Jesus Warns Teachers

by Hugh DeLong

Text: Luke 11

Wow! What a busy day in the life of Jesus is recorded here in Luke 11! The thing that jumps off the pages is the opposition that is building against Jesus. He went about doing good – and they hated him. He told them the truth of how they should be serving God – and they killed him. Yet, as you read this, the perplexing thing is that the opposition is among the religious leaders!

Be careful in applying Jesus’ condemnation, particularly of the Pharisees. Yes, he pointed out their hypocrisy and gave a strong warning. Read again and see that things like their meticulous tithing were not wrong (Luke 11:42 includes: “…these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others”), but their pick-and-choose approach to serving God. Their choices of what to emphasize show that the basis (at least of some of their religious practice) was not to glorify God but to glorify self.

We face the same problem. Being a ‘religious leader’ is fraught with major dangers! Hence, the warning “Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment” (James 3:1).

Yet, Jesus was a religious teacher. The Apostles were religious teachers. The appointed elders were religious teachers. There is a perpetual need among the world population for religious teachers. Study Jesus’ teaching – both what he taught and how he taught. Compare his teaching with his living! Then, ‘go and do likewise’! Make sure your character is formed according to truth. Here Jesus instructed, “…blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it" (Luke 11.28), then share that with others.