Click or tap book name
Use <control> drag to
scroll
Bible Notes - Tabernacle Commentaries
About
Links
Home
"
Navigator
Luke 11:38
Comments
Christ found a way of penetrating this mask of self-righteousness by a deliberate omission. He knew that the Pharisee would notice this, and he deliberately omitted to wash his hands before the meal, though it is likely that he would normally have done so. The Lord however had to get through and he found this way of doing it. Christ knew the man would respond: he is God and knows the hearts of men. This hand washing was part of the Pharisee’s outward performance, not something done for hygienic reasons alone, but something which had a religious significance attached to it. All righteous people did this as far as he was concerned, and here was this teacher who he had invited to his house who failed to do it. What sort of teacher was he if he could leave out something so vital? This focus on externals produces a self-imposed blindness.
Application
For the self-righteous, all hangs on externals. Even today you get this. Righteousness consists in knowing how to lay table, having a degree of refinement, knowing the correct etiquette. There are many modern examples of self-righteousness – having the right education, or living in a certain area, speaking with the right accent, having inside knowledge of some restricted domain. But external pettiness is widely ridiculed. As Richard Baxter commented, the self-righteous ‘cater for watching eyes, but their consciences are stinking dead.’
Questions
Outline
Purpose
Introduction