Luke 11:45-48

We must be very careful not to give precedence to the traditions of man over the Word of God. Jesus came, not to condemn man, but to offer the gift of salvation to all who would repent and accept Him as payment for their sin.

The Bible is the written word  and inspiration of Holy Spirit. He gives us the gift of knowledge and allows us to fully absorb the teachings of the word made flesh, Jesus Christ. Jesus is the King of kings and Lord of lords.

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Luke 11:45-48

45 Then one of the lawyers answered and said to Him, “Teacher, by saying these things You reproach us also.” 46 And He said, “Woe to you also, lawyers! For you load men with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers. 47 Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets, and your fathers killed them. 48 In fact, you bear witness that you approve the deeds of your fathers; for they indeed killed them, and you build their tombs. The New King James Version

Reflecting the light and darkness imagery of the previous passage, Jesus’ remarks here highlight the importance of sincere obedience over religious pretense. This section combines two episodes recounted in Matthew and Mark. The first involves the dispute over ceremonial washing before meals. The second is Jesus’ condemnation of the scribes (teachers of the law) and Pharisees.

Washing one’s hands before eating is not required in the law of Moses, but was part of the Pharisees’ tradition. Jesus contrasts external purity (proper behavior) with internal cleansing (transformation of the heart). These examples of tithing illustrate the Pharisees’ meticulous attention to the smallest details of the law of Moses. 

But they left out justice and love for God which echoes the two greatest commandments.

Unmarked graves is a metaphor for the Pharisees’ pious appearances, which disguised their inner wickedness. When graves were not appropriately marked, people could walk over them and potentially become ritually unclean. Faithlife Study Bible

The Pharisees were like hidden graves. To have contact with a grave or with the dead was to become ceremonially unclean. Anyone or anything in the same room as the dead was considered in Jewish tradition to be impure. This is Jesus’ stronger condemnation. The Pharisees, the paragons of purity, were in fact the height of uncleanness. Jesus applied His woes to lawyers as well as to the Pharisees. In everyday Greek, the term translated burdens refers to a ship’s cargo. The idea is that a heavy strain was being imposed on the people and yet, in the end, this burden did not bring them closer to God. Here Jesus rebuked the tradition that had grown up around the Law of Moses. Was Jesus accusing the scribes of hypocrisy in not practicing what they taught and in making distinctions that freed them from obligations, as they did with oaths? Or was Jesus simply accusing the scribes of not offering aid and compassion to those who tried to follow their rules? The second interpretation is more likely, since the Pharisees were known for adhering to the Law. 

Jesus made a biting, ironic comparison between the current generation of Israel and the generations of the past. Jesus was saying that the current generation finished the job of slaying of the prophets that the previous generation had started. The building and care of tombs was supposed to be an act of honoring the prophets, but Jesus pointed out that something else was really going on. The NKJV Study Bible

Matthew 11:28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Matthew 11:29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

Matthew 11:30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”