An Atheistic Bible Study Of The Gospels Jesus Bestows Woes On The Pharisees

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Despite growing tension between Jesus and the Pharisees, an un-named leading Pharisee invites Jesus to dine with him. This seems a perfect opportunity for Jesus to find common ground and make peace with his enemies but he proves reluctant to compromise, reason, listen or even behave well. You might think that Jesus would make the perfect dinner guest, but in Luke 11:37-54 his behaviour is appalling. He starts by shocking his host and other dinner guests by not bothering to wash his hands before the meal is served. Reminded to wash his hands, Jesus tells them that while they think themselves clean on the outside they are unable and unwilling to be hygienically clean inside, being inwardly filthy with greed and evil intent. At this point, I’d be tempted to ask Jesus to get out, but he is left to continue in an ongoing rant, denouncing the Pharisees for having few herbs on the table and no sense pf the love and justice of God. He adds criticism of them reserving the best seats in the synagogue and the best stalls in the market places. This might be fair criticism, but hardly appropriate when they invite you to be their guest. Realizing that lawyers are among the other diners, Jesus bestows woes (curses) on them too. He denounces them for not helping their clients with their burdens for fear of being burdened themselves. The lawyers do not take on cases they are likely to lose. Jesus adds that the lawyers are descended from those who killed the prophets and that they will persecute the followers of Jesus in their own lifetimes. Jesus begins telling his audiences not to trust the Pharisees due to their hypocrisy. In Matthew 23:1 -39:1 Jesus again publically remonstrates against the powerful respected Pharisees. He denounces them for not practicing what they preach, and that in being denied entry to Heaven themselves, they deny the Kingdom also to anyone who listens to them. Much of this hysterical rant uses the same wording as seen in Luke’s Gospel. Similar comments by Jesus are scattered through the first three Gospel (John ignores such comments). Jesus had a potential to gain support from the authorities and blew it by insulting them in their own house, as well as in his sermons. He did himself no favours, and his encouragement not to bother washing hands before eating is both disgusting and dangerous. Arthur Chappell