119. The Refutation of Pharisees and Lawyers at a Pharisee’s Dinner. Lk. 11:37–54

Now as He was saying these things, a Pharisee asked Him to dine with him. And He went in and reclined at table. The Pharisee marveled to see that He did not first wash His hands before dinner. But the Lord said to him: Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside you are full of robbery and wickedness. Foolish ones! Did not He who made the outside make the inside also? But give what is inside as alms, and behold, everything is clean for you. But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and every herb, and you neglect justice and the love of God: these you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the chief seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like hidden tombs, and the people walk over them without knowing it.

One of the lawyers said to Him: Teacher! In saying these things, you insult us also. But the Lord said: Woe to you lawyers also! For you load men with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers. Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets, and your fathers killed them. So you are witnesses and approve of the deeds of your fathers, for they killed the prophets, and you build their tombs. Therefore also the Wisdom of God said: I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and persecute, so that the blood of all the prophets, shed from the foundation of the world, will be required of this generation, from 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. Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge; you did not enter yourselves, and you hindered those who were entering.

And as He said these things to them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to be very hostile and to press Him hard, questioning Him about many things, lying in wait for Him, to catch something He might say that could be used against Him.