JE 20
June 20
Luke 11:45 to end. Christ exposes the wickedness of the lawyers.
The meek and lowly Jesus took no pleasure in denouncing woes upon sinners, but he was too faithful to conceal from them his abhorrence of their crimes.
Among the guests at the Pharisee's house there were some lawyers. They were Scribes of the highest order, whose office it was to explain the law of God to the people. One of them having heard Jesus say, "Woe unto you Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites," (verse 44,) replied, "Master, thus saying, you reproach us also." Reproof was by him considered as reproach. Instead of confessing his sin, and seeking pardon, he only desired to justify himself.
The Lord did not leave these Scribes in ignorance of what particular parts of their conduct he condemned. He mentioned three glaring sins which they committed.
(Verse 46.) "You lade men with burdens grievous to be borne, and you yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers." This was the first sin reproved. These lawyers taught the people that they must do many difficult things to please God, such as fasting, washing often, making long prayers; but they did not trouble themselves to do the same.
The second sin reproved was "building the sepulchers of the prophets." But how was this a sin? It was one branch of the hypocrisy of the Scribes. They did not build the sepulchers of prophets, because they loved their holy characters, but because they thought, that by doing honor to the pious dead, they should appear pious themselves. It was evident they really approved of their fathers' persecutions of the prophets. And how was it evident? Because they persecuted the living prophets. They added to their guilt, when, while their hearts were burning with anger against John the Baptist, or against the Lord Jesus, they desired that a monument should be raised to Elijah, or to some other old prophet. It is easy to praise the dead; they cannot offend us by their faithful reproofs, nor shame us by their holy examples. Many praise the reformers and martyrs of ancient days, who hate the piety of a brother, or of a companion.
The third sin of the lawyers was, taking away the key of knowledge. This was worse than binding heavy burdens on the people. The burdens might oppress, yet they would not destroy; but without knowledge, the people would perish. If a man took away the key of a place where the fire-engines were kept, and if the whole city were burned through this conduct, how much ashamed he would be to appear among the poor houseless citizens! And how much ashamed will those be at the last day, who have taken away the key of knowledge! Those are guilty of this sin, who keep the Bible out of the hands of the people; and those also are guilty of it who pervert the doctrines of the Bible, and hide from sinners the only remedy for their guilt—the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.
A faithful minister takes the key committed to him, and by unlocking the mysteries of God, saves souls from destruction. It is a blessed thing to go into the kingdom of God ourselves, and it is a more blessed thing to help others to come in with us. The Lord Jesus has declared, "Whoever, therefore, shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven—but whoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven."