The Key to Knowledge 

Luke 11:37-12:12

Key Verse 11:52

This passage teaches us how we can live as good witnesses (Bible teachers, shepherds, and disciple-makers) in this generation. We can divide this passage into two parts: Part I (11:37-54), "The Person Jesus Wants His Disciple to be", that is, Jesus wants his disciple to be blessed by God; and Part II (12:1-12), "The Work Jesus Wants His Disciple to do", that is, to witness about Jesus and his kingdom. 

 

1. Read verses 37-41. This passage indicates that the Pharisees were not as clean on the inside as they appeared to be on the outside.  Why is it a problem for one to leave his inside unclean? In addition to "greed" what else makes mans’ inside unclean? How can a person keep their inside truly clean (or pure)?  

** It is a problem in that: 

1) Man's inside is God's residence, so if his inside is unclean God cannot reside in him, so that he remains condemned to live without God working in and through him. 

2) Man's inside is the seat of a soul which came from God. Sin which makes man's inside unclean wars against soul, making man unhappy. 1Pe 2:11 

Overall the word "woe" explains the reason why it is such a terrible problem for one to keep his inner person unclean.  

** Mark 7:21-23

** We need to repent of our sins and believe in Jesus. Then we need to ask the Holy Spirit to come and cleanse us of our sins and set us free from sin's ill effects such as guilt and shame. John 15:3; Psalm 119:9; 1Jo 1:9   

2. Think about Jesus' teaching in verse 42. How is tithing contrasted with "justice and the love of God"? Why are both necessary? Verse 42 suggests that we must "do" both, tithing and "practicing" justice and the love of God. What does "practice" mean? How can we practice justice and the love of God?   

** Tithing is for us to give something to God.

Justice and love are what we receive from God. [Justice and the love 'of' God suggests justice and love come from God.] 

** Tithing supports God and his ministry financially. [Think about how the Lord commanded the Israelites to use tithing to support God's work and ministry such as financially supporting God's servants like priests and Levites, building God's temple and providing for its furnishings, filling the need to cover the needy people on a relief mission etc.] Acts 2:42-45 

Tithing serves as an avenue for one to participate in God's blessings such as happiness (think about the joy of giving, for God made man to be joyful as he learns to give despite hardships or extreme poverty.] It is also an avenue for God to bless his children financially more than they can possibly imagine. Mal 3:10 

While tithing has a material dimension justice and love have a spiritual dimension. Justice keeps man with what is negative (such as punishing for doing what is wicked) whereas love keeps man with what is positive(such as the Spirit of love filling man's heart, making him fully satisfied, keeping him secure from temptations etc.)  

Overall both are necessary because God made man to be not only a physical being but also a spiritual being. 

Through practicing both, God can keep us fully blessed, both physically and spiritually, by negatively keeping us from falling in the hands of the evil one, and positively filling us that we would be fully satisfied with His love. 

** Practice = exercise, rehearse, repeat, prepare, custom, habit, apply, workout, drill, execution...

** First of all we need to study the Bible, for the Bible teaches us what is right and what is wrong, enabling us to have a sense of justice. When we fully repent and turn to God, God pours in our hearts his love. Rom 5:5

Then as the word practice indicates we need to keep applying God's justice and love in our practical life again and again, until we can do it as a matter of habit.  

3. Read verse 43. The word "woe" indicates that it is not a good idea to "love" what the Pharisees loved. Yet why did the Pharisees end up doing this? How can we avoid a problem like this?

** They did not truly repent of their sins and turn to God for forgiveness. Anyone who does not truly repent and turn to God ends up suffering the so-called recognition problem. Anyone who knows God and is loved by God is fully satisfied, so he does not need to seek recognition from people. 

** Truly repent of your sins, and turn to God. Then God fully satisfies your soul. 

4. Consider the expression "unmarked graves" in verse 44. What does this tell us about the Pharisees? How can one overcome a problem like this? (John 10:10; Isaiah 58:11; Psalm 23)

** This tells us that they were spiritually 'dead'. 

** When we repent and believe in Jesus, Jesus gives us a new life. Then as we listen to Jesus' voice and follow him, Jesus the Good Shepherd leads us to a green pasture, making us to be fully satisfied.  

5. Read verses 45-54. In this passage Jesus talks about the "law" and "prophets". What does the Bible teach us about the purpose of the Law and the Prophets? (Matthew 5:17; 7:12; Luke 16:16; 24:44; Acts 28:23)? What does Jesus mean by "the key to knowledge"? (Isaiah 33:6) Apparently the experts (or teachers) of the law committed themselves to teaching the law. Yet, why did they become enemies of God (and people)? (Proverbs 19:2; Romans 10:2) How can we avoid a problem like this?  

** Law and Prophets testify about Jesus Christ. Example - law makes us know our sinfulness, so as we confess our sins Jesus forgives us of our sins and saves us. 

Prophets teaches us the Bible which testifies about Jesus the Savior. 

** Jesus Christ

** They had zeal without knowledge (about the point of the Bible, that is, Jesus Christ).  

** 1) We need to humble ourselves and ask God for help, that we would know Jesus better, the Savior of the world. 

2) We need to study the Bible in the totality of its messages. We need to show both the forest and trees. 

3) Jesus is bigger than the Bible. 

4) And Jesus is the point of the Bible. 

5) We should not confuse means with purpose. For example man does not exist for law, but law for man. God did not send Jesus to burden man but to set man free from the power of sin and death. But it is possible for one to use Jesus to exploit man.  

When we know these we can avoid making the error the teachers of the law made. 

6. In Luke 12:1-12 Jesus instructs his disciples not to be hypocrites (like the Pharisees of Jesus' day) but rather live as truthful witnesses of God's truths. How can we live as God's truthful witnesses? 

** 1) 12:1-3 

By remembering that we all must stand before the judgment seat of Christ [where all that are concealed and hidden will be disclosed so that we ought] to receive what is due him for the things done while in the body whether good or bad. 2Co 5:10

2) 12:4-5

By not fearing men (who cannot kill man's soul) but fearing God alone who alone can determine the destiny of man's soul.

3) 12:6-7

By believing in God's promise of protection 

4) 12:8-12

By living according to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. 

The end 

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