Lesson 69: Am I a Lawyer? (Luke 11:45-54)

While lawyer jokes may abound in our day, and we mean them in good fun, the accusations Jesus brought against the lawyers who opposed His ministry gave no cause for laughing. This group was apparently listening in as Christ came down firmly on the Pharisees; they knew that the same message was meant to apply to them. Voicing such a concern, however, did not lessen the blow—if anything, it fueled Jesus’s righteous indignation all the more. As we look closely at this passage, we can follow along with the questions that Pastor Daniel asks, requesting that the Lord test our hearts to see if there are ways in which we resemble the group of lawyers Jesus addressed. He asks, 1) Are my expectations for others harsh and burdensome? 2) Are my spiritual forefathers prophet-killers? 3) Do I make it more difficult for people to know God? And finally, 4) Do I refuse to listen to biblical correction?

Summary by Seth Kempf, Bethany Community Church Staff