Forefathers

 DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO LUKE

FOREFATHERS

Luke 11:47-51

47 "Woe to you, because you build tombs for the prophets, and it was your forefathers who killed them. 48 So you testify that you approve of what your forefathers did; they killed the prophets, and you build their tombs. 49 Because of this, God in his wisdom said, 'I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and others they will persecute.' 50 Therefore this generation will be held responsible for the blood of all the prophets that has been shed since the beginning of the world, 51 from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, this generation will be held responsible for it all.

NIV

Our research found that it was customary for some Jews to beautify the tombs of some of the great leaders of the past by lighting wax candles and whitewashing their tombs. This was to show respect and honor to them; however, their ancestors had killed the prophets and Jesus, it is telling them by respecting the tombs they were giving approval to kill the prophets, and in fact, they were going to give approval to kill Jesus. Giving approval of the sin of those of the past, made them responsible and would be held guilty of their sin, and thus their own sin. How do we deal with this truth as it applies to our lives? We would think that we certainly would not approve of the sins of our past relatives, although we might visit their graves and place flowers in remembrance of them, and even honor their memory in some other manner. After all, they are our ancestors and family. Some distant family, but then our parents are the ones who gave us birth and raised us. Why wouldn’t we honor them, especially when one of the commands is to honor our parents, and it will bring us long life? However, they were all sinners, some saved by grace, others who lived and remained in the darkness of this world. We wonder when we give honor to those past family members who sinned, are we guilty of their sin, or held accountable. We know the first step in being saved is to acknowledge our sin, repent, change the way we think about sin, know that it is an offense to God, and seek his forgiveness, which he freely gives, through Jesus Christ. We wonder if we ever speak the truth about our past family, saying they were sinners with some being wretched sinners. Those of us who grew up in a sinful family should confess that to be true, while those who grew up in a Christian family should also confess their past family were not perfect either, but sinful, just that their sins had been dealt with in Christ Jesus. Let us be careful how we deal with the truth about our forefathers.