WHEN 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 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.”
53When Jesus left there, the Pharisees and the teachers of the law began to oppose him fiercely and to besiege him with questions, 54waiting to catch him in something he might say.
Original Meaning
THIS PASSAGE CONTAINS Jesus’ most direct rebuke of the Pharisees and scribes, a significant portion of the Jewish religious leadership.1 The difference between Jesus and them has become a chasm, and this exchange deepens their resolve to remove him. The Pharisees and scribes were not the majority on the ruling council of Judaism (the Sadducees were), but they did have great influence there. While the Sadducees basically followed the Torah (Genesis to Deuteronomy), the Pharisees developed an extensive tradition of oral law, applying it to every area of life; this factor made them the strictest of the Jewish religious sects. Though small in number (estimated to be over 6,000 at this time), as a lay movement they represented one of the more powerful influences on Judaism.2 The scribes were scholars who tried to determine what following the law meant. They were respected by most Jews.
The setting of this section is a meal, where many significant discussions occur in Luke (cf. 5:29; 7:36; 10:38; 14:1; 22:1; 24:42). The catalyst is Jesus’ failure to wash his hands in preparation for eating. Jewish practice often noted this action in the Old Testament and followed it, though it was not included in God’s law (Gen. 18:4; Judg. 19:21; cf. Mark 7:1–5).3 Jesus knows what his host is thinking, so he addresses all of the Pharisees about the question. He begins with a fourfold rebuke. The first is a general rebuke, and the last three consist of specific woes.
The general complaint is that the Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside there is the filth of extortion and greed. In the language of 11:33–36, they are dark inside; they have not taken in light. In mentioning “greed,” Jesus seems to have in mind the leadership’s use of resources (Matt. 23:16–22; Luke 20:45–47), while moral integrity is the issue in the reference to “wickedness” (Gk. poneria). His rebuke sounds like the prophets (Isa. 1:10–17; 58:4–8; Amos 5:21–24; Micah 6:6–8), whose call for integrity in relating to those around them serves the basis for Jesus’ rebuke. He is committed to challenging these people who claim to represent God and his ways.
Jesus raises a question. Did not God create both the inside and the outside? The Greek particle ouk that begins this sentence indicates that a positive answer is anticipated. That is, God is concerned with both spheres. In fact, the inside is especially of concern to him. That is why he calls them “foolish people” even before he raises the question.
Using a metaphor and a common custom of giving alms to the poor, Jesus calls on them to give alms to what is inside.4 This figure means that a person should give energy to the care of the heart, like a person who might perform the venerated act of offering alms to the poor. That is, one should be sensitive both to God and to others. Alms was an honorable religious act, so this attention to the inner life is honorable as well. In doing so, the inner life will be clean.
Jesus then offers three rebukes. The first treats tithing, even of the smallest herbs, as the Old Testament calls for (Deut. 14:22–27; 26:12–15), while ignoring justice and love. The complaint is like that in verses 39–41. They should be sensitive both to tithing and to their character.
But hypocrisy is not the only problem. There also is the issue of pride. They love the front seats in the synagogue and the special greetings they receive on the road. Such privileged attention leads to an elitist mentality rather than to the commitment to serve. In fact, Jesus describes them as being like death for others, since they are like an unmarked grave over which people walk without knowing. They are the conductors of spiritual uncleanness, because they do not model real spirituality. Such leadership is destructive, so Jesus pulls no punches in condemning it.
Someone at the table comes to the Pharisees’ defense. A scribe notes that if Jesus insists on condemning the Pharisees, he must include the scribes also. This man has nerve, but at least he is honest, unlike others who keep their opinions to themselves.
