Luke 11: Fiery Jesus

There's an interesting progression in this chapter: Jesus among His disciples, teaching them about prayer; Jesus driving out demons, accused of using satanic power; Jesus preaching to the crowds, pestered to work a miracle; and Jesus eating with the Pharisees, unloading both barrels at their hypocrisy.

Have you ever thought about how frustrating it must have been to be the Messiah?  You are on a mission to die horribly for the people - an ungrateful, unruly, stubborn lot who are the ones planning to kill you.  Along the way, they make your life difficult with their endless petty objections and suspicious attitudes.  I am sure that there were some days, it was very tough to take.

In the case of the exorcisms, where Jesus is charged with employing the power of Beelzebub to drive out lesser demons, consider how hurtful this accusation would be.  You are there doing something good, and being cursed for it.  Is it any wonder that Jesus used an opportunity like this in another gospel (Mark 3:29) to point out the dangers of blaspheming the Holy Spirit (to ascribe evil to Him)?

In being asked to work a miraculous sign, Jesus would have had every right to say, "Again?"  He's already worked healings, fed a crowd of 5000, performed exorcisms, and raised the dead.  He was fielding questions about His powers and abilities from John the Baptist back in Luke 7:22, and He is still under a microscope.  If you strive to please the crowd, it will never be enough - they will always want more.  More proof.  More miracles.  More of you.  "Enough!" Jesus says.  "The only sign you'll be getting is the sign of Jonah."

The chapter culminates in a dinner party gone wrong.  After speaking with the crowd, Jesus is invited to eat with a Pharisee.  (As is sometimes the case for Sunday lunches yet today, a dissection of the preacher and his flaws is on the menu!)  In this case, the Pharisee is surprised(!) that Jesus did not first wash before the meal.  What a Philistine!  Was He born in a barn?

This petty, judgmental attitude is enough to set Jesus off.  The Messiah has come to eat with this man, and is being silently condemned for His manners.  Jesus' condemnation of the Pharisees is not so silent.  He unleashes a tirade against them - only to be interrupted by an expert of the law (vs. 45) who points out that Jesus is being offensive to that category of religious leaders as well.  This is one part of the Bible that literally makes me LOL - because Jesus doesn't retract or even slow down His barrage.  Instead He turns His fire on the experts in the law!  Jesus is brutal in His verbal onslaught against these pretenders.

Unsurprisingly, the curtain comes down on this chapter with the Pharisees and the teachers of the law even more motivated to cooperate and conspire with each other to bring Jesus down.