30th Mar 26 | 13:54
Studies by Book
Luke 11 37-54 Repenting from hypocrisy Woe 2
📖 Luke 11:37-54
*Being culturally sensitive, discerning God’s will* _Luke 11:37-54_
_Luke 11:38 When the Pharisee saw it, he marvelled that He had not first washed before dinner._
To the Pharisee it was shocking that Jesus had not washed before dinner. Our Lord’s purpose was to get straight into the issues that the Pharisees and the scribes were blinded about and He longed that they would have ‘sight’.
Our Lord confronted the Pharisees with the issues of the heart, which is God’s concern and there, He pointed out to them that they had greed and wickedness. _Do we have greed and wickedness in our hearts? Are we anxious and troubled about what we must get for ourselves? Have we become selfish, in our hearts? Are we trying to project ourselves and want people to believe that we are good?_ This was the problem of the Pharisees and scribes _Luke 11:39-41._
_If the Lord is confronting any of us of these issues, then, now, would be the right time to set things right with God, by confessing, repenting, seeking His forgiveness and inviting the Holy Spirit to take over and give us right motives in our hearts._
Does this mean, we must disregard cultural or traditional practises and do as Jesus did in this case? (not washing before dinner). Let us get a more holistic understanding on this subject. Paul, says that he became all things to all men so that he may by all means save some _I Corinthians 9:22-23._
So, Paul says that to the Jews he became a Jew so that he may win Jews and so forth _I Corinthians 9:19-23._ Paul, in making this assertion, throws us into a cauldron. He’s telling us that the Christian life will be full of ambiguity, but we need to be wise and discerning, the will of God, in all situations _Ephesians 5:15-17._
There are practices in culture and tradition that is good and healthy, that we can respect and accept but at the same time we must be able to see through some of the hypocrisy of our traditions and there have the courage to confront those, as Jesus did.
Our Lord confronted the hypocrisy of a tradition, where the Jews had made giving a gift to God equivalent to honouring father and mother, and saying, "Whatever profit you parents might have received from me is a gift to God, therefore I need not honour my father or mother.” Jesus was angry with the Jews. He called them, “Hypocrites”. Strong word, that they have disregarded a commandment of God and instead introduced a tradition, which they were following, as though it was the doctrine of God _Matthew 15:2-9._
_Friends, do we look after our elders? Are we giving excuses and trying to spiritualise our life priorities, saying that we are not able to take care of them?_
*Thought to ponder*
```God has called us to redeem our cultures and not be victims,```