Luke 11:45
One of the lawyers answered him, “Teacher, in saying these things you insult us also.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
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This lawyer isn't just offended; he's feeling personally attacked because Jesus' harsh words about hypocrisy and burdensome laws hit home. The word he uses implies an insult or an outrage, revealing that Jesus’ faithful critique felt like a deep personal offense to his professional pride.
Jesus has just delivered a stinging critique of the Pharisees and lawyers for their hypocrisy, focusing on their love of outward religious show while neglecting justice and the love of God. When Jesus calls them "woe to you" and highlights how they burden others with laws they refuse to follow, one of these legal experts feels personally attacked and objects that Jesus' words are an insult to their entire profession.
Jesus just delivered a blistering critique of the Pharisees and scribes. One of the 'lawyers' (a type of scribe) speaks up, but not to repent. What's going on here?
When Jesus spoke about the Pharisees loving the best seats and the salutations in the marketplace (Luke 11:43), he wasn't just delivering a theological lecture. He was calling out a pattern of behavior rooted in pride and self-exaltation. The lawyer's response, 'Master, in saying these things you insult us also,' reveals a common human reaction: defensiveness.
Instead of asking, 'Is this true about me?', his immediate thought is, 'How does this reflect on me?' He feels personally attacked. This isn't necessarily because he disagrees with Jesus' assessment of the Pharisees; it's more likely because his conscience knows the description fits him too. He feels lumped in with those Jesus is condemning, and his pride is wounded. He interprets Jesus' faithful, truthful words not as a call to examine his heart, but as a personal insult.
Jesus didn't hold back. But why was his directness so jarring, and what does it teach us about speaking truth today?
The commentaries note that Jesus wasn't abusing or merely insulting the religious leaders. He was speaking the unvarnished truth about their hypocrisy. The lawyer felt 'reproached' (or 'insulted,' as some translations put it), but Jesus' words were a faithful exposure of their dangerous spiritual state.
This highlights a crucial point: when truth is spoken faithfully, it often feels harsh to those accustomed to deception or self-deception. The scribes and Pharisees had burdened people with rules while neglecting righteousness themselves. They sought honor and recognition, not genuine service to God or others. Jesus’ words, therefore, were not just criticism; they were a divine diagnosis aimed at bringing about repentance. Faithful truth-telling, even when it stings, is a demonstration of God's love, aimed at healing, not just hurting. It can be costly, both for the speaker and the listener.
Understand the original words
nomikos · Greek Noun
Experts in the Mosaic Law who interpreted and taught the Scriptures, often serving as legal advisors and religious authorities.
didaskalos · Greek Noun
An authoritative instructor or master, particularly one recognized for teaching divine truth.
hybrizō · Greek Verb
To speak in a way that causes offense, disparages, or treats with contempt, challenging the honor or standing of a person.
This exchange highlights the tension between Jesus' call for authentic devotion and the religious elite's focus on external observance and status. The 'lawyers' (also called scribes) were deeply invested in the complex system of the Oral Law, and Jesus' critique of those who burdened others while not practicing what they preached directly impacted their perceived authority and standing.
c. 200 BC - AD 100
Development of Oral Law
During this period, Jewish scribes and lawyers meticulously developed an extensive body of oral traditions and interpretations that became known as the 'Oral Law,' which often overshadowed the written Law of Moses.
c. 20 BC - AD 30
Jesus' Public Ministry Begins
Jesus begins his public ministry, teaching and healing throughout Galilee and Judea, often challenging the religious establishment.
c. AD 30-33— this verse
Jesus' Denunciation of Hypocrisy
Jesus publicly denounces the hypocrisy and self-serving practices of many religious leaders, including scribes and Pharisees, during his ministry.
c. AD 60-65
Luke Records Jesus' Words
The Gospel of Luke is written, preserving Jesus' teachings and interactions, including this encounter with the lawyer.
This passage directly parallels Jesus' denunciation of the scribes and Pharisees, highlighting their hypocrisy and the heavy burdens they impose, which is the very reason the lawyer felt reproached.
Luke 11:46This verse is the immediate continuation of the conversation, where Jesus directly addresses the lawyers' complaint by pronouncing 'woes' upon them for their similar failings.
Romans 2:17-24This passage speaks to the hypocrisy of those who teach the law but do not follow it, directly addressing the core of the lawyer's implied guilt and Jesus' accusation.
Matthew 7:3-5This teaching of Jesus addresses the idea of hypocrisy and judging others when one has their own faults, which is relevant to how the lawyer perceived Jesus' words as a personal attack rather than a universal truth.
barnesLuke 11:45: "Then answered one of the lawyers, and said unto him, Master, thus saying thou reproachest us also."
Lawyers - Men learned in the law; but it is not known in what way the lawyers differed from the "scribes," or whether they were Pharisees or Sadducees. Thus saying, thou ... - He felt that the remarks of Jesus about loving the chief seats, etc., applied to them as well as to the Pharisees. His conscience told him that if "they" were to blame, "he" was also, and he therefore applied t…
wesleyLuke 11:45: "Then answered one of the lawyers, and said unto him, Master, thus saying thou reproachest us also."
11:45 One of the lawyers - That is scribes; expounders of the law.
This lawyer isn't just offended; he's feeling personally attacked because Jesus' harsh words about hypocrisy and burdensome laws hit home. The word he uses implies an insult or an outrage, revealing that Jesus’ faithful critique felt like a deep personal offense to his professional pride.
Jesus has just delivered a stinging critique of the Pharisees and lawyers for their hypocrisy, focusing on their love of outward religious show while neglecting justice and the love of God. When Jesus calls them "woe to you" and highlights how they burden others with laws they refuse to follow, one of these legal experts feels personally attacked and objects that Jesus' words are an insult to their entire profession.
Jesus has just delivered a stinging critique of the Pharisees and lawyers for their hypocrisy, focusing on their love of outward religious show while neglecting justice and the love of God. When Jesus calls them "woe to you" and highlights how they burden others with laws they refuse to follow, one of these legal experts feels personally attacked and objects that Jesus' words are an insult to their entire profession.
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"One of the lawyers answered him, “Teacher, in saying these things you insult us also.”" — This lawyer isn't just offended; he's feeling personally attacked because Jesus' harsh words about hypocrisy and burdensome laws hit home. The word he uses implies an insult or an outrage, revealin…
