴⁰You foolish people! Did not the one who made the outside make the inside also? ⁴¹But give what is inside the dish ^[a] to the poor, and everything will be clean for you.

⁴²"Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone.

⁴³"Woe to you Pharisees, because you love the most important seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces.

⁴⁴"Woe to you, because you are like unmarked graves, which men walk over without knowing it."

⁴⁵One of the experts in the law answered him, "Teacher, when you say these things, you insult us also."

⁴⁶Jesus replied, "And you experts in the law, woe to you, because you load people down with burdens they can hardly carry, and you yourselves will not lift one finger to help them.

⁴⁷"Woe to you, because you build tombs for the prophets, and it was your forefathers who killed them. ⁴⁸So you testify that you approve of what your forefathers did; they killed the prophets, and you build their tombs. ⁴⁹Because of this, God in his wisdom said, 'I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and others they will persecute.' ⁵⁰Therefore this generation will be held responsible for the blood of all the prophets that has been shed since the beginning of the world, ⁵¹from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, this generation will be held responsible for it all.

⁵²"Woe to you experts in the law, because you have taken away the key to knowledge. You yourselves have not entered, and you have hindered those who were entering."

Wait for Jesus in Sureness

Are you familiar with the symbolism of the two masks for drama? Two masks appear together: one with a happy face and one with a sad face. It is the origin of the expression “two-faced.” The mask symbol for drama is a historical reference to ancient Greece. The actors in Greek plays would wear masks which reflected the character and mood they were portraying. The Greek actors were known as “hypocrites” – which means “mask-wearers” or “pretenders.” The term “hypocrite” began to have a wider meaning. It came to refer to anyone who lived or spoke publically in one way, but was something different on the inside. More than once, Jesus called the religious leaders like the Pharisees of his day “hypocrites.” Outwardly they looked pious and godly, but inwardly they were far from God.

It was exactly that for which Jesus called out the Pharisees in the text from Luke 11. Jesus had been invited to eat at the home of a Pharisee. His host was surprised that Jesus did not wash his hands before eating. It wasn’t concern for Jesus’ health that brought the Pharisee’s concern. Rather he was offended that Jesus did not behave like they did…ceremoniously washing hand in pre-meal ritual according to their tradition. It was ceremonially cleansing they wanted? It was exactly that Jesus offered!

In response to their hypocritical offense against Jesus, he responded with a list of six “woes” against their two-faced behavior. Listen again to them.

· They gave a tenth as offerings, but give no love to God

· They love the important seats in church and public greetings

· They are like unmarked graves which people walk over

· They load people with heavy spiritual burdens but offer no help

· They built tombs for the prophets their forefathers had killed

· They took away the key to knowledge for others to truly know God

These self-proclaimed spiritual leaders of God’s people were as far from a relationship from God as could be, and worse, they led God’s people in the same direction. They hid from people the key to being right with God. They denied them the sureness of salvation!

It sure would be nice to jump on the anti-Pharisee band-wagon and lead the charge against their hypocrisy, if fact I would want to volunteer to drive the wagon. It would be nice… until we take a close look at ourselves. Jesus wasn’t calling them out for their hypocrisy for the sake of their public humiliation. It was a loving call for self-examination. It was their Savior’s loving call to repentance and salvation in him!

It is the same loving call our Savior gives to us. You and I stand before our heavenly Father equally guilty of hypocrisy. We stand alongside the Pharisees equally guilty-as-charged. Our lips often do not reflect our relationship to God. Words of cursing and lies fall from our lips. We often go through the churchy motions but, don’t we often find our hearts far from God’s Word? Along with the Pharisees, we should find heaven locked with God having thrown away the key.

Except he didn’t throw the key away. The very key the Pharisees hid from their people was sitting in their very midst. Jesus IS the key. It is he who live with no hypocrisy. No lies came from his lips. There was nothing on the inside that Jesus didn’t show on the outside. What he showed on the outside was exactly what the Pharisees, you and I need: the key!

His perfect life unlocked the door to heaven. The sacrifice of his blood purified us for salvation. He was not two-faced. He only showed one face to the world – the face of love and life! As we prepare for his first coming at Christmas, and eagerly anticipate his coming again, we do so in sureness…sureness of those whose sins are forgiven and whose eternal life is certain!

Amen.