Woe to you! You build the memorials of the prophets whom your ancestors killed. 48 Consequently, you bear witness and give consent to the deeds of your ancestors, for they killed them and you do the building. 49 Therefore, the wisdom of God said, ‘I will send to them prophets and apostles; some of them they will kill and persecute’ 50 in order that this generation might be charged with the blood of all the prophets shed since the foundation of the world, 51 from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah who died between the altar and the temple building. Yes, I tell you, this generation will be charged with their blood! 52 Woe to you, scholars of the law! You have taken away the key of knowledge. You yourselves did not enter and you stopped those trying to enter.” 53 When he left, the scribes and Pharisees began to act with hostility toward him and to interrogate him about many things, 54 for they were plotting to catch him at something he might say.
As Jesus continues His criticism of the religious leaders during a meal at a Pharisee's home, He addresses the scholars of the law, who were responsible for studying, interpreting, and teaching God's Law. He condemns them for honoring the prophets of the past while continuing to reject the message God delivers through those He sends. His words reveal the responsibility of those who receive God's Word, especially those entrusted with explaining it to others.
Jesus begins by condemning the scholars for building memorials to the prophets whom their ancestors had killed. Building memorials was ordinarily a way of honoring those who had died. Yet Jesus exposes a contradiction in their conduct. Although they honor the prophets who spoke for God in earlier generations, they resist God's message being proclaimed to them through Jesus. Their actions continue the pattern of opposition that led their ancestors to reject and kill the prophets. Honoring God's messengers therefore requires more than respecting their memory; it calls for receiving the truth God has entrusted to them and faithfully sharing that truth with others.
Jesus then recalls the long history of opposition to God's messengers, declaring that God would send “prophets and apostles; some of them they will kill and persecute” (v. 49). The prophets were chosen by God to proclaim His Word, call His people to repentance, and guide them in living according to His covenant. The apostles would continue this mission by proclaiming Jesus Christ and the salvation He brings. Jesus' words anticipate both His own rejection and the persecution that some of His apostles and other followers would experience (Acts 7:52; 12:1–2).
To emphasize the seriousness of this rejection, Jesus speaks of the blood of Abel and Zechariah. Abel was killed by his brother Cain (Genesis 4:8–10). Zechariah was a prophet who was stoned to death after warning the people of Judah that they had abandoned the Lord (2 Chronicles 24:20–22). These two deaths represent the history of violence against the righteous and God's messengers, from Abel's murder in Genesis, the first book of the Old Testament, to Zechariah's murder in 2 Chronicles, the final book in the traditional Hebrew ordering of the Old Testament.
When Jesus declares that “this generation will be charged with their blood” (v. 51), He warns His contemporaries about the consequences of continuing this pattern of rejection. His words concern their own response to God's messengers, particularly their growing opposition to Him. They are accountable for choosing to resist God's revelation, just as earlier generations were responsible for rejecting the prophets sent to them. Jesus' warning reveals that receiving God's Word involves a personal responsibility to recognize and respond to the truth.
Jesus then condemns the scholars of the law for taking away the “key of knowledge” (v. 52). The key represents the understanding of God's Word that opens the way to knowing Him and entering His kingdom. The scholars possessed considerable knowledge of Scripture and religious law, but their interpretations and conduct often emphasized lesser matters while neglecting the more important demands of justice and love for God (Luke 11:42). Consequently, they failed to recognize the truth Jesus proclaimed and made it more difficult for others to receive it.
This accusation reveals the serious responsibility entrusted to those who teach God's Word. Religious knowledge is meant to help people understand God's revelation, recognize His will, and draw closer to Him. Those who teach serve this purpose by faithfully explaining the Scriptures and helping others put God's Word into practice. Jesus had already taught that those who hear the Word of God and observe it are blessed (Luke 11:28). The same responsibility to receive and live God's Word applies to those who teach it.
Luke concludes by describing the hostile response of the scribes and Pharisees. Rather than consider Jesus' warnings, they begin questioning Him aggressively, hoping to catch Him saying something they can use against Him. Their response demonstrates the very resistance to God's message that Jesus has condemned. As Jesus continues His journey toward Jerusalem, this growing opposition anticipates the suffering and death He will endure.
The Gospel reveals that faithfulness to God's Word requires both receiving its truth and allowing it to shape one's life. Those entrusted with teaching that Word bear an additional responsibility to help others understand God's revelation and discover the life He offers through Jesus Christ.
Lord Jesus, open our hearts to receive Your Word with faith and humility. Help us recognize Your truth, live according to Your teaching, and guide others toward You through our words and actions. Amen.
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Sources and References
- The New American Bible, Revised Edition. Washington, DC: Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, 2011. Luke 11:47–54 and accompanying notes.
- Hahn, Scott, and Curtis Mitch. The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: New Testament. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2010. 131–32.
- Casciaro, Jose Maria, gen. ed. The Navarre Bible: New Testament, Expanded Edition. Dublin: Four Courts Press; New York: Scepter Publishers, 2008. 301.
- Brown, Raymond E., Joseph A. Fitzmyer, and Roland E. Murphy, eds. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1990. 704, §132.
- Gadenz, Pablo T. The Gospel of Luke. Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2018. 232–33.
- Aguilar Chiu, Jose Enrique, et al., eds. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. New York: Paulist Press, 2018. 1069–70.
- Collins, John J., Gina Hens-Piazza, Barbara Reid, OP, and Donald Senior, CP, eds. The Jerome Biblical Commentary for the Twenty-First Century. 3rd fully revised ed. London: T&T Clark, 2022. 1328–29.
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