From yesterday's passage Jesus was discussing with the disciples and the crowds about the pharisees. Today, Jesus talked directly to the experts in the law and the pharisees. He opened sentences by, " woe to you..."x7. Woe=It can be a pronouncement of judgment, but also a sympathy, v.37.
What have they done wrong? e.g.
v.13 You keep locking people out of the kingdom of heaven
v. 15 You cross land and sea to make one convert, and when you get one, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves
v.16 Woe to you, blind guides, who sayThey love people and be their leaders. They make people to following them. However, what they taught was wrong!
v.23 “Woe to you, experts in the law and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You give a tenth of mint, dill, and cumin, yet you neglect what is more important in the law—justice, mercy, and faithfulness!
They give 1/10 as offering, even the most light-weigh crops they give 1/10th.
The most common terms Jesus used here to described them is "hypocrites" x6. When people is your main concern then you did everything just to win their approval.
Reflection:
Is people too important to me and I always want them to look up to me? Or I only focus on the outside and want people to approve what I am doing? What is inside of us? Is it "full of greed and self-indulgence v25"? Are we consistent in church/home/work?
Comments