Studies in Luke: the Pharisees (11:33-36)

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Studies in Luke—The Pharisees—11:33-36

1. Jesus speaks of a man’s life and his receptivity to spiritual truth under the metaphor of the eye and light.
   • When the eye is healthy, the whole body is full of light.
   • When the eye is bad, the whole body is full of darkness.
   • Jesus’ identity had been clearly manifested by the works He has done before them, and by the words He had spoken.
   • The eye here represents the spiritual focus of a person—their intellect, will, emotions.
   • The Pharisees refused to believe, not because of the lack of evidence, but in spite of the evidence—they refused to see.
2. The context:
   • Jesus has cast out a demon but is accused of doing so by the power of Beelzebul, prince of the demons (14-16).
     • Others insisted on further signs from Him (16).
     • Jesus tries to reason with them, but to no avail (17-26).
   • Regarding their evil request for a sign, Jesus said no sign would be given but the sign of Jonah (29).
     • He contrasted their unbelief with the belief of the Ninevites and the queen of the south (29-32)
       • They had believed without signs.
       • They were not Jews.
       • One greater than Jonah and Solomon was now present—the Son of God.
     • Why could these Jews not believe what the Gentiles seemed to see so easily? Unbelief.
3. Why do some many today fail to see spiritual truth? Unbelief!
4. There is none so blind as those that will not see!