March 20, 2025 Morning Devotional

Morning Devotion: Read Luke - Lawyers Receive Rebuke

Luke 11:45  Then answered one of the lawyers, and said unto him, Master, thus saying thou reproachest us also. 46  And he said, Woe unto you also, ye lawyers! for ye lade men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers. 47  Woe unto you! for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, and your fathers killed them. 48  Truly ye bear witness that ye allow the deeds of your fathers: for they indeed killed them, and ye build their sepulchres. 49  Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute: 50  That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation; 51  From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation. 52  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. 53  And as he said these things unto them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to urge him vehemently, and to provoke him to speak of many things: 54  Laying wait for him, and seeking to catch something out of his mouth, that they might accuse him.

The lawyers in this rebuke were on the same level and the Pharisees. They were like many lawyers, politicians and yes, preachers and teachers of today.

Luke 11:46  And he said, Woe unto you also, ye lawyers! for ye lade men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers.

They would tell others what they need to do while they themselves were “above the law.” We call that a double standard a standard of hypocrisy.

God knew their hearts, He knows what is in man.

These men not only had a double standard, they were the ones who enforced their law to the point of death while they themselves caused death. They built sepulchres/graves of for the prophets then turned around and killed the prophets.

It started all the way back in Genesis.

Luke 11:49  Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute:

50  That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation; 51  From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation.

Genesis 4:5  But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. 6  And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? 7  If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him. 8  And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.

2 Chronicles 24:20  And the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest, which stood above the people, and said unto them, Thus saith God, Why transgress ye the commandments of the LORD, that ye cannot prosper? because ye have forsaken the LORD, he hath also forsaken you.

21  And they conspired against him, and stoned him with stones at the commandment of the king in the court of the house of the LORD.

Notice, in both cases that the cited, Able and Zachariah, those who spoke the truth and revealed the sin, were those who were attacked and killed.

Nobody likes to have their sin pointed out.

How do you react when your sin is pointed out? Do you get angry and hateful and vengeful? Or, do you take time to reflect and ask if what the person is saying is true?

Proverbs 9:7  He that reproveth a scorner getteth to himself shame: and he that rebuketh a wicked man getteth himself a blot. 8  Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee. 9  Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser: teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.

A wise man will hear and learn, a scorner, an angry person, will reverse the reproof on the reprover trying to make the reprover look bad thereby deflecting guilt and shame away from himself.

Notice in 2 Chronicles, they killed Zechariah in the Temple, in the church. Wow! (A lot of things happen in church that should not.)

The hypocrisy raged when it came to Jesus for they brought Him a kangaroo court and condemned Him with false accusations and crucified Him contrary to the law.

My friend, when it comes down to the reality of our sinfulness we must remember we are all sinners and in need of salvation.

Praise God, there are those who see their sinfulness and turn to Jesus and Jesus saves their soul. Then, that person is a sinner saved by grace. Amen.

Regretfully, there are those who do not see their sinfulness and refuse rebuke.  Some will even try to turn the issue around and deflect it and even accuse Jesus and the Word of God of being unfair.

What about you, can you see yourself as a sinner in need of a Saviour or are you like the lawyers?

The choice is still yours,

Pastor Cook