unmarked graves

8/3/2019 Unmarked Graves

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Unmarked Graves – Luke 11:44

Unmarked Graves




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)




Questions

1. What is significance of unmarkedgraves in that culture?

2. How are Pharisees like unmarkedgraves?

3. What is the danger for us?




1. What is the significanceof unmarked graves in

that culture?




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.




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.




Defilement spreads!

Unclean 7 days

Unclean until evening

PerpetuallyUnclean




Defilement spreads!

Anything that an unclean person touches

becomes unclean, and anyone whotouches it becomes unclean untilevening. —Num. 19:22




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




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




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





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





Ignaz Semmelweis – Vienna, 1847

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/08/I_Semmelweis.jpg





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





















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.
















Like a pandemic!








How they avoided defilement

Located cemeteries out of town Whitewashed tombs Identified unmarked graves














2. How were the Pharisees

like unmarked graves?










Pharisees – unmarked graves?

Their defilement was hidden.

They defiled others unawares. These defiled others without their

knowledge.

Irony: Official grave inspectors!



















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


















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






























The epidemic in Palestine

Leaders defiled & disbursed…

―[They] began tooppose him fiercely.‖

—Luke 11:53



















They defiled others…

―Has any of the rulersor of the Phariseesbelieved in him? No!‖

—John 7:48-49



















Who turn to others…

―[They] persuaded thecrowd to ask forBarabbas and to have

Jesus executed.‖ —Matt. 27:20



















Whole nation defiled

All the people answered, ―Let his blood be on usand on our children!‖

—Matt. 27:25

















3. What is the danger

for us?










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




















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
































A similar epidemic?








A similar epidemic?

―God’s name is blasphemedamong the pagans because of

you!‖ —Rom. 2:24
















What do they say about us?

Hypocrites

Judgmental

Ambitious & greedy

Uncaring

Force them to conform to us

Cultish, irrational, scarey!




















How do we contaminate others?

By our example

By our attitude By our neglect














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




















Clearly marking what’s off limits

―Test everything. Hold on tothe good. Avoid every kind

of evil.‖ —1 Thess. 5:21-22

















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






















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)























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



















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



















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


















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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