Matthew Chapter 23 (AMP)
Pharisaism Exposed - Eight Woes - Lament over Jerusalem
Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples,
saying: “The scribes and Pharisees have seated themselves in Moses’ chair [of authority as teachers of the Law];
so practice and observe everything they tell you, but do not do as they do; for they preach [things], but do not practice them.
The scribes and Pharisees tie up heavy loads [that are hard to bear] and place them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves will not lift a finger [to make them lighter].
They do all their deeds to be seen by men; for they make their [b]phylacteries (tefillin) wide [to make them more conspicuous] and make their tassels long.
They love the place of distinction and honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues [those on the platform near the scrolls of the Law, facing the congregation],
and to be greeted [with respect] in the market places and public forums, and to have people call them Rabbi.
But do not be called Rabbi (Teacher); for One is your Teacher, and you are all [equally] brothers.
Do not call anyone on earth [who guides you spiritually] your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven.
Do not let yourselves be called leaders or teachers; for One is your Leader (Teacher), the Christ.
But the greatest among you will be your servant.
Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be raised to honor.
“But woe (judgment is coming) to you, [self-righteous] scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut off the kingdom of heaven in front of people; for you do not enter yourselves, nor do you allow those who are [in the process of] entering to do so.
[Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you swallow up widows’ houses, and to cover it up you make long prayers; therefore you will receive the greater condemnation.]
“Woe to you, [self-righteous] scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you travel over sea and land to make a single proselyte (convert to Judaism), and when he becomes a convert, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are.
“Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears [an oath] by the sanctuary of the temple, that is nothing (non-binding); but whoever swears [an oath] by the gold of the temple is obligated [as a debtor to fulfill his vow and keep his promise].’
You fools and blind men! Which is more important, the gold or the sanctuary of the temple that sanctified the gold?
And [you scribes and Pharisees say], ‘Whoever swears [an oath] by the altar, that is nothing (non-binding), but whoever swears [an oath] by the offering on it, he is obligated [as a debtor to fulfill his vow and keep his promise].’
You [spiritually] blind men, which is more important, the offering, or the altar that sanctifies the offering?
Therefore, whoever swears [an oath] by the altar, swears both by it and by everything [offered] on it.
And whoever swears [an oath] by the sanctuary of the temple, swears by it and by Him who dwells within it.
And whoever swears [an oath] by heaven, swears both by the throne of God and by Him who sits upon it.
“Woe to you, [self-righteous] scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you give a tenth (tithe) of your mint and dill and cumin [focusing on minor matters], and have neglected the weightier [more important moral and spiritual] provisions of the Law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the [primary] things you ought to have done without neglecting the others.
You [spiritually] blind guides, who strain out a gnat [consuming yourselves with miniscule matters] and swallow a camel [ignoring and violating God’s precepts]!
“Woe to you, [self-righteous] scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the plate, but inside they are full of extortion and robbery and self-indulgence (unrestrained greed).
You [spiritually] blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the plate [examine and change your inner self to conform to God’s precepts], so that the outside [your public life and deeds] may be clean also.
“Woe to you, [self-righteous] scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which look beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and everything unclean.
So you, also, outwardly seem to be just and upright to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
“Woe to you, [self-righteous] scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build tombs for the prophets and decorate and adorn the monuments of the righteous,
and you say, ‘If we had been living in the days of our fathers, we would not have joined them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’
So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets.
Fill up, then, the [allotted] measure of the guilt of your fathers’ sins.
You serpents, you spawn of vipers, how can you escape the penalty of hell?
“Therefore, take notice, I am sending you prophets and wise men [interpreters, teachers] and scribes [men educated in the Mosaic Law and the writings of the prophets]; some of them you will kill and even crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues, and pursue and persecute from city to city,
so that on you will come the guilt of all the blood of the righteous shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah [the priest], the son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.
I assure you and most solemnly say to you, [the judgment for] all these things [these vile and murderous deeds] will come on this generation.
“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who murders the prophets and stones [to death] those [messengers] who are sent to her [by God]! How often I wanted to gather your children together [around Me], as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling.
Listen carefully: your house is being left to you desolate [completely abandoned by God and destitute of His protection]!
