Unmarked Graves

Unmarked Graves Luke 11:44

Luke 11:44 (only here)

Woe to you, because you are like unmarked graves, which men walk over without even knowing it.
Contrast to better known Whitewashed tombs (Matthew 23:27)

Unmarked Graves Luke 11:44

Questions
1. What is significance of unmarked graves in that culture? 2. How are Pharisees like unmarked graves? 3. What is the danger for us?
Unmarked Graves Luke 11:44

1. What is the significance of unmarked graves in that culture?

Unmarked Graves Luke 11:44

Defiled by death Num. 19

11Whoever

touches the dead body of anyone will be unclean for seven days. 12He must purify himself with the water on the third day and on the seventh day; then he will be clean. But if he does not purify himself on the third and seventh days, he will not be clean.

Unmarked Graves Luke 11:44

Purification needed
13Whoever

touches the dead body of anyone and fails to purify himself defiles the LORDs tabernacle. That person must be cut off from Israel. Because the water of cleansing has not been sprinkled on him, he is unclean; his uncleanness remains on him.

Unmarked Graves Luke 11:44

Corpse in a tent
is the law that applies when a person dies in a tent: Anyone who enters the tent and anyone who is in it will be unclean for seven days, 15and every open container without a lid fastened on it will be unclean.
14This

Unmarked Graves Luke 11:44

Corpse out in the open

out in the open who touches someone who has been killed with a sword or someone who has died a natural death, or anyone who touches a human bone or a grave, will be unclean for seven days.
16Anyone

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Defilement spreads!
Unclean 7 days

Perpetually Unclean
Unmarked Graves Luke 11:44

Unclean until evening

Defilement spreads!
Anything that an unclean person touches becomes unclean, and anyone who touches it becomes unclean until evening. Num. 19:22

Unmarked Graves Luke 11:44

Defilement spreads!
[The priest] will also be unclean if he touches something defiled by a corpse The one who touches any such thing will be unclean till evening. Lev. 22:4, 6

Unmarked Graves Luke 11:44

Cleansing necessary
The man who is clean is to sprinkle the unclean person on the third and seventh days, and on the seventh day he is to purify him. The person being cleansed must wash his clothes and bathe with water, and that evening he will be clean.
Num. 19:19
Unmarked Graves Luke 11:44

Values of this ordinance

It helped to limit the spread of disease.
He said, If you listen carefully to the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, who heals you. Exod. 15:26
Unmarked Graves Luke 11:44

Values of this ordinance

It helped to limit the spread of disease.
[I]f you do not obey the LORD your God The LORD will plague you with diseases until he has destroyed you. Deut. 28:15, 21

Unmarked Graves Luke 11:44

Values of this ordinance

Ignaz Semmelweis Vienna, 1847

Unmarked Graves Luke 11:44

Values of this ordinance

It created separation between serving God and death.
400 years with Egyptians, whose religion focused on death: Book of the Dead Pagan religions involved necromancy Moses revealed God as giver of life and death as result of sin & unnatural
Unmarked Graves Luke 11:44

Jews wanted to avoid uncleanness

Cut them off from worship.
Cut them off from society. Associated them with the dead.

Unmarked graves meant defilement unknown & unstopped.

Unmarked Graves Luke 11:44

Like a pandemic!

Unmarked Graves Luke 11:44

How they avoided defilement

Located cemeteries out of town Whitewashed tombs Identified unmarked graves

Unmarked Graves Luke 11:44

2. How were the Pharisees like unmarked graves?

Unmarked Graves Luke 11:44

Pharisees unmarked graves?

Their defilement was hidden.
They defiled others unawares. These defiled others without their knowledge.

Irony: Official grave inspectors!

Unmarked Graves Luke 11:44

The context of Luke 11:44

Occasion: Meal with a Pharisee, v. 37
Dirty hands, clean heart, v. 38

Jesus response:
3+ woes to Pharisees, vv. 39-44 3 woes to scholars, vv. 45-52 Fierce response of opponents, vv. 53-54
Unmarked Graves Luke 11:44

Summary of the six woes

Luke 11: On outside: On inside:

39-41 42 43 44 46 47-51 52
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Clean Greedy Scrupulous Unjust Honored Seeking it Clean Defiled Conscientious Unhelpful Honor martyrs Making martyrs Have the key Locked out

The epidemic in Palestine

Leaders defiled & disbursed
[They] began to oppose him fiercely. Luke 11:53

Unmarked Graves Luke 11:44

The epidemic in Palestine

They defiled others
Has any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed in him? No!

John 7:48-49

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The epidemic in Palestine

Who turn to others
[They] persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus executed. Matt. 27:20
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The epidemic in Palestine

Whole nation defiled
All the people answered, Let his blood be on us and on our children!

Matt. 27:25

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3. What is the danger for us?

Unmarked Graves Luke 11:44

Pharisees in Christs church?

Some of the believers, who belonged to the sect of the Pharisees stood up and said, The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to obey the law of Moses.
My brothers, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee. Acts 15:5 & 23:6
Unmarked Graves Luke 11:44

Are we like unmarked graves?

Issue Pharisees 21st C. Christians

Greed? Wrong priorities? Want recognition? Hypocrisy? Judgmental? Self-satisfied? Knowledge over love?
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x x x x x x x

x x x x x x x

A similar epidemic?

Unmarked Graves Luke 11:44

A similar epidemic?

Unmarked Graves Luke 11:44

A similar epidemic?

Gods name is blasphemed among the pagans because of you! Rom. 2:24

Unmarked Graves Luke 11:44

What do they say about us?

Hypocrites
Judgmental

Ambitious & greedy

Uncaring

Force them to conform to us

Cultish, irrational, scarey!
Unmarked Graves Luke 11:44

How do we contaminate others?

By our example
By our attitude By our neglect

Unmarked Graves Luke 11:44

How do we avoid this danger?

Clearly marking whats off limits
Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. Isa. 5:20
Unmarked Graves Luke 11:44

How do we avoid this danger?

Clearly marking whats off limits
Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil. 1 Thess. 5:21-22
Unmarked Graves Luke 11:44

How do we avoid this danger?

By inspection of our lives
Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in youunless, of course, you fail the test?
Unmarked Graves Luke 11:44

2 Cor. 13:5

How do we avoid this danger?

Setting aside all thats dead
Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. Col. 3:5-6 (see vv. 7-11)
Unmarked Graves Luke 11:44

How do we avoid this danger?

By sifting our hearts
Finally, brothers, whatever is true noble right pure lovely admirable if anything is excellent or praiseworthy think about such things. Phil. 4:8
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Jesus was opposite: unmarked life!

If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water. John 4:10

Unmarked Graves Luke 11:44

Jesus was opposite: unmarked life!

In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.
John 1:4-5
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Jesus calls us to similar mission

You are the salt of the earth Matt. 5:13
Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.

1 Peter 2:12

Unmarked Graves Luke 11:44

Unmarked Graves

Unmarked Graves Luke 11:44