What does Luke 11:46 mean?
"And he said, Woe unto you also, ye lawyers! for ye lade men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers." - Luke 11:46
In Luke 11:46, Jesus delivers a scathing rebuke to the Pharisees, saying, "Woe unto you also, ye lawyers! for ye lade men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers." This verse is part of a larger passage where Jesus condemns the Pharisees for their hypocrisy and legalism.
The context of this verse is important for understanding its significance. At this point in the Gospel of Luke, Jesus is speaking to a crowd of people, warning them about the hypocrisy of the religious leaders of his time. The Pharisees were a Jewish sect known for their strict adherence to religious laws and traditions. They prided themselves on their outward displays of piety and their meticulous observance of religious rituals. However, Jesus saw through their facade and exposed their true motivations.
The theme of this verse is the hypocrisy of the Pharisees and the burden they placed on others. Jesus often spoke out against the Pharisees, accusing them of being more concerned with outward appearances and the letter of the law than with true righteousness and justice. Here, he accuses them of placing heavy burdens on others while refusing to lift a finger to help.
The symbolism in this verse is also significant. The "burdens grievous to be borne" can be understood as the Pharisees' legalistic interpretations and applications of the Jewish law, which made it difficult for the people to live up to their standards. The burden of trying to fulfill all the requirements of the law was too much for the average person to bear, and the Pharisees offered no help or support in their struggle.
Furthermore, the image of the Pharisees "touching not the burdens with one of [their] fingers" speaks to their lack of compassion and empathy for those they were burdening. They were quick to point out the faults and shortcomings of others, but they were unwilling to offer any assistance or relief. This symbolizes the Pharisees' self-righteousness and their failure to live up to the true spirit of the law, which Jesus taught was based on love for God and love for neighbor.
In a broader sense, this verse can also be seen as a condemnation of any form of legalism and hypocrisy in religious practice. Jesus preached a message of grace, mercy, and compassion, and he often clashed with those who sought to impose rigid rules and regulations on others. This passage serves as a reminder to all believers to focus on the heart of the law rather than getting caught up in legalistic interpretations that do not reflect the love and mercy of God.
In conclusion, Luke 11:46 is a powerful indictment of the hypocrisy and legalism of the Pharisees. It highlights their failure to live up to the true spirit of the law and their willingness to burden others with requirements that they themselves do not uphold. This verse serves as a warning against legalism and a call to genuine compassion and empathy for others. It challenges believers to seek true righteousness and justice, rooted in love and mercy, rather than outward displays of piety and rigid adherence to religious rituals.
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Luke 11:46 - "And he said, Woe unto you also, ye lawyers! for ye lade men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers."
"And he said, Woe unto you also, ye lawyers! for ye lade men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers." - Luke 11:46
Luke 9:46 - "¶ Then there arose a reasoning among them, which of them should be greatest."
Luke 1:46 - "And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord,"
Luke 8:46 - "And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me."
Genesis 46:11 - "¶ And the sons of Levi; Gershon, Kohath, and Merari."
Psalms 46:11 - "The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah."
1 Chronicles 11:46 - "Eliel the Mahavite, and Jeribai, and Joshaviah, the sons of Elnaam, and Ithmah the Moabite,"
Luke 6:46 - "¶ And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?"
luke 11:23
Luke 22:46 - "And said unto them, Why sleep ye? rise and pray, lest ye enter into temptation."
Luke 7:46 - "My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment."
Luke 19:46 - "Saying unto them, It is written, My house is the house of prayer: but ye have made it a den of thieves."
Luke 1:46-47 - "And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior."
Luke 11:14-15
"And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord," - Luke 1:46
Luke 20:46 - "Beware of the scribes, which desire to walk in long robes, and love greetings in the markets, and the highest seats in the synagogues, and the chief rooms at feasts;"
John 11:46 - "But some of them went their ways to the Pharisees, and told them what things Jesus had done."
Luke 24:46 - "And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:"
Luke 2:46 - "And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions."
Leviticus 11:46 - "This is the law of the beasts, and of the fowl, and of every living creature that moveth in the waters, and of every creature that creepeth upon the earth:"
"¶ Then there arose a reasoning among them, which of them should be greatest." - Luke 9:46
"¶ And the sons of Levi; Gershon, Kohath, and Merari." - Genesis 46:11
Luke 12:46 - "The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers."
Luke 8:46 - "And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me."
Luke 8:46 - "And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me."
Luke 23:46 - "¶ And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost."
"The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah." - Psalms 46:11
Ezekiel 46:11 - "And in the feasts and in the solemnities the meat offering shall be an ephah to a bullock, and an ephah to a ram, and to the lambs as he is able to give, and an hin of oil to an ephah."
"Eliel the Mahavite, and Jeribai, and Joshaviah, the sons of Elnaam, and Ithmah the Moabite," - 1 Chronicles 11:46