- Covered In His Dust
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- Luke Chapter 11 (part 3)
Good morning! ☀️
"When disciples followed a rabbi, they followed him closely so they would never be out of his sight, never be someplace where they couldn’t hear him speak. They followed him so closely that his sandals often kicked up dust."
May you be covered in His dust.
If this is your first time getting Covered in His Dust, WELCOME! Read Chapter 11 before reading my notes. They’ll make more sense. Read Luke 11 HERE.
Imagine the scene.
While Jesus is speaking, a Pharisee invites Him to dinner.
Cut to the next scene. Jesus is dining with the Pharisee, and the Pharisee notices Jesus didn’t wash before dinner.
The Pharisee isn’t worried about His hygiene. He’s worried about His ceremonial cleanliness. He’s astonished that Jesus isn’t following the traditional rituals and practices of purification before eating.
Mark’s account goes into a little more detail.
(For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands properly, holding to the tradition of the elders, and when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash.)
The rules for ceremonial washing before regular meals can be found in Jewish religious texts, specifically in the Mishnah and Talmud.
The Talmud is not considered to be the inspired word of God in the same way that the Torah (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible) is regarded by Judaism.
Instead, the Talmud is seen as a collection of rabbinical teachings, discussions, and interpretations of Jewish law and tradition.
It’s highly respected and revered in Jewish tradition as a comprehensive guide to Jewish life and practice, but it is not considered to be divinely inspired in the same sense as the Torah.
(Cut back to the story.)
Jesus notices the Pharisee’s shock and unleashes His frustration on them.
But before He speaks six “woes” against them, He calls out their hypocrisy.
Jesus is teaching that just because the Pharisees are clean on the outside, they’re filled with greed and wickedness on the inside. They’ve neglected the inside of their cup. It’s filthy.
Luke doesn’t record this story so that we can look back at those Pharisees and lawyers in judgment but so that we can examine our own hearts and properly clean our own cups.
“But give as alms those things that are within, and behold, everything is clean for you.”
'Alms' refers to acts of charity or assistance offered to those in need, which can include not only material gifts like money or food but also acts of kindness and support.
Jesus is cautioning the ‘experts in the law,’ highlighting the importance of not only external acts of charity but also the internal qualities of compassion, generosity, and genuine concern for others.
This verse is a stern warning against the hypocrisy of focusing solely on outward observances or rituals while neglecting the deeper virtues of the heart.
What is a Pharisee exactly?
In ancient Judaism, people who followed the beliefs and practices of the Pharisees were considered Pharisees. Becoming one didn't need an official process. People joined by going to Pharisee places of worship, learning from Pharisee teachers, and agreeing with Pharisee ways of understanding Jewish law.
A modern-day comparison in the USA could be different Christian affiliations. People today join specific Christian denominations based on their shared beliefs, practices, and the group they feel connected to. For example, someone might call themselves Baptist, Methodist, Catholic, or Lutheran based on what they believe and how they practice their faith, much like people who aligned with the Pharisees in ancient Judaism.
I always thought of Pharisees as priests or religious leaders, and some of them were, but I never thought of them as a group of regular men who were committed to studying and upholding religious laws and traditions.
The first three ‘woes’ go to the Pharisees.
Jesus warns the Pharisees about their misplaced priorities, emphasizing the importance of genuine love for God and others over religious practices. He criticizes their meticulous observance of rituals, such as tithing even the smallest herbs, while neglecting justice and the love of God.
This passage highlights the danger of “religiosity” — the love of going through religious motions for the sake of tradition or personal fulfillment rather than out of genuine devotion to God and care for others.
“That’s not me.” or “Where is that me?”
Are we more concerned with appearing Christian than with truly loving our neighbors and honoring God?
For so many years I…
Went to church,
Raised my hands during praise and worship,
Listened to the pastor’s message,
Dropped a little cash in the offering in the basket,
Closed my eyes during prayer,
All to keep my wife happy and so I could hurry home to watch football. And rather than praying for or helping the man at the top of the off-ramp with a sign, I judged him, “I don’t know why he doesn’t just get a job.”
