Luke 11:29-54

When you read Luke 11:29-54 (especially the 7 woes), what you might notice is that it's not that Jesus is such a social or political revolutionary (He is first and foremost the Son of God and our spiritual messiah, He is about our souls), but those who opposed Him, the Pharisees & teachers of the law- they were all about social & political power and prestige when THEY'RE the ones who should've been concentrating on the spiritual.

It's kind of like how those who claim to oppose class warfare are usually the ones who've already been benefiting from waging war on the poor.

Jesus makes clear that God desires mercy over sacrifice, sincerity over lip-service, a real relationship with Him rather than just fiercely identifying yourself with Him. Repentance and regret over the sins of our ancestors rather than fancy memorials. And justice, liberty, and equality rather than institutionalized religious elitism.

I can see participants in the reformation seeing Luke 11:29-54 as applying to the church of the renaissance as much as to the Pharisees. We need to read it as if it applies to us in the 21st century West too.