Mt. 23 Chapter reveals some of Jesus most caustic and direct words. That he was addressing the religious leaders of that day is even more interesting.
8 woes and the judgments of the Pharisees
1.You shut up the kingdom of heaven, by not going in or allowing anyone else access.
a.The first woe is the lack of spiritual intimacy—not entering into the kingdom
b.Their refusal to enter the
c. The first woe is the blocking up of the kingdom. The hindering of the unsaved to be saved. It is sterile altars, and the inability to bring children to birth.
The addition of children to a union has always been a modifier for spiritual blessing upon a home. The withholding of children was also viewed as divine displeasure.
2. You devour widows houses, this iniquity hidden by long public prayers
a. Devour widow’s houses…the preying upon the weak and the disadvantaged. The constant covetousness for earthly gain, while assuming a stance that they were above filthy lucre.
b. Long pretentious prayers, and superficial piety - the man prayed thus with himself - the anointing was a self anointing.
The Spirit that he felt, he was the author of… impressed with the show- impressed with the performance - he was self anointed, self deluded, and self condemned.
c. God keeps perfects books, and one of the things He watches is how we treat widows, orphans and strangers.
3. Compass land and sea to make one convert... new converts 2 fold more a child of hell
a. To “hide” the lack of Devine blessing, they “hid” behind much activity.
b. Activity that never produces, results. This lack is covered by “spiritual battle”, and “difficultly of the field”.
c. Children are the natural result of a healthy relationship. Even in times of peril and devastation, where natural human relationship occur, children are born. God said; “The harvest is great”.
d. Whenever a conversion did occurs, it produced cursed offspring. These offspring’s bear none of the marks of the father, for he was not involved in the birthing. These are children of the mother, not the father. Instead of displaying love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance. These offspring are full of hate, void of joy, they know not the way of peace – they are mean, full of strife, jealousy, given to fits of anger.
Pharisaical living was denoted by great public piety and superficial purity. Gods judged it with sterile altars, and a desolate house.
4. blind guides... Leaders with no scriptural understanding (they are” proud knowing nothing”)
a. Jesus here and in some of the following verses draws out examples of the subtle distinctions they made as to the sanctity of oaths- distinctions invented only to promote their own avaricious purposes.
b. If the blind lead the blind they both end up in a ditch
c. They claimed direct authority from God, this authority was a covering behind which all their actions were excused and justified .
d. This is at the close of the 400 years of silence. Tradition had replaced experience long ago.
e. Rules were the measuring stick instead of experience, anointing and fire.
f. They were dominating, and “pushy" instead of a depending upon God. For He was silent.
5. Pay tithes in exact measurements but ignore, the weightier matters of the law - justice, mercy and faith....
a. Jesus purposely names the most trifling products of the earth as examples of what they punctiliously exacted the tenth of.
b. Strain at a gnat, swallow a camel – worrying and worrying and worrying about the minor things… Ignoring the things that have eternal ramifications.
c. These they ought to have done and not left the rest undone.
d. “Doing justly, loving mercy, and walking humbly with our God”
e. Justice – Mercy – Faith – are the first causalities of war – Truth is fallen in the streets
f. But the pretending goes on…. Hypocrites.
6. Clean on the outside, ignoring the inside. They are full of extortion and excess.