We need to make sure our hearts are truly aligned with the values of love and compassion.
The second ‘woe.’
When Jesus says, "Woe to you, Pharisees! For you love the best seat in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces," He’s highlighting the Pharisees' desire for prominence and respect.
The "best seat in the synagogues" refers to a place of honor reserved for esteemed individuals, while "greetings in the marketplaces" signifies the Pharisees' desire for public recognition and deference.
The third ‘woe’ to the Pharisees.
In ancient Jewish tradition, graves were often marked or whitewashed to prevent accidental contact and to signal their presence for ritual purity reasons.
Whitewashing the graves made them more visible and distinguishable, reducing the risk of someone accidentally coming into contact with them and becoming ritually impure.
Jesus is comparing the Pharisees to unmarked graves. Just like people might accidentally walk over a hidden grave and become ritually impure, Jesus suggests that the Pharisees' hidden faults and hypocrisy could harm those who follow them without realizing their true nature.
One of the lawyers answered him, “Teacher, in saying these things, you insult us also.”
Now it’s the Lawyer’s turn.
Lawyers in ancient Jewish society were not necessarily legal professionals in the modern sense. Instead, they were scholars and experts in religious law who devoted themselves to studying and teaching the Torah and other religious texts.
They were responsible for interpreting the law, resolving disputes, and providing guidance to the community on matters of religious practice and ethical conduct.
The Torah is the most important book in Judaism. It's made up of the first five books of the Bible, also referred to as 'the Law'—Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy—it includes stories, legal codes, and ethical teachings crucial to Jewish belief and practice.
We burden others without bearing any weight ourselves.
And he said, “Woe to you lawyers also! For you load people with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers.”
We are SO good at this. We tell other people all the things they should do but are unwilling to do it ourselves.
This happens all the time.
“Why doesn’t the church do this?”
“Why doesn’t the preacher do that?”
Jesus answers the question with his own question: “Why don’t you do it?”
Jesus is condemning the hypocrisy of the religious leaders of his time. He accuses them of honoring the prophets of the past, whom their ancestors had killed, while they themselves continue to reject and persecute the messengers sent by God.
By building tombs for the prophets, they outwardly show reverence, but inwardly, they continue the same pattern of rejecting God's messengers.
Jesus warns them that they will be held accountable for the bloodshed of all the prophets, from the time of Abel to the present generation. This demonstrates the continuity of rejection of God's message throughout history and the responsibility of the current generation for their actions.
Throughout His ministry, Jesus faced relentless opposition and ultimate rejection from religious leaders, culminating in His crucifixion, despite being sent by God as the ultimate prophet and Messiah.
John the Baptist, who preceded Jesus, also endured rejection and persecution from the religious establishment, ultimately meeting his death through execution.
The lawyers, like their forefathers, resisted God’s message and God’s messenger, Jesus Christ, and what He taught.
“Not me,” or “Where do I reject God’s message?”
When we honor God’s Holy Word, we must do what He says.
Responding to the needs of the poor, oppressed, and marginalized in society:
"Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow's cause." Isaiah 1:17
Embracing the call to love and serve others with compassion and humility:
"Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves." Philippians 2:3
Choosing healthy and constructive behaviors, avoiding substance abuse or violence.
"Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God." Galatians 5:19-21
The final ‘woe.’
Jesus is scolding the lawyers, who were supposed to teach about God's laws, for not doing their job properly. By saying they "took away the key of knowledge," Jesus means they made it hard for people to understand God's truth.
Jesus accuses them of not obeying God's laws themselves and actively preventing others from learning about God. Essentially, Jesus is condemning their hypocrisy and negligence.
Did you learn anything new today?
Did you think, “Not me,” or “Where do I?”
We cannot continue to peruse the Bible and not understand what we’re reading.
For this is the will of God, your sanctification:
"Sanctified" means to be made holy, purified, or set apart for a sacred purpose. In the context of being sanctified to the image of Christ through reading the Bible, it evokes a process of spiritual transformation where we become more like Christ in character and behavior.
We must become more like Him.
I love you,
George
Desperately seeking His presence