Jesus Denounces the Pharisees and Lawyers

37 And in 'his' speaking, a certain Pharisee was asking him that he might dine with him, and having gone in, he reclined (at meat), 38 and the Pharisee having seen, did wonder that he did not first baptize himself before the dinner. 39 And the Lord said unto him, 'Now do ye, the Pharisees, the outside of the cup and of the plate make clean, but your inward part is full of rapine and wickedness; 40 unthinking! did not He who made the outside also the inside make? 41 But what ye have give ye 'as' alms, and, lo, all things are clean to you. 42 'But wo to you, the Pharisees, because ye tithe the mint, and the rue, and every herb, and ye pass by the judgment, and the love of God; these things it behoveth to do, and those not to be neglecting. 43 'Wo to you, the Pharisees, because ye love the first seats in the synagogues, and the salutations in the market-places. 44 'Wo to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because ye are as the unseen tombs, and the men walking above have not known.' 45 And one of the lawyers answering, saith to him, 'Teacher, these things saying, us also thou dost insult;' 46 and he said, 'And to you, the lawyers, wo! because ye burden men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves with one of your fingers do not touch the burdens. 47 'Wo to you, because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and your fathers killed them. 48 Then do ye testify, and are well pleased with the works of your fathers, because they indeed killed them, and ye do build their tombs; 49 because of this also the wisdom of God said: I will send to them prophets, and apostles, and some of them they shall kill and persecute, 50 that the blood of all the prophets, that is being poured forth from the foundation of the world, may be required from this generation; 51 from the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, who perished between the altar and the house; yes, I say to you, It shall be required from this generation. 52 'Wo to you, the lawyers, because ye took away the key of the knowledge; yourselves ye did not enter; and those coming in, ye did hinder.' 53 And in his speaking these things unto them, the scribes and the Pharisees began fearfully to urge and to press him to speak about many things, 54 laying wait for him, and seeking to catch something out of his mouth, that they might accuse him.

Matthew Henry's Commentary on Luke 11:37-54

Commentary on Luke 11:37-54

(Read Luke 11:37-54)

We should all look to our hearts, that they may be cleansed and new-created; and while we attend to the great things of the law and of the gospel, we must not neglect the smallest matter God has appointed. When any wait to catch something out of our mouths, that they may insnare us, O Lord, give us thy prudence and thy patience, and disappoint their evil purposes. Furnish us with such meekness and patience that we may glory in reproaches, for Christ's sake, and that thy Holy Spirit may rest upon us.