Luke 11:45 to 12:12

Summary
In today’s reading, Jesus condemns the lawyers’ attitude towards the people. He said they perverted God’s law to favour their own selfish motives and they laid heavy burden on mens shoulders which they themselves could not bear. He also blamed them for supporting their fathers’ evil ways and conduct of killing the prophets, and for taking away the key to knowledge and would not enter and also hinder those who were entering. For their evil ways, God was sending prophets and apostles to them whom they would kill and persecute and it would be required of their generation and they would be held responsible for the blood of the prophets from Abel to Zachariah.
Jesus warned His disciples and others to guard against the religion of the Pharisees, explaining to them to live an open life because, whatever they thought was either hidden or concealed would be disclosed and revealed.
He further warned that we should fear Him who can kill both flesh and the soul and not man who can only kill the flesh. Jesus made us to understand that God loves us and we are precious to Him and that our hair is numbered. We shouldn’t be ashamed of our Saviour rather, we must acknowledge Him. He also admonished us not to blaspheme against the Holy Spirit and that the Holy Spirit will always teach us what to say at all times if we trust and depend on Him.

Life Application
As Christians, our character and conduct must be consistent. We should learn from Jesus’ rebuke of the lawyers. He wasn’t happy about their hypocrisy and their double standard life misleading others because of their selfish motives, practicing religion instead of showing people the true way. As believers, we should practice what we preach. Our words should be congruent to our actions which is what is required of us.

Finally, we need to rely on the Holy Spirit to guide, teach and reveal God’s secret to us for us to live a victorious life.

Personal Declaration
I will live an exemplary life for others to follow and depend on the Holy Spirit for guidance.

Reading – Luke 11:45 to 12:12

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

⁴⁶ Jesus 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 ancestors who killed them. ⁴⁸ So you testify that you approve of what your ancestors did; they killed the prophets, and you build their tombs. ⁴⁹ Because 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.’ ⁵⁰ Therefore this generation will be held responsible for the blood of all the prophets that has been shed since the beginning of the world, ⁵¹ from 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.”

⁵³ When Jesus went outside, the Pharisees and the teachers of the law began to oppose him fiercely and to besiege him with questions, ⁵⁴ waiting to catch him in something he might say.

Warnings and Encouragements

12 Meanwhile, when a crowd of many thousands had gathered, so that they were trampling on one another, Jesus began to speak first to his disciples, saying: “Be^[a] on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. ² There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. ³ What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs.

⁴ “I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. ⁵ But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after your body has been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him. ⁶ Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. ⁷ Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

⁸ “I tell you, whoever publicly acknowledges me before others, the Son of Man will also acknowledge before the angels of God. ⁹ But whoever disowns me before others will be disowned before the angels of God. ¹⁰ And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.

¹¹ “When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, ¹² for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say.”