Holy Humility (Luke 11:29-54)

Journey with Jesus to the Cross — Friday, March 25

Read Luke 11:29-54 

As we make our way through this section of Luke’s gospel, we must remember the general arc of the story. Jesus has “set his face toward Jerusalem” (9:51). He will not reach it until the 19th chapter (19:41). Luke is patiently leading us toward the climax of his story, that moment when Jesus will confront the powers of evil, be condemned by them, and ultimately be raised victorious.

In the meantime, while the Jesus movement is gaining steam and momentum, so too is the conflict his message elicits. Chief among these are the sharp disagreements between the kingdom as Jesus proclaims it, and the conflicting points of view of the established Jewish religious pressure groups. Most significant among these is the group known as Pharisees.

What is especially disturbing about the Pharisees is the fact that they had a lot of great qualities. They held the Scriptures in high esteem. They had a high regard for purity and piety. And unlike their Sadducee cousins, they believed in the supernatural and the resurrection of the dead. These are all qualities I admire and aspire to.

Despite this, however, they rejected the very God they thought they were worshiping. They opposed Jesus at virtually every turn: when he healed, who he ate with, whether he washed properly before meals — you name it, they didn’t like it. They were relentless. Ultimately, they were among those who sought to have Jesus put to death.

Jesus spared no punches when he challenged them in this passage. He scolded them for focusing on external spiritual actions rather than internal spiritual realities. He chastised them for majoring in minutia and ignoring bigger issues, like love and justice. He ridiculed them for wanting the praise of people more than the praise of God. He was ruthless with them.

I’ve often wondered how it is that these well-meaning people – people who eagerly awaited God’s Messiah – could miss the Messiah when he came. Is it possible they loved their ideas about God more than they loved God himself? Is it possible their concern for purity and piety caused them to focus so intently on the externals that they were blinded to the darkness within their own hearts? Is it possible they affirmed the supernatural in theory but denied it in practice because they wanted a god they could control? Yes, Yes, and Yes. 

Jesus was ruthless with the Pharisees because he loved them. He knew that sometimes our best intentions can be our worst enemy. “Be careful,” he said, “lest the light in you be darkness” (35). It’s a warning we do well to heed today.

The tragic tale of the Pharisees challenges me to adopt a holy humility as I hold my convictions about Scripture, purity, piety, and the supernatural. For their story reminds me that even the most sincere among us can be sincerely wrong.

“Lord, open my eyes to the truth inside my own heart. Warn me when I am more committed to my ideas about you than I am to you yourself. Help me to hold to my convictions with holy humility.”