Good morning. The words would have been very difficult for the hearers to hear. In fact, they would have been insulting and infuriating, a cause for argument. And yet, these words came from the mouth of Jesus. I am referring to Luke 11:37-54. In these verses we have the words of Jesus spoken to Pharisees, and then to the legal experts who agreed with them.
“But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and every herb, and neglect justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the best seat in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces. Woe to you! For you are like unmarked graves, and people walk over them without knowing it.”
One of the lawyers answered him, “Teacher, in saying these things you insult us also.” And he said, “Woe to you lawyers also! For you load people with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers.
The passage continues with much of the same, but I think that the Lord’s point is clear: it is not only inappropriate, but even insufferable for people (especially those who think of themselves as leaders) to insist on righteous behaviors in others that they themselves refuse to live by.
Let’s talk about other people and their failures. Yes, I am saying “other people” but we all know that some of these statements could hit close to home for many of us but it is easier to talk about those “other people” than ourselves, right?
Do you know someone who talks about the value of prayer but who doesn’t claim the discipline for a powerful, personal prayer life? Do you know someone who is quick to find fault in others but who seems to be oblivious to their own shortcomings? Do you know someone who insists that the people around them “get busy and get the job done” while they personally never seem to have the time or energy to invest themselves? Do you know someone who seems to think that everything is “all about them” and not about the Lord or His people? Do you know someone who seems to be very quickly offended, but whose whiney attitude is offensive to virtually everyone around them?
I could go on, but that may fall into the category of the whiney person I was just referring to.
Perhaps we might consider James 1:19 My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry…
That is wonderful, God given, advice. Let’s consider how to be an encouragement to others today, in word and in deed. And perhaps we could lead by better doing?