Luke 11

Read: Luke 11

Luke 11 contains some of the harshest words that Jesus spoke recorded in scripture.  The woes to the Pharisees and experts in the law are incredibly strong. He called the Pharisees “fools” multiple times and criticized them for their love of approval and power.  Jesus then criticized the experts in the law for burdening people with laws too hard to bare and for condemning the prophets who came before him. I write a lot about guarding the tongue and having Humble Dialog, but what Jesus does here seems to be the complete opposite of that.  So how should we interpret and apply this passage?  

First, we need to be extra careful that we do not use this as some sort of encouragement to lay the holy smack down on people.  That is definitely not the intention. Let’s remember who is talking. This is Jesus… or as we have already established in past devotions, God in flesh.  In Luke 6:42, we are encouraged to examine ourselves and get our hearts right before we judge others. Jesus’ heart was already good to go! He is the sinless Son of God!  You and I are not… We need to be extra careful when we condemn others for their actions. Just because you think you are right, does not mean it is so.  

The second thing we can take away from this is the simple fact that there are times when it is appropriate to confront people.  How can sinners repent if they are not confronted with the reality of their sin? How can believers repent if they are not confronted when they sin?  Jesus confronted people who were hard hearted and unwilling to repent. Verses 53-54 show the hearts of these people as they began to oppose him and sought to trap him (and eventually kill him).  Jesus’ anger here is an example of what most would call “righteous anger.” It was anger that was not sinful (Ephesians 4:26).  

It is ok for us to stand up against evil.  When people are racist or abused, we should be angry.  When we see people being taken advantage of through sex trafficking, child labor, or other evils, we should be angry.  God’s people are called to stand up against evil and speak life and truth into the world around us. However, we must be careful that our anger is truly righteous and not let our anger take control of us.  Anger and confrontation can be a powerful motivator, but it can also be powerfully destructive if used unwisely.