Luke 11:45

Luke 11:45 says, Then answered one of the lawyers, and said unto him, Master, thus saying thou reproachest us also. A lawyer said that by what Jesus had stated that he reproached the lawyers as well.  At least the lawyer recognized the fact, and if we are to be saved, we must recognize that until we accept Jesus as our Savior and Lord, we are no better than any other sinner.  Verse forty-six adds, And he said, Woe unto you also, ye lawyers! for ye lade men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers. Jesus made it clear that the lawyers who acted only in their self interest were indeed included in His proclamation of woe.  I don't believe this was a condemnation of all lawyers, but of those who used the religious law for their own profit and to burden others.  Verse forty-seven continues, Woe unto you! for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, and your fathers killed them.  Jesus said the lawyers used the law to kill the prophets, as had their fathers before them. Verse forty-eight states, Truly ye bear witness that ye allow the deeds of your fathers: for they indeed killed them, and ye build their sepulchres.  Jesus said the current lawyers were just as guilty as their fathers had been, because of instead of correcting past injustices they simply buried the prophets by the same interpretation of the law.  They built monuments to past prophets while continuing to persecute and kill the current ones.  We are not condemned for the sins of others, but we cannot excuse them either while continuing to commit the same sins ourselves.  Verse forty-nine adds, Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute:  Jesus said that God in His wisdom had sent prophets and apostles to the people of Israel knowing that they would kill some of them.  As followers of Christ today, God may send us into a dangerous situation, and some may even die for their faith, but the reward is everlasting life if we put our faith in Him no matter what.  Verse fifty continues, That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation;  Jesus said the current generation would be held responsible for the death of the prophets who came before as well, since they continued to have the same attitude towards God and His prophets.  I don't believe that we are held accountable for the sins of those who come before or after us, but if our attitude toward God is the same as them, we are guilty just as they were.  Verse fifty-one concludes, From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation.  I believe that what Jesus was saying was that the current lawyers were just as guilty as those in the past of persecuting the prophets of God, and no outward veneration of the prophets would change that.  If we reject Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, we reject all of His law and the prophets who came before Him.  Verse fifty-two declares, Woe unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered. Jesus pronounced woe on the lawyers because not only had they failed to enter into fellowship with God, but they prevented others from coming to God.  I believe people will be held accountable for preventing or trying to prevent others from coming to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.   Verse fifty-three adds, And as he said these things unto them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to urge him vehemently, and to provoke him to speak of many things:  As Jesus spoke these things,  the scribes and Pharisees,  instead of repenting and coming to Him, began to attempt to get Jesus to say something that they could use against Him, which was what He had just said they did to the prophets.  When we hear the truth of God, we can either accept it or begin to plot against it. Verse fifty-four concludes,  Laying wait for him, and seeking to catch something out of his mouth, that they might accuse him.  The scribes and Pharisees began to actively work against Jesus.  These were the religious leaders of the people of Israel who prided themselves on being so.  We  must never, as followers of Christ, allow ourselves to use God's law to condemn anyone who is doing God's work.