Luke:11:29-54

---

Seeker Overlay ON

* Now when the crowds came thronging upon Him , He proceeded to say , »The present generation is a wicked generation : it requires some sign , but no sign shall be given to it except that of Jonah . * For just as Jonah became a sign to the men of Nineveh , so the Son of Man will be a token to the present generation . * The Queen of the South will awake at the Judgement together with the men of the present generation , and will condemn them ; because she came from the extremity of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon ; but mark ! One greater than Solomon is here . * There will stand up men of Nineveh at the Judgement together with the present generation , and will condemn it ; because they repented at the preaching of Jonah ; and mark ! One greater than Jonah is here . * »When any one lights a lamp , he never puts it in the cellar or under the bushel , but on the lampstand , that people who come in may see the light . * The lamp of the body is the eye . When your eyesight is good , your whole body also is lighted up ; but when it is defective , your body is darkened . * Consider therefore whether the light that is in you is anything but mere darkness . * If , however , your whole body is penetrated with light , and has no part dark , it will be so lighted , all of it , as when the lamp with its bright shining gives you light .« * When He had thus spoken , a Pharisee invited Him to breakfast at his house ; so He entered and took His place at table . * Now the Pharisee saw to his surprise that He did not wash His hands before breakfasting . * The Master however said to him , »Here we see how you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup or plate , while your secret hearts are full of greed and selfishness . * Foolish men ! Did not He who made the outside make the inside also ? * But as to what is within , give alms , and instantly all is clean in you . * »But alas for you Pharisees ! for you pay tithes on your mint and rue and every kind of garden vegetable , and are indifferent to justice and the love of God . These are the things you ought to have attended to , while not neglecting the others . * Alas for you Pharisees ! for you love the best seats in the synagogues , and you like to be bowed to in places of public resort . * Alas for you ! for you are like the tombs which lie hidden , and the people who walk over them are not aware of their existence .« * Hereupon one of the expounders of the Law exclaimed , »Rabbi , in saying such things you reproach us also .« * »Alas too for you expounders of the Law !« replied Jesus , »for you load men with cumbrous burdens which you yourselves will not touch with one of your fingers . * Alas for you ! for you repair the tombs of the Prophets , whom your forefathers killed . * It follows that you bear testimony to the actions of your forefathers and that you fully approve thereof . They slew , you build . * »For this reason also the Wisdom of God has said , `I will send Prophets and Apostles to them , of whom they will kill some and persecute others ,'« * so that the blood of all the Prophets , that is being shed from the creation of the world onwards , may be required from the present generation . * Yes , I tell you that , from the blood of Abel down to the blood of Zechariah who perished between the altar and the House , it shall all be required from the present generation . * »Alas for you expounders of the Law ! for you have taken away the key of knowledge : you yourselves have not entered , and those who wanted to enter you have hindered .« * After He had left the house , the Scribes and Pharisees commenced a vehement attempt to entangle Him and make Him give off-hand answers on numerous points , * lying in wait to catch some unguarded expression from His lips .

---