Have you ever had a meal with some friends and the conversation turns a little awkward?

Yeah?

I have been in those situations quite a few times and if I was being completely honest I have been the one who has caused the awkwardness at times – eek!

Today I was reading about a pretty awkward dinner encounter involving Jesus. It comes just after Jesus had finished speaking to the people and a Pharisee has invited Jesus to eat with him – Jesus accepts the invitation. We read about this invitation and begin to see where it starts to go wrong in Luke 11.

When Jesus had finished speaking, a Pharisee invited him to eat with him; so he went in and reclined at the table. But the Pharisee was surprised when he noticed that Jesus did not first wash before the meal. Luke 11:37:38

We’re not sure if the Pharisee voiced his surprise, whether his face gave it away, or Jesus knew what he was thinking, but this moment changed the course of their meal together. It also seems there were others there too.

Jesus begins to talk about the Pharisees and their traditions and then starts to talk about the ‘woes’ of the Pharisees. Here they are summarised;

• Because they neglect justice
• Because they desire positions of importance
• Because they were unclean and spiritually dead but people didn’t even realise

Awkward right?

It was at this point one of experts in the law who was there spoke up and let Jesus know this offended him. He may have regretted this because Jesus begins to talk about the ‘woes’ of the experts in the law.

• Because they put heavy loads on the people but don’t help them with it
• Because they have taken away the key to knowledge

The passage doesn’t tell us what they talked about next but I’m pretty sure it wasn’t the weather! It does tell is what happened afterwards.

When Jesus went outside, the Pharisees and the teachers of the law began to oppose him fiercely and to besiege him with questions, waiting to catch him in something he might say. Luke 11:53-54

This definitely makes me feel better about some of the times that I have said something awkward even though I feel it was the right thing to say………