Matthew 23

Hmm... I find it quite intriguing that a passage on Jesus rebuking the scribes and Pharisees can speak to me....

Matthew 23:1-36
Woe to the Scribes and Pharisees

- v2-3. ... The religion scholars and Pharisees are competent teachers in God's Law. You won't go wrong in following their teachings on Moses. But be careful about following them. They talk a good line, but they don't live it...

Nothing wrong with the Law, something wrong with following the wrong people...

- v4. Instead of giving you God's Law as food and drink by which you can banquet on God, they package it in bundles of rules, loading you down like pack animals.

Ahhhh.... I never saw the Law in this way before!! Hence, all the parables about the kingdom of God as wedding banquets???

- v8-10. ... You all have a single Teacher, and you are all classmates. Don't set people up as experts over your life, letting them tell you what to do. Save that authority for God; let him tell you what to do No one else should carry the title of 'Father'; you have only one Father, and he's in heaven....

Again, follow God, don't follow people.

- v11. But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant.

I've seen this in earlier chapters but it's only here where I heard the Spirit speak to me that when your leaders ask you to start serving in church, they are setting you up for greatness!!!

- v13. But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.

If they had entered into the kingdom themselves, I don't think they would be the way they are! Hence, if you have truly experienced God's love for you, you will be transformed supernaturally!

-v15. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.

In other words, hai ci nang!!!!

- v23. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith.

Justice, mercy and faith...

- v27 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness.

For some reason, this verse speaks to me that there is no point buying a nice (white) car but inside I'm dead and dry in paying it off...