Calling Out Sin • Luke 11:37-46; 12:1-3
By Jessica McMillan
If you have ever gone through the process of purchasing a home, then you know how exciting and frustrating that can be. First, you spend hours narrowing down the houses you might potentially want to tour. In this era of AI-enhanced technology, sometimes what you see on online property listings is not exactly what you see when you walk through it in person. You may be totally enamored with the house without realizing that there are some hidden problems like a cracked foundation, a leaky faucet under a sink, or termite damage unless revealed by further inspection. The passage we are studying this week shows us that we should be concerned that our outward behavior reflects an inward understanding of grace and purity. Legalism can lead to hypocrisy when we are more concerned with how we appear to others than the purity of our hearts.
Luke 11:37-41. Focusing on outward appearances while ignoring the condition of the heart is sinful.
Once again, we see Jesus reclining again for a meal at a table with a Pharisee. The custom in that culture was to wash before eating. Jesus did not do it, and the Pharisee was bothered by this. In American culture, washing hands before a meal is about hygiene, but in that culture, washing before eating was about purity. If dirty hands touched food, then food was considered unclean, which made the body unclean once it was eaten. If something or someone was unclean, then it was defiled. For example, if the inside of a cup was dirty, then the liquid it held also would be dirty. When Jesus called the Pharisees foolish for cleaning only the outside of the cup, he exposed the contradiction between their concern for outward cleanliness and their neglect of inward purity.
Luke 11:42-46. Focusing on religious practices while ignoring the greater need for love and justice is sinful.
This section contains three “woes” and leads the way for more of them at the end of the chapter but are not included in this lesson (vv 47-54). A “woe” is similar to the pronouncement of a curse that indicates impending doom unless there is repentance. The Pharisees were quick to follow their religious rules and took great pride in their perceived self-righteousness and superiority, but Jesus rebuked them for their neglect of what was truly important. Yet before we point a finger at the Pharisees, we should examine our own hearts. We, too, can become so focused on religious practices and outward obedience that we fail to love our neighbors in ways that honor God, overlooking those around us who are hurting and in need of compassion.
Luke 12:1-3. Sin will be exposed by God.
Notice the change in scenery here. Jesus turns from confronting the Pharisees to warning His disciples about the danger of hypocrisy, doing so in front of a massive crowd. His warning points back to the attitudes and actions of the Pharisees described in chapter 11. Jesus compares hypocrisy to yeast, an image that is particularly effective because yeast works quietly yet pervasively, spreading throughout an entire batch of dough. Many people are familiar with “Amish Friendship Bread,” where a small amount of starter is mixed into a larger batch, grows over time, and is then divided and passed from person to person. In the same way, hypocrisy can spread subtly, influencing not only individuals but entire communities. Jesus further warns that what is done in secret will be exposed. What begins as a small compromise can eventually affect many others. Jesus warned both the Pharisees and his disciples about this danger, and his warning remains just as relevant for us today.
McMillan is on faculty at NOBTS and is a member of Roseland Park Baptist Church, Picayune.
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