The Message Of Matthew 23
written at Sunday, October 21, 2012
The message in Matthew 23 is a strong one, Jesus repeatedly pronounces his "woe" on the Pharisees and teachers of the law, labelling them as "hypocrites" and "blind guides" and "blind fools", even likening them to "whitewashed tombs that look "beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean", they are the "sons of hell", a "brood of vipers".
The verses 5-12 and 25-32 highlight Jesus' ire, the love for the outward forms of religion with little experienced for a transformed life, a transformed character. To be greeted as a religious teacher, to be honoured by the community, to be thought holy and righteous, while inwardly seething with greed, self-indulgence, bitterness, rivalry, and hate is profoundly evil.
Even worse, a damning indictment, is that in Matthew 23, the passage highlights that they have a major teaching role, where they spread poison among those who around them, whether through speech or leading by example. Not only do they fail to enter the kingdom, but they effectively close it down to others as mentioned in verses 13-15. Hard truths makes for hard application, but it has to be applied, I come face to face with the words of Jesus.
We cannot escape from these words, they cut, and gnaw at our very nature, no number of leadership ministry retreats and get-together sessions can save us from this, we are in deep need of His grace and mercy.
But reading on in the chapter of Matthew 23, though Jesus brought to light this appalling guilt with such a fierceness and intensity, He weeps over the city.
The Message Of Matthew 23
written at Sunday, October 21, 2012
The message in Matthew 23 is a strong one, Jesus repeatedly pronounces his "woe" on the Pharisees and teachers of the law, labelling them as "hypocrites" and "blind guides" and "blind fools", even likening them to "whitewashed tombs that look "beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean", they are the "sons of hell", a "brood of vipers".
The verses 5-12 and 25-32 highlight Jesus' ire, the love for the outward forms of religion with little experienced for a transformed life, a transformed character. To be greeted as a religious teacher, to be honoured by the community, to be thought holy and righteous, while inwardly seething with greed, self-indulgence, bitterness, rivalry, and hate is profoundly evil.
Even worse, a damning indictment, is that in Matthew 23, the passage highlights that they have a major teaching role, where they spread poison among those who around them, whether through speech or leading by example. Not only do they fail to enter the kingdom, but they effectively close it down to others as mentioned in verses 13-15. Hard truths makes for hard application, but it has to be applied, I come face to face with the words of Jesus.
We cannot escape from these words, they cut, and gnaw at our very nature, no number of leadership ministry retreats and get-together sessions can save us from this, we are in deep need of His grace and mercy.
But reading on in the chapter of Matthew 23, though Jesus brought to light this appalling guilt with such a fierceness and intensity, He weeps over the city.
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Knowing
What matters supremely, therefore, is not
in the last analysis, the fact that I know God,
but the larger fact which underlies it --
the fact that He knows me.
J. I. Packer
