Shutting the Mouths of the Pharisees

A funny thing happens in Luke 16. First in the previous chapter Jesus told parables about the lost sheep, the lost coin and the lost son. Then in chapter 16 he switches gears and decides to tell a parable about a rich man.

At the conclusion of the parable, the Pharisees who also happened to be in the audience, ridiculed Jesus for his teaching. The text says they ridiculed Jesus because they loved money. Jesus answered the ridicule and then said this…

“Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and the man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery”

Then in the next verses continues on the theme of the rich and told the tale of the Rich man and Lazarus.

So why did Jesus interrupt his teaching on the rich to discuss marriage, divorce and remarriage?

I think I know exactly why. You see the Pharisees not only had a problem with being lovers of money but by implication had a problem with their marriages. They must have been marrying, divorcing, remarrying, so forth and so on.

They ridiculed Jesus on his teaching about money and richness but when he taught about marriage, divorce and remarriage they kept their hypocritical mouths shut so light might not be shined on their hypocrisy.

Don’t you just love Jesus? He knew how to shut them up.