Luke 11:37-54

Jesus rebuked the scribes and Pharisees -- Luke 11:37-54: Jesus condemned the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law of Moses. As Jesus ate with a Pharisee he was shocked that Jesus did not keep their custom of washing hands before eating. This was ceremonial washings. Jesus told him that they were clean on the outside but on the inside they were greedy and evil. The same God who made the outside made the inside also. The Pharisees were in trouble. They gave a tenth of the small garden spices. But at the same time they cheated people and they did not love God. They should have given the tenth but they also should have done right daily. They were unclean and did not even know it! In Luke 11:44 we read, "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are as graves which appear not, and the men that walk over them are not aware of them." (Luke 11:44) In Numbers 19:16, the Law makes every person who touches a grave unclean for a week. The lawyers were also in trouble because they ladened others with burdens but helped no one. They joined their fathers in horrible acts. Their fathers killed the prophets and they built their tombs. Jesus said, "Woe unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered." Sadly, the Pharisees and others tried to catch Jesus in what He said instead of loving and serving Him.