-Gen. Jim ~ POW — 12/7/19
In Luke 11:39-54 we find Jesus having a verbal fight with some Pharisees. Jesus pointed out to these religious men that they “…make the outside of the cup and dish clean, but their inward part was full of greed (lit. robbery) and wickedness,” -v.39. He pushes the matter further accusing them of paying tithes but fail to pay justice and the love of God, -v.42. He accuses them of loving the best seats in the synagogues, no doubt so as to be seen by others –v.43. Jesus goes on to call them hypocrites, for they are likened unto graves which are not seen, and men who walk over them are not aware of them –v.44.
After His rebuke of the Pharisees, He turns His attention to the lawyers “…you load men with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers! -v.46.He exclaimed that they build tombs of the prophets, and their fathers kills them!” -v.47,48,49,50,51.
WOE to you lawyers!
Now we come to a crucial moment in His denunciation: “Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken the key of knowledge. You did not enter in yourselves, and those who were entering in you hindered.” -v.52 [NKJV] Another translation reads: “You yourselves did not enter and you stopped those trying to enter.”
Strong, but true condemnation! These “religious” men were stopping others from entering eternal life and love. According to Jesus’ Words, they had the power to do so. We’re told that when the scribes (lawyers) and Pharisees heard this they “began to ASSAIL (assault) Him vehemently, and to cross-examine him about many things.” -v.53
Been there, done that! Receive assaults also. It doesn’t stop here “…lying in wait for Him and seeking to catch Him in something He might say that they might accuse Him (in order to abuse/murder Him!).” -v.54. Let’s be clear! If you ever plan on being “Biblically Correct,” you can expect the same treatment.
History is replete with those men & women who tried to live up to God’s Holy Word, i.e. to proclaim it in its purity. In doing so those Churchites (mostly the Roman Catholic Church) became hostile and murderous.
Hebrews chapter 11 is commonly called the “heroes of faith” chapter. Mostly it refers to the O.T. saints of God: the N.T. had not been made, but after these was a N.T. history which records plenty of martyrs/persecuted.
I recall reading about Ignatius (I have a book dedicated to all the early Church fathers who were persecuted by the RCC et al.) Authorities seized Ignatius, who was head minister of an early second century Church. The RCC/state authorities took this minster of God, chained, on a long journey -from Turkey to Rome- for a public execution.
His crime? His crime was that He believed in Jesus, “The Way” (see Jn. 14:6 = Jesus). Paul (who was Saul the Pharisee!) stated; “I persecuted this ‘Way’ to death, binding and delivering into prisons both men & women” -Acts. 22:4 (see also 1 Tim. 1:13). Paul mentions “The Way” in Acts 24:14 also.
I believe the said authorities acted as Saul acted in delivering Ignatius to the Roman authorities for execution. They DID NOT want Ignatius on and in the “Way”. Murdering Ignatius’ life didn’t end his life in Christ. NO! It merely sealed him forever in Christ… sealing him in immortality. Murdering Jesus (the “religious” had the Romans to do their dirty work!) didn’t do away with the author/founder of the “Way”. It made the “Way” open to ALL nations of the world.
The heroes of the faith also encourage us as they encouraged the faithful of their day. Are you encouraged by these spineless worms calling themselves “God’s ministers” today? These money-grabbing, indolent (spiritually), effeminate, egregious egocentric Church-ites of today are a disgrace to the whole human race.
Luke 12:15 says, “Take care to guard against all greed, for though one may be rich, one’s life does not consist of possession.” Yet, today’s liberal Church is run by greedy men & women. “When you have nothing, you have nothing to lose,” as the old 1960’s song went. But if you have Him, you have what counts in the end. The scribes/lawyers and Pharisees had it all but were, according to Christ, poor and wretched. (see Rev. 3:15-17).
False security = false relationship. Jesus was trying, in His earthly day, to get souls saved. They were religious but not righteous. He is still trying to get men/women “to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich” -Rev. 3:18.
Those souls that were thrown into prisons and put to death were RICH in Christ. Those who STOP others from entering into eternal life will be blessed with eternal death, i.e. eternal punishment.