So Jesus issues three more rebukes, this time with the scribes in view.5 The first rebuke can be understood in one of two ways. One view argues it may refer to outright hypocrisy, where the leadership requires of others what they will not do themselves. In other texts, Jesus complains about oaths others take, while the Pharisees excuse themselves by how they make the oath (Matt. 23:16–22). The second views see a more subtle form of hypocrisy, where they offer no aid or loving support to help those who have great burdens to bear.6 For example, the Sabbath controversies show how the Sabbath law restrictions prevented works of compassion on such days (Luke 13:10–17). Since the tradition seems fairly clear that the leaders took their rules seriously, it seems that the complaint is about showing lack of compassion to others as the burdens of the rules are pursued. So Jesus complains that they call on others to bear the weight of tradition on their back, but do nothing to help them carry the load. In effect, Jesus calls on them to be more considerate and compassionate.
The condemnation becomes even stronger when a historical tie to the past is made with a twist. Jesus notes their forefathers’ building of tombs for the prophets. He argues, using a rhetorical picture, that they approve of what their fathers did. The best prophet was a dead prophet! They are like their ancestors, who not only built the tombs, but helped to put the prophets there by denying their message! They killed the prophets, and the scribes honor the tombs they created. Jesus is confident that the pattern will continue with another set of prophets and apostles (cf. Jer. 7:25).
John the Baptist already revealed the potential for the pattern to emerge, and God knows they will persecute the messengers to come. So they will be held responsible both for their actions and for the actions of all who have rejected God since the days of Abel.7 Since Jesus is the one who reverses all sin, to deny him means culpability for the presence of all sin. Luke highlights once again the crucial choice that Jesus creates. It is a terrible thing to be a generation responsible for creating an environment of rejection around Jesus. As 19:41–44 indicates, judgment of the nation is the first major consequence.
In the strongest remark of all, Jesus condemns the scribes for being the exact opposite of what they think. They believe they possess the key of knowledge.8 But in fact, they are an obstacle to truth. Not only do they not enter through the door, but they stop others from getting in. There can be no greater rebuke for teachers of religion. This charge is like the unmarked grave charge of verse 44.
These woes are a devastating condemnation of pride and self-assurance in the pursuit of piety. The neglected heart has become a blind and hard heart. The obsessive pursuit of what is right can result in some serious wrong. The reaction is immediate. The scribes and Pharisees begin to “lie in wait” for Jesus, or, as the NIV says, “besiege him.” They hope to catch him in some major error (their final effort in this regard will come in 20:1–40). If they can trap him, maybe Rome can get rid of him. The woes Jesus pronounces do not lead to repentance, but to hardness of heart.
Bridging Contexts
THE PHARISEES LIVED lives of legalism and hypocrisy as they tried to walk with God. At the same time, they were neglecting what was taking place around them and missing what God had sent to them. Though they believed deeply in what they tried to teach, zeal and sincerity were not enough. Jesus wanted them to be clean of greed and wickedness and be filled with justice and the love of God.
Though these woes were directed against the Pharisees, a religious group that no longer exists, the spiritual errors of their walk are still with us today. The issues Jesus raises here are dangers that those of a conservative theological bent always face. In pursuit of truth and the way of God, far too many people conduct their zeal for righteousness by making sure that every “i” is dotted and every “t” crossed, and by watching over others to make sure they are acting properly. On the other hand, these same people have often lost sensitivity to God’s call for justice. God wants us to care about those whose plight is less fortunate than our own (Rom. 12:16). We must let God define truth through his Word and not allow our own preferences and traditions to dictate our actions.
A note should also be made about Jesus’ tone and manner of approach in his ministry. He was open and frank in his response to the Pharisees. He issued his rebuke in public, after having spent considerable time with this group. He had no hidden agenda and did not engage in behind-the-scenes criticism of the Pharisees—unlike his opposition, who tended to talk behind his back and plotted secretly his demise. Jesus was honest about where he stood and where he thought they stood, and he gave them numerous opportunities to change.
Why was Jesus so hard on this religious group? Though the text does not tell us, their claim to represent God and then be an obstacle to him made these opponents dangerous to the spiritual well-being of others. A sinner who knows he or she is such is not a hypocrite. What you see is what you get. But a religious person who does the opposite of what he or she says is not only a liar, but is also often a cause for others becoming closed to God. Our claims to represent God and his ways must reflect the compassion and service Christ calls for here. So Jesus takes their religious hypocrisy seriously, even if it comes from well-meaning people. That reality also is a bridge into our era.
Contemporary Significance
THIS TEXT IS about religious hypocrisy and legalism and how God condemns it. I have been in groups that could have been cousins to the Pharisees. The environment is stifling. One gets the feeling that everyone is watching everyone else and knows what he or she is doing. Their goal is to catch them at some sin so they can let them know it, all in the name of mutual accountability—an accountability where the right to criticize is a given but the right to be criticized is rejected. Just as the Pharisees checked to see if Jesus washed his hands according to custom, so such people check on a whole series of forbidden or required activities to see if a person is right with God. A legalistic person feels he or she has the right to be everyone’s spiritual keeper, using a list of requirements that is not scriptural. Legalism usually blocks the true knowledge of God, so that people are damaged, not edified. That is what makes it so insidious.
Legalism can manifest itself in various ways. (1) Frequently legalists refuse to speak directly to those whose behavior bothers them. The Pharisees disagree here about what Jesus is doing, but they discuss it only privately, in their own inner circle.
(2) Legalists major in minors and ignore the major relational requirements God asks of his followers. Jesus’ major complaint is that in keeping such close tabs on what is on the outside, the inner heart is ignored, and along with that, justice and God’s love. Jesus is not decrying tithing or watching out for one’s spiritual walk. What he does condemn is a pretense of being so self-focused on spiritual matters that one ignores the condition of the heart and fails to notice those who are truly hurting.
(3) The close association of pride with this condition is no accident. Pride tends to make us into nonlisteners. We can speak, but we cannot hear. We think no one has anything to tell us. If so, we are slipping into a legalistic, prideful mind-set, which is death to genuine spirituality. We should criticize only with the attitude that we too are tempted and might fall into sin (cf. Gal. 6:1).
(4) A legalist is often quick to criticize but slow to help. In making sure others know their spiritual responsibilities, they often are the last in line to encourage others in the pursuit of those goals. The absence of relational commitment is a symptom of a deeper problem. If there was one thing Jesus’ ministry shows us, it is a commitment to people.
One of my students once told me about his days at his college, a school he now regards as teeming with legalism. They had a student demerit system for everything. Students received demerits for walking on the grass. At night, boys and girls were required to walk at least three feet apart on campus. Dating on the weekend required that the couple stay within the town’s city limits. A certain number of demerits led to a letter to the pastor, then a second level to pastor and parents, and then finally to expulsion. In other words, three strikes and you were out! One student apologizing to a professor for a prank pulled in class asked for forgiveness but received a lecture that he would never amount to anything and never be a success in ministry. The professor refused to talk with him after the confession. Something is wrong when grace is elevated as the central message of God’s Word and little grace is evidenced in actual practice. While these rules may have been well motivated, many of the students suffered great emotional damage. It is difficult to appreciate grace and forgiveness while living the Christian life with such a scorecard environment. Legalism is like carbon dioxide suffocation; it kills slowly and sometimes very subtly.
In contrast to the characteristics of legalism, Jesus is a model of how to pursue righteousness. He encourages those who feel out of touch with God so that they can know him. Though he points out sin, he also points the way to righteousness, simply noting the consequences of a failure to respond. Spirituality is not demanded; it is offered, though he makes clear the accountability one undertakes by failing to respond. In our battle with our culture, which often thinks little of spiritual discipline, honesty, integrity, and justice, the church can learn from Jesus’ model of forthright but gentle persuasion.
Finally, Jesus’ pronouncement of woes means that everyone, including those who claim an association with God, are accountable for their choices. Our culture loves to claim the right to choose. But such “rights” do not end the ethical discussion. One must also embrace the responsibility that comes with the choice. Jesus’ condemnation of those who seek to exercise control in an overbearing way does not mean that people have license before God to do what they wish without impunity. Jesus’ warning to the Pharisees is a warning to all. So choose wisely.