Post by M.R. Hagerty on Oct 7, 2023 20:34:42 GMT -7
Luke 11:49-51
49 ". . `I will send to them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill and some they will persecute, 50 so that the blood of all the prophets, . . may be charged against this generation, 51 from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah,
Jesus appears to state that it was for this reason that prophets were sent – that men would manifest the evil described.
First, this does not mean that God wished His servants to be persecuted or killed. He sent them to His people that they have a point of accountability for their wickedness. If evil is to be judged, it must have a reference point in the call to righteousness. It must have a backdrop against which it stands out and is seen for what it is. God certainly knew they were evil men. But it was necessary that someone preach righteousness to them such that in the day of judgment, God can point to their accountability.
As for the servants He used, one could infer that they were being used as a sort of sacrificial fodder. But from their vantage point, the call to righteousness has its own merit all by itself. It is always a reason for being. And if the call is genuine, then there is a genuine expectation of repentance. (Jonah is a good example.)
”so that the blood of the prophets . . . may be charged against this generation.”
It is as though there is a credit and debit system in place. When evil is done, it is “charged” to one’s account. How realistic this is does not mollify the concept that records of deeds are being kept and will be the case against the person at the Judgment. The use of “so that” is a subjunctive expression in Greek and is used to indicate purpose or intent. A is done so that B may result.
Again, we cannot escape the idea that God did send these men with a purpose that includes their persecution and death. But the moral sting of this is eliminated by the analysis above of the need for accountability and that declaring righteousness carries its own justification.
”from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah”
Why was Abel’s blood shed? Because his deeds of righteousness were intolerable witnesses to the deeds of his brother. Cain wished so desperately to be accepted on his own terms before God, that he came to assess that his brother could no longer live, else he would remain a perpetual indictment against him.
The career of Zechariah is rather brief in Chronicles compared to his book of prophesy (2 Chr 24:20-21.) There we learn of the plot to do away with him. That the “altar and the house of God” are mentioned is to highlight that these holy precincts held no conviction against their deed. He was of priestly lineage, so it is possible that Jesus’ mention of the location makes this deed all the more ignominious if Zechariah was in the midst of temple duties.
The tomb of Zechariah is seen today near the SE corner of the Temple compound. It is distinguished by its square low tower and pyramid roof.
‘yes, I tell you, it shall be charged against this generation.'
The deeds were done by their forefathers, but Jesus is assuring them that the charge will be laid at their feet also because they have precisely the same heart as their fathers. They approve of what their fathers did.
In all reality, some of the very men present at this dinner will be among those who call for His death in the night session of the Sanhedrin at Jesus’ arrest and trial.
Luke 11:52-54
52 "Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge; you yourselves did not enter, and you hindered those who were entering."
Another indictment against the work of the lawyers of the day – that they hid from their clients and the people in general the key to the knowledge of true righteousness in that they sustained the traditional righteousness of the ruling class in its stead.
The height of the indictment is that they spent all their energies defining the righteousness with which the people must comply, yet with respect to true righteousness had no intention of following it either.
53 When He left there, the scribes and the Pharisees began to be very hostile and to question Him closely on many subjects, 54 plotting against Him to catch Him in something He might say.
The reaction is not surprising. An innocent invitation to dinner has turned into an adversarial confrontation of the highest order. Their whole function in society is being thrashed, and in very judgmental terms.
Notice that the truth of His words are out of the picture entirely. No one is musing His thoughts or taking time to evaluate themselves by them. He has offended virtually everyone, and the only thing acutely in the foreground now is how to recover, how to retaliate.
They are not looking for evidences of His truth. They are looking for anything they can hang on Him that will further their case to have Him done away with.