"Woe"

October 11, 2013

“Woe”

Blessings Folk!

Todays reading:

Matthew 23:1-36
Mark 12:37b-40
Luke 20:45-47

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The great “woe” passage.

Jesus is direct.
Jesus is forthright.
Jesus dealt boldly with the scribes and Pharisees - the Religionists of the day.

Jesus begins with declaring that the scribes and Pharisees had seated themselves in the chair of Moses...what they spoke from Moses was correct. Do it. What they did was incorrect. Do not do according to their deeds.

Look at how they behaved:
  • like to walk around in long robes...fancy clothes
  • love respectful greetings in the market places
  • love being called “Rabbi”
  • love chief seats in the synagogues...worship time
  • love places of honor at banquet
  • devoured widow’s houses
  • prayed long prayers for the sake of appearance

Look at what they do:
  • tie up heavy burdens and place them on men, yet they do nothing
  • do all their deeds to be noticed by men
  • broaden their phylacteries
  • lengthen their tassels
  • travel about to make proselyte, yet twice the son of hell themselves
  • blind guides...swear by this/that
  • tithe, yet neglect the important things
  • build tombs of prophets, adorn monuments of righteousness, yet murder

The Woes spoke by Jesus:
  • shut off the kingdom of heaven from people
  • devour widow’s houses
  • long, fake prayers

Their future?
Greater condemnation.

Word to us?
  • be not called “Teacher”/”Father/Leader”
  • be a servant
  • whoever exalts himself shall be humbled
  • whoever humbles himself shall be exalted

Look familiar?
Does to me. I see it everywhere.
Repent.