Luke 12:1-3 — “Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy…” In these verses Jesus gave a severe warning to his disciples. He warned them against the sin that characterised the Pharisees – those who claimed to be the most devoted to the Law. He told them that: (1) hypocrisy cannot be contained,…

Luke 11:49-54 — “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.” In Jesus’s day, people looked to the lawyers for the answers to life’s most important questions. Being experts in the Word of God, the lawyers were…

Luke 11:47-48 — “Woe unto you! for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, and your fathers killed them. Truly ye bear witness that ye allow the deeds of your fathers…”  Jesus accused the law experts in His day of giving their approval to the murder of the prophets. How could this be? Didn’t these…

Luke 11:45-54 — “Woe unto you also, ye lawyers!…” A lawyer in First Century Judea and Galilee was akin to a cross between a law professor and a minister of religion. He was an expert in the Law of Moses and primarily a teacher. Many lawyers also belonged to the sect of the Pharisees or…

Luke 11:42-44 — “Woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God…” As he sat at lunch in a Pharisee’s home, Jesus declared a short series of “woes” against the Pharisees! He denounced them for certain aspects of their character…

Luke 11:37-41 — “Did not he that made that which is without make that which is within also?” Jesus had kindly accepted an invitation to a meal in the home of a Pharisee. When He did not wash his hands before eating, the Pharisee was amazed. This washing was not for hygienic purposes, but was a…

Luke 11:37 — “And as he spake, a certain Pharisee besought him to dine with him: and he went in, and sat down to meat.” The Pharisees were Jesus’ fiercest critics. They opposed Him just about everywhere He went. In this chapter we see them going so far as to accuse Jesus of being a…

Luke 11:33-36 — “Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness.” Jesus had performed many signs that testified to who He was, and yet the people were asking for more. They were effectively laying the blame for their refusal to believe at Jesus’ feet. So Jesus turned the spotlight onto them. He addressed their spiritual perception and called into question the light they thought they had…

Luke 11:29-32 — “This is an evil generation: they seek a sign; and there shall no sign be given it, but the sign of Jonas the prophet…” In this passage Jesus had some very stern words for those who’d come out to see Him. He knew why they had come and He knew the condition of…

Luke 11:27-28 — “But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.” In this lesser known incident in Jesus’ public ministry, we see Him responding to a woman who called out while He was teaching. She expressed her admiration for Jesus by acknowledging the privilege that had been…