Luke 11:47-51 47Woe to you, because you build the tombs of the prophets, but your fathers killed them. 48 So you are witnesses, and you approve of the deeds of your fathers because they killed them, and you build them. 49Therefore also the Wisdom of God said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of whom they will kill and persecute,’ 50so that the blood of all the prophets that has been shed from the foundation of the world may be held against this generation, 51from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who perished between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, it will be required of this generation.
The fifth woe is the longest of the series and broadens to be inclusive of the lawyers and Pharisees though it comes in the middle of the series in response to the lawyer in verse 45. By this point in the dinner, Jesus was probably not a welcomed guest anymore. His words had the power to convict. He spoke the trust as a prophet, and prophets are often not welcomed because they speak the truth and call people to account. This woe makes his connection with the prophetic tradition clear. The Pharisees and lawyers built monuments for the prophets, but it was their forefathers who killed the prophets. The meaning of this idea is that the Jews of Jesus’ day were acting like the people of Israel and Judah long ago. The ancient prophets brought God’s word of conviction and called the people to repent from their idolatry and immorality. Most of the people, and particularly the religious elite, did not listen. A good example of this was during Jeremiah’s ministry before the fall of Jerusalem in 587 B.C.
It is unclear what the Wisdom of God is in this verse, but it appears to be a reference to how wise God is in history and in the revelation of Scripture. The quotation in verse 49 appears to be a summarizing thought from Old Testament teachings. The reference to prophets and apostles brings the Old Testament and New Testament together. The word apostle can be translated as “one who is sent out.” The word here would bring to the mind of the readers of this Gospel the various early church leaders Jesus had commissioned to share the good news. There were also Christian prophets. Both Old and New Testament prophets and apostles were rejected, persecuted, and even killed by the religious leaders of the people. The Jews of Jesus’ generation were following in the footsteps of those who came before them. The difference was that that generation had the full revelation of the Son and the full light of the gospel, while the previous generations only had the partial light. Therefore, that generation would be held accountable because they should have known better. Jesus covers the whole Old Testament, from Adam to one of the last prophets and priests, Zechariah, mentioned in 2 Chronicles 24:20–22.
Religion can be attractive. Religious practices and routines give a certain degree of comfort in repetition. The problem is when these practices blur the words from God’s messengers. There are many mixed messages today, with so-called prophets and apostles claiming divine revelation and authority. Pastors often serve the roles of prophet and apostle to a church. If their words are indeed the truth of the gospel, their words will come with power and conviction. Religious piety and responding to the truth do not need to be contradictory, but the temptation is to choose one or the other, and the tendency is to lean toward the familiarity of pious habits. When we are confronted with the clear prophetic and apostolic truth about Jesus, we must respond to its call to discipleship.
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