The Pharisees carefully built elaborate markers for the graves of the martyred prophets. Their nostalgia was saying, “Those were the great days of powerful words from the Lord.” Yet, they despised the prophetic words of John the Baptist and Jesus. In fact, they wanted no present word from the Lord to confront their sin. Paul would say later, “Do not despise the words of prophets” (1 Thess 5:20 NRSV). We still do not like words that confront our immorality, racism, sexism, nationalism, materialism, hedonism, apathy and other sins. We choose rather to remember the great non-threatening days of yore!
“Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets, and it was your fathers who killed them. So you are witnesses and approve the deeds of your fathers; because it was they who killed them, and you build their tombs.” Luke 11:47-48 (NASB)