For I say to you, you will not see Me again [ministering to you publicly] until you say, ‘Blessed [to be celebrated with praise] is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’”
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US!!
Content source: Amplified version of the Holy Bible
Image source: Our media Team
Teachers and everyone who has been given the responsibility to interpret the word of God, must do it according to their calling, it is not the same for anyone, so let us worry about doing what God has commanded us to do, in the best way, delivering everything , innovating, changing, and transforming.Many times we have to be attentive when we belong to the leadership or the ministry because it is a place that is exposed to the public, it can be dangerous, if we do not understand the purpose, if our ego has not been overthrown, if the Character has not been formed. For at some point believing that we are doing the right thing, we can be deceived and want to do God's work in the flesh. Anyone who yearns for a title because of his position has been wrong, because humiliation is the way to grow in the ways of the Lord. and move forward, contrary to the world. Jesus is very strong in confronting those who must worry about the salvation of the people, denied them and closed the entrance, unlike how he treated publicans, adulterers, prostitutes and thieves. How much pain and worry There is in the heart of Jesus who, like a chicken that takes care of its young and protects them, tries to keep them and bring them to repentance, but the hardness of the heart due to sin, did not generate any change in their interior, how wise words, how much teaching , how much prophecy without a hard heart result.
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Jesus condemns hypocritical self-sufficiency, full of external manifestations, but empty of the spiritual content of the Pharisees, for they were recognized as the teacher of the law of Moses, although they failed to observe their own precepts, they were always ready to judge, many of them His teachings were profound, but Jesus examined those aspects in which his hypocrisy nullified the validity of his doctrines.
Jesus refers to the innumerable provisions and regulations that reduced religion to a heavy and confusing system of ritual observances that kept people in permanent servitude. The Pharisees were experts in exhibiting their piety in public to receive praise from men.
God shows us that we must do everything for Him, for his glory and honor.
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Indeed this chapter has taught me why some things are happening and the reason "I assure you and most solemnly say to you, [the judgment for] all these things [these vile and murderous deeds] will come on this generation" thanks @relquary for given us daily food to the soul.
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Jesus told them that if they could demonstrate the truth in the law, then they should fulfill it. The word of God is true, no matter who proclaims it! "Rabbi" This Aramaic word was an honorific title ("my teacher"). The titles (rabbi, father, leader) were criticized for the pride and arrogance with which they used them in the Judaism of the first century AD. The leaders liked to be identified with some of these. They were concerned about the titles or names that preached the word and the love of God!
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Hypocrisy is one great enemy to the kingdom of God, acting directly opposite to what you preach. We must act in accordance with the word of God and that is the only way salvation could be ours.
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This chapter stops teaching that a bad doctrine or a bad implementation of the word of God only denies the kingdom of the heavens to those who disbelieve the truth, a bad guide can lead its guides to a precipice, as it says in the verse 13
On the other hand it is that certainly the kingdom of God is for simplicity and humility, far from all vanity or pride, as we could read in verse 12.
And to finish in the lament of Jesus to Jerusalem, if we want God to dwell in all the hearts of people all over the world, we must make the gospel spread throughout the world and that each person know Jesus and God the Father, so that so, all in one you can say: "blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord".
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Jesus warns against the proud pursuit of public praise, as happens when one aspires to prominent positions and to titles that confer a certain superiority. Sometimes the titles are used as emblems of respectability, or to indicate certain duties or positions of responsibility, but it is the attitude that inspires the search for such recognitions that Jesus condemns, as believers we are all equal and we must revere Christ only. The Pharisees not only rejected the truth, but raised barriers with their legalism to those who were looking for it, but Jesus came to tear down every barrier of man.
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I learned from this lesson that as Christians we should practise and observe everything they tell you and do as they do.
Thanks for this wonderful lesson @reliquary
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I would like to say something in verse 3, a pastor once told me, "Do what I tell you but do not do what I do". Many people preached but never act on what they preached and it is not to be so. Whatever we tell others to do,let us also do so because they look unto us a role models,as one who they can rely on.
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Another wonderful lesson..... Jesus has taught us so many lessons preparing us for his second coming, as we should learn to do as we are told, inorder not to miss heaven
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Every evening when the reliquary is published I sit down to read with a coffee rate, what a beautiful moment. thank you for this.
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