What does Luke 11:35 mean?

In the context, this is Jesus' warning for experts in the Mosaic law: be intellectually honest when it comes to who He is. They have all the proof they need that He is their Messiah. Yet their minds are so darkened by greed, envy, and selfishness that they cannot admit the truth even to themselves. The "light"—the truth about Jesus—is shining on them but their eyesight is filtered by "greed and wickedness" (Luke 11:39). In their selfishness, they would rather join prior generations in killing God's prophets than share the truth those prophets preached (Luke 11:47–52). In a moment of profound self-irony, when Jesus calls them out on their hypocrisy, they conspire to murder Him (Luke 11:53–54; Mark 3:6).

Intellectual honesty is just as important in modern times. We are surrounded by powers that twist words, filter information, and herd us into extreme camps. If our perception is muddied by the grime of fear, pride, and jealousy, we will not see things as they are. The "light" of truth we claim to seek and spread will be nothing but dark lies.

Nowhere is this more important than in spiritual matters. A critical reading of the Bible will reveal that it interprets the human condition accurately. It reveals our need for a Savior and then introduces us to that Savior. It is foolish to follow lesser ideals into greed, wickedness, and deliberate lies when the light of the truth is so evident.