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Jesus reserved some of His sternest criticisms for the Pharisees. While it is easy to be entertained by how He 'clocked' and 'shaded' them, we can never overlook the key lessons those interactions contained. They contain takeaways that we must recognize and put into practice to faithfully serve the Lord.
Let us consider what Jesus told a group of Pharisees in Luke 11:44 - “Woe to you, because you are like unmarked graves, which people walk over without knowing it.” I've previously failed to give this warning adequate attention, but during a recent Bible study, these words lit up, and I couldn't ignore them.
Old Testament context is needed to better understand. Numbers 19:16 states that anyone who touches a grave, human bone, or corpse is defiled for seven days. A defiled person is considered unclean and shouldn't be around others or even touch things others will use so as not to make them unclean too. Lepers were deemed unclean and had to stay away from society, hence why one leper came back overjoyed to praise Jesus upon realizing he was healed.
Being unclean required the person to stay away from others during their period of defilement, then take certain steps to complete their cleansing. This applied to women during their monthly menstruation, for instance. It is partly why the woman with the issue of blood was desperate enough to jostle her way through a crowd to snatch her healing from Jesus. She'd been unclean for 12 years and needed a solution (Luke 8).
Going back to the unmarked graves issue, put yourself in the mindset of those Jews from back then. They were careful to avoid what would defile them and demand they drop out of sight for days before going through cleansing rites. Now, imagine being unclean and thus ceremonially impure without knowing it. They prided themselves on following the Laws of Abraham and thus being the children of their ancestor and the God who favored him.
Consider how the Pharisees must have felt when Jesus told them they were nothing more than unmarked graves. To them, only those unfamiliar with the Torah and other religious books could be that way. They, on the other hand, were religious leaders, esteemed in society for their knowledge. Think of how they must have understood what Jesus said about them. Think of the shock others must have felt when they realized the meaning behind the Savior's comment.
Instead of carefully examining themselves for the truth of what Jesus was saying, their flesh swept them up into anger, pride, and vengeance, and they conspired to murder Him. Not only were they insulted, but they were threatened by the challenge to their reputation and rule that He presented.
Their reaction is a reminder that we must be careful how we respond to what God tells us through the messengers He sends. He often reveals tough things about us so we can change and come into right standing with Him. When we choose instead to harm His servants because of what they said, we could bring serious problems upon ourselves, the way King Asa did.
Plus, we believers must not repeat the mistake of the Pharisees, who failed to look closely at themselves to determine whether they were unmarked graves that defiled others. Many of us are Christians, but we fail to do what a true disciple of Christ must do - obey His instructions and thereby remain rooted in Him. And when we live this way, we run the risk of becoming unmarked graves who, by our actions and words, could cause others to sin or lead people away from the Lord.
It is easy to ignore the fact that on any given day, we might be the only way some person will experience the goodness and truth of God. And when we neglect to walk as ambassadors of His kingdom, we fail to reflect Him. Then, we fall short of our calling to spread the gospel of Jesus and make it a fragrance that draws others to Him.
How exactly could this form of hypocrisy be at work in our lives? Are we living like pagans and unserious Christians? What message does that send to the people watching us? Are we attracting or repelling them from the God we claim to serve? What does that teach Christians who are struggling with their walk? Are we being a good or bad example? We don't need to be perfect, but are we being consistent in walking in righteousness? Do we claim to be spirit-filled, yet look no different from those in the world in word and deed?
This is not what God wants. He is invested in helping each of us to be a city on a hill that others will come to. After all, Jesus called us the light of the world (Matthew 5:14). And we can only be this because He is the original light of the world and burns brightly in us (John 8:12). That is what God expects us to be, not unmarked graves whose light is actually a darkness that leads others away from Him. And by His grace and mercy, He will help us to walk as His light, leading others out of the darkness, IJMN, Amen. All we need to do is cooperate with Him, and He will do the heavy lifting.
As you await fellowship at Noon EST, consider reading the Altar Call below and the following previous P&P messages:
