January 18, 2026: Trouble at the Temple

Luke 11:29-32; John 9 and 10 (select verses)

Jesus confronts the Pharisees more directly as he approaches Jerusalem. He intentionally heals on the Sabbath, breaks purity laws, and refutes the idea that this man or his parents or to blame for his blindness. Then he challenges them about keeping the letter of law but not the spirit of it, insulting them and accusing the to be full of greed and wickedness. Theological claims about the sign of Jonah, being greater than Solomon, and acting like a Good Shepherd spurs the Pharisees’s anger. Finally, when he claims that he and the Father are one, more then words are hurled at him.

Reflection Questions: How do we today put laws above people or blame them for their own misfortune? How would you describe the difference between keeping the letter of the law and the spirit of the law? What are the ways people do that today?