Read
Jesus Condemns the Pharisees
(Matthew 23.1-36; Mark 12.38-40; Luke 20.45-47)
37When Jesus finished speaking, a Pharisee invited him home for a meal. Jesus went and sat down to eat. 38The Pharisee was surprised that he did not wash his hands before eating. 39So the Lord said to him:
You Pharisees clean the outside of cups and dishes, but on the inside you are greedy and evil. 40You fools! Didn't God make both the outside and the inside? 41If you would only give what you have to the poor, everything you do would please God.
42 You Pharisees are in for trouble! You give God a tenth of the spices from your gardens, such as mint and rue. But you cheat people, and you don't love God. You should be fair and kind to others and still give a tenth to God.
43You Pharisees are in for trouble! You love the front seats in the synagogues, and you like to be greeted with honor in the market. 44But you are in for trouble! You are like unmarked graves that people walk on without even knowing it.
45A teacher of the Law of Moses spoke up, “Teacher, you said cruel things about us.”
46Jesus replied:
You teachers are also in for trouble! You load people down with heavy burdens, but you won't lift a finger to help them carry the loads. 47Yes, you are really in for trouble. You build monuments to honor the prophets your own people murdered long ago. 48You must think that was the right thing for your people to do, or else you would not have built monuments for the prophets they murdered.
49Because of your evil deeds, the Wisdom of God said, “I will send prophets and apostles to you. But you will murder some and mistreat others.” 50You people living today will be punished for all the prophets who have been murdered since the beginning of the world. 51 This includes every prophet from the time of Abel to the time of Zechariah, who was murdered between the altar and the temple. You people will certainly be punished for all of this.
52You teachers of the Law of Moses are really in for trouble! You carry the keys to the door of knowledge about God. But you never go in, and you keep others from going in.
53Jesus was about to leave, but the teachers and the Pharisees wanted to get even with him. They tried to make him say what he thought about other things, 54so they could catch him saying something wrong.
Reflect
The Pharisees were experts in interpreting and in keeping the Jewish laws. But although they were good at keeping rules and regulations, their hearts were far from God.
It is possible to be outwardly religious while your heart is self-centred and hardened to the things that matter to God. History bore witness to their hard heartedness. They killed or persecuted the prophets who brought God’s message. And now that God’s own Son had come, they prevented people from receiving his truth, and they themselves refused to listen to the truth.
Jesus criticized the Pharisees for three reasons:
– they were hypocrites, concerned about outward appearance while ignoring the important matters of the heart – like justice, caring for the poor, and love for God and people
– they loaded people down with burdens they couldn’t carry, then wouldn’t help them bear the burden
– they avoided their privilege and responsibility as gatekeepers to knowing God. V 52 in today’s reading puts it this way: “You carry the keys to the door of knowledge about God. But you never go in, and you keep others from going in.”
When the prophet Samuel was told by God to visit a man named Jesse and to choose one of his sons to be the next king of Israel, Samuel was drawn to Jesse’s son Eliab. “But the Lord told him, ‘Samuel, don’t think Eliab is the one just because he’s tall and handsome. He isn’t the one I’ve chosen. People judge others by what they look like, but I judge people by what is in their hearts.’” (I Samuel 16:7)
Respond
All-knowing God, you see my innermost being. Reveal to me the things that displease you, so that I may learn to walk in your ways. When my heart is in step with yours I will learn to love others as you love me. In Jesus’ name I ask this. Amen.
Bill Bonikowsky
Bill Bonikowsky is a writer, editor and photographer. Born in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario and raised in Guelph ON, Bill currently resides in Nanaimo BC with his wife Shirley. He ministered with Youth for Christ for over 27 years as a youth minister and editor of YFC’s monthly newsletter. He pastored a church in Arlington Heights, IL for 2 ½ years, and served as Communications Officer for Alpha Ministries Canada for 10½ years. Bill has three grown sons and ten grandchildren. Publications: Contributing writer for the NIV Life Application Bible; Editor of Report to the People newsletter for Greater Vancouver Youth for Christ for 20 years; Editor of Alpha News for Alpha Ministries Canada for five years; Published in the Canadian anthologies “A Second Cup of Hot Apple Cider” (2011), "Hot Apple Cider With Cinnamon" (2015) and "Christmas With Hot Apple Cider" (2017).
- Web |
- More Posts(10)