Luke 11:37-54. Thursday 6/18/26
Coleen Ross
Luke 11:37-54
37 Now when He had spoken, a Pharisee *asked Him to have lunch with him; and He went in, and reclined at the table. 38 When the Pharisee saw it, he was surprised that He had not first [a]ceremonially washed before the [b]meal. 39 But the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and of the platter; but [c]inside of you, you are full of robbery and wickedness. 40 You foolish ones, did not He who made the outside make the inside also? 41 But give that which is within as charity, and [d]then all things are clean for you.
42 “But woe to you Pharisees! For you pay tithe of mint and rue and every kind of garden herb, and yet disregard justice and the love of God; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others. 43 Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the chief seats in the synagogues and the respectful greetings in the market places. 44 Woe to you! For you are like [e]concealed tombs, and the people who walk over them are unaware of it.”
45 One of the [f]lawyers *said to Him in reply, “Teacher, when You say this, You insult us too.” 46 But He said, “Woe to you lawyers as well! For you weigh men down with burdens hard to bear, [g]while you yourselves will not even touch the burdens with one of your fingers. 47 Woe to you! For you build the [h]tombs of the prophets, and it was your fathers who killed them. 48 So you are witnesses and approve the deeds of your fathers; because it was they who killed them, and you build their tombs. 49 For this reason also the wisdom of God said, ‘I will send to them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill and some they will [i]persecute, 50 so that the blood of all the prophets, shed since the foundation of the world, may be [j]charged against this generation, 51 from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the house of God; yes, I tell you, it shall be [k]charged against this generation.’ 52 Woe to you [l]lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge; you yourselves did not enter, and you hindered those who were entering.”
53 When He left there, the scribes and the Pharisees began to be very hostile and to question Him closely on many subjects, 54 plotting against Him to catch [m]Him in something He might say.
Let's consider these questions for our discussion on Thursday:
- Jesus says the inside matters more than the outside. What are some modern examples of looking spiritually polished while struggling internally?
- What helps you stay honest about your inner life rather than managing appearances?
- The Pharisees tithed meticulously but neglected justice and the love of God. What are some ways believers today might do this?
- Where do you see the temptation for recognition or status in Christian culture today?
· How can we become people who lift burdens instead of adding them?
· Who in your life has helped lift a spiritual burden for you?
· How can Christians unintentionally hinder others from encountering Jesus?
· How have you seen hypocrisy impact the church and/or with those that don’t know God?
· Which of Jesus’ six woes hits closest to home for you right now?
· What is one practical step you can take this week to cultivate authentic inner transformation?
· How can our church community guard against the dangers Jesus exposes in this passage?