Luke 11:50Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The Lord additionally discloses that the Jewish people are descendants of Cain and possess his wickedness when He declares that all the blood shed from Abel to Zechariah will be demanded from this generation. He says, “You killed the prophets, your brothers, just as Cain killed Abel." This comparison leads some to view Cain as a representation of those who persecute the prophets, for which they were avenged sevenfold; while Lamech symbolizes those who brought about the death of Christ, for which they faced a far greater punishment, said to be seventy times seven (Genesis 4:24), specifically through their being cast into irreversible exile.

All the blood of the righteous will be accounted. They who brought about the death of the Avenger for those who were slain shall face the consequences themselves. For anyone who takes the life of the Judge stands alongside the killers, for by eliminating the Judge, they also hinder justice and provide relief to the persecutors.

The superficial devotion of the Jews is vividly illustrated here, as they condemn their ancestors by constructing the monuments for the prophets. Yet, in mirroring the wrongdoings of their forebears, they direct the judgment back upon themselves. By fashioning these grand tombs, they articulate the guilt of the murderers, demonstrating that they have truly inherited the vices of their ancestors through their actions. It is not merely the act of building tombs that is held against them; rather, it is the replication of wicked deeds that brings about their condemnation. Those who engage in greater transgressions cannot escape the legacy of sinful actions, especially as they have amplified the burdens of their forefathers’ sins by crucifying the Son of God.

Employing the language of prophecy, He proclaims what is to come: "Let the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was murdered between the altar and the temple, be required from this generation." This is stated directly. "Truly, I tell you, it will be demanded of this generation." Furthermore, this too has been declared.

The Lord acknowledged that the conduct of the lawyers was as unjust as that of their followers. He criticized the harshness with which they enforced regulations while failing to adhere to them, as well as the pride with which they decorated the graves of the prophets, their spiritual ancestors. From their inner disposition and the hostility they harbored toward Jesus and His disciples, it would be more accurate to see them as the heirs of those false prophets and wicked individuals who had once slain the prophets. Ultimately, He warned them of God's wrath for having claimed the keys to understanding His word; they neither utilized it as a genuine path to His kingdom nor guided others to it through its truth.

In these acts of violence, there was a defiance against God's purpose, and as a result, the blood of all the prophets, shed since the world's foundation—from the blood of Abel to that of Zechariah, who was slain between the altar and the temple—will be demanded from this generation. Some commentators suggest that this Zechariah refers to the son of Jodi, who was stoned in the temple court during Joash's reign (2 Chronicles 24:20-21), yet this view seems questionable since many prophets were killed after him. Christ's reference appears to indicate Zechariah son of Barachiah as the last of those slain.

Alas for them, for their false sorrow led them to condemn their forebears for persecuting the prophets, while they harbored within their hearts the same murderous spirit as their ancestors, even exceeding their transgressions with even greater evil. Upon this generation would descend all the blood of the righteous shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to that of Zacharias, whom they had murdered between the temple and the altar. The tempest of divine justice was already forming above them, poised to unleash its full fury upon their guilty heads.

A particular legal expert, having heard the words of Christ, felt a sense of offense. He belonged to a group that could appear more righteous and pure than the Pharisees condemned by the Savior, due to their meticulous study of the law. The lawyer addressed Jesus, saying, “Teacher, your remarks irritate us. However, those among the lawyers who impose burdens on people's consciences with trivial and arbitrary human rules—these hypocritical heirs who honor the deeds of their forebears and construct monuments for the prophets who were once slain, yet share the mindset of their murderers—these among them are the true destroyers of their people.