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Unmarked Graves – Luke 11:44
Unmarked Graves
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Unmarked Graves – Luke 11:44
Luke 11:44 (only here)
Woe to you, because you are likeunmarked graves, which men walk over
without even knowing it.
Contrast to better known ―Whitewashed tombs‖
(Matthew 23:27)
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Unmarked Graves – Luke 11:44
Questions
1. What is significance of unmarkedgraves in that culture?
2. How are Pharisees like unmarkedgraves?
3. What is the danger for us?
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Unmarked Graves – Luke 11:44
1. What is the significanceof unmarked graves in
that culture?
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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 wateron the third day and on the seventh day;then he will be clean. But if he does not
purify himself on the third and seventhdays, he will not be clean.
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Unmarked Graves – Luke 11:44
Purification needed
13Whoever touches the dead body of anyone and fails to purify himself defiles
the LORD’s tabernacle. That person mustbe cut off from Israel. Because the waterof cleansing has not been sprinkled onhim, he is unclean; his uncleanness
remains on him.
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Corpse in a tent
14This is the law that applies when aperson dies in a tent: Anyone who
enters the tent and anyone who is in itwill be unclean for seven days, 15andevery open container without a lid
fastened on it will be unclean.
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Corpse out in the open
16 Anyone out in the open who touchessomeone who has been killed with a
sword or someone who has died anatural death, or anyone who touches ahuman bone or a grave, will be unclean
for seven days.
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Unmarked Graves – Luke 11:44
Defilement spreads!
Unclean 7 days
Unclean until evening
PerpetuallyUnclean
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Unmarked Graves – Luke 11:44
Defilement spreads!
Anything that an unclean person touches
becomes unclean, and anyone whotouches it becomes unclean untilevening. —Num. 19:22
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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 willbe unclean till evening.
—Lev. 22:4, 6
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Unmarked Graves – Luke 11:44
Cleansing necessary
The man who is clean is to sprinkle theunclean person on the third and seventh
days, and on the seventh day he is topurify him. The person being cleansedmust wash his clothes and bathe with
water, and that evening he will be clean. —Num. 19:19
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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 voiceof the LORD your God and do what is right inhis eyes, if you pay attention to hiscommands and keep all his decrees, I will
not bring on you any of the diseases Ibrought on the Egyptians, for I am theLORD, who heals you.‖
—Exod. 15:26
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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 untilhe has destroyed you.‖
—Deut. 28:15, 21
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Unmarked Graves – Luke 11:44
Values of this ordinance
Ignaz Semmelweis – Vienna, 1847
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Unmarked Graves – Luke 11:44
Values of this ordinance
It created separation between servingGod and death.
– 400 years with Egyptians, whose religionfocused on death: ―Book of the Dead‖
– Pagan religions involved necromancy
– Moses revealed God as giver of lifeand death as result of sin & unnatural
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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.
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Unmarked Graves – Luke 11:44
Like a pandemic!
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Unmarked Graves – Luke 11:44
How they avoided defilement
Located cemeteries out of town Whitewashed tombs Identified unmarked graves
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Unmarked Graves – Luke 11:44
2. How were the Pharisees
like unmarked graves?
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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!
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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
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Unmarked Graves – Luke 11:44
Summary of the six woes
Luke 11: On outside: On inside:
39-41
4243
44
4647-51
52 Have the key
Clean
ScrupulousHonored
Clean
ConscientiousHonor martyrs
Locked out
Greedy
UnjustSeeking it
Defiled
UnhelpfulMaking martyrs
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Unmarked Graves – Luke 11:44
The epidemic in Palestine
Leaders defiled & disbursed…
―[They] began tooppose him fiercely.‖
—Luke 11:53
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Unmarked Graves – Luke 11:44
The epidemic in Palestine
They defiled others…
―Has any of the rulersor of the Phariseesbelieved in him? No!‖
—John 7:48-49
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Unmarked Graves – Luke 11:44
The epidemic in Palestine
Who turn to others…
―[They] persuaded thecrowd to ask forBarabbas and to have
Jesus executed.‖ —Matt. 27:20
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Unmarked Graves – Luke 11:44
The epidemic in Palestine
Whole nation defiled
All the people answered, ―Let his blood be on usand on our children!‖
—Matt. 27:25
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Unmarked Graves – Luke 11:44
3. What is the danger
for us?
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Unmarked Graves – Luke 11:44
Pharisees in Christ’s church?
Some of the believers, who belonged tothe sect of the Pharisees stood up and
said, ―The Gentiles must be circumcisedand required to obey the law of Moses.‖
―My brothers, I am a Pharisee, the son
of a Pharisee.‖
— Acts 15:5 & 23:6
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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? x
x
xx
x
xx
x
x
xx
x
xx
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Unmarked Graves – Luke 11:44
A similar epidemic?
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Unmarked Graves – Luke 11:44
A similar epidemic?
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Unmarked Graves – Luke 11:44
A similar epidemic?
―God’s name is blasphemedamong the pagans because of
you!‖ —Rom. 2:24
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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!
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Unmarked Graves – Luke 11:44
How do we contaminate others?
By our example
By our attitude By our neglect
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Unmarked Graves – Luke 11:44
How do we avoid this danger?
Clearly marking what’s off limits
―Woe to those who call evilgood and good evil, who putdarkness for light and lightfor darkness, who put bitterfor sweet and sweet forbitter.‖
—Isa. 5:20
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Unmarked Graves – Luke 11:44
How do we avoid this danger?
Clearly marking what’s off limits
―Test everything. Hold on tothe good. Avoid every kind
of evil.‖ —1 Thess. 5:21-22
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Unmarked Graves – Luke 11:44
How do we avoid this danger?
By inspection of our lives
―Examine yourselves to seewhether you are in the faith;test yourselves. Do you not
realize that Christ Jesus is inyou —unless, of course, youfail the test?‖
—2 Cor. 13:5
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Unmarked Graves – Luke 11:44
How do we avoid this danger?
Setting aside all that’s dead
―Put to death, therefore,whatever belongs to yourearthly nature: sexualimmorality, impurity, lust, evil
desires and greed, which isidolatry. Because of these, thewrath of God is coming.‖
—Col. 3:5-6(see vv. 7-11)
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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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Unmarked Graves – Luke 11:44
Jesus was opposite: unmarked life!
―If you knew the giftof God and who it is
that asks you for adrink, you would haveasked him and hewould have given you
living water.‖ —John4:10
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Unmarked Graves – Luke 11:44
Jesus was opposite: unmarked life!
―In him was life, andthat life was the light
of men. The lightshines in thedarkness, but thedarkness has not
understood it.‖ —John 1:4-5
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Unmarked Graves – Luke 11:44
Jesus calls us to similar mission
―You are the salt of the earth…‖ —Matt. 5:13
―Live such good lives among the pagansthat, though they accuse you of doingwrong, they may see your good deeds andglorify God on the day he visits us.‖
—1 Peter 2:12
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Unmarked Graves