Growing Tension with False Leaders

Luke 11:14-54; 13:31-35

GOLDEN TEXT: “He that is not with Me is against Me: and he that gathereth not with Me scattereth.”
—Luke 11:23

THE scribes and Pharisees of Jesus’ day “sat in Moses’ seat” and should have been among the first to welcome the presence of the “greater than Moses,” but their selfish interests stood in the way. This meant that they followed the same selfish course as did their predecessors who we read “killed the prophets and stoned them” that were sent by God for their blessing and. for the blessing of Israel. The common people heard Jesus gladly; and, left to themselves, would never have risen up in mob violence to destroy Him.

There was no way the leaders of Israel could discount the value of the mighty work that Jesus performed on behalf of the people, so they conjured up the claim that it was Satan’s power that helped Him; Jesus did not insist that Satan would not use his power to do good, but rather that a policy of this kind on his part would be an expression of the divided state of his kingdom hence that its fall was near. As the fall of Satan’s empire was then many centuries in the future, this was a very good argument as to why it was not then like a house divided against itself.

Verses 27 and 28 present an example of how Jesus used every possible opportunity to divert glory from Himself and to His Father. A woman, one who rejoiced in the good work He was doing, exclaimed, “Blessed is the womb that bare Thee, and the paps which Thou hast sucked.” This was an acknowledgement of the Master’s greatness, and an attempt to ascribe the credit thereof, not to God, but to His mother.

The halo of glory that has since been attached to the “blessed virgin” had no place in the Master’s philosophy, so His reply was, “Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the Word of God, and keep it.” From the divine standpoint there can be no true blessedness outside of God’s favor, and God’s favor is bestowed only upon those who are obedient to His will. This was the source of Jesus’ greatness, and of His success in ministering blessings to others.

The scribes and Pharisees lost the Lord’s blessings because they did not keep His Word. They were zealous along ceremonial lines, but seemed not to comprehend the true spirit of what the ceremonies should have taught them. They honored the memories of the prophets whom God had sent to previous generations, yet persecuted the greatest of all prophets whom God had sent to them.

They had been given much light—through the law and the prophets—but it had found only partial acceptance in their lives. Their “eyes,” symbols of spiritual discernment, were not “single”—that is, their viewpoint of truth was biased by their own selfish interests and thereby darkened. This could only mean that even the measure of light they did possess would gradually be lost as they selfishly resisted the increasing light brought to them by the Master. And “how great” is the darkness of those who once have the light and by their own selfishness lose it!—Matt. 6:23

As clearly shown in Luke 13:31-35, because of continued opposition of Israel’s leaders the nation was finally cast off from God’s favor to remain outcasts from God until the Messianic age, when they would recognize the second presence of Christ, and ascribe blessing and honor to Him. The fact that “all Israel” is yet to be saved from blindness and have their sins taken away in fulfillment of Jeremiah 31:31-34, indicates that their rejection of Jesus was not wholly willful; that some measure of Adamic weakness was to blame, hence they will be given a more favorable opportunity under the laws of the Kingdom, when Satan, the great deceiver of all nations will be bound.—Rom. 11:25-29; Acts 3:17; Rev. 20:2,3

QUESTIONS:

Why were the scribes and Pharisees not the first to accept Jesus and co-operate in the Lord’s work then due?

What is the sure way of Obtaining and retaining the favor of God?

Are the Jews who rejected Jesus ever to have another opportunity of accepting Him?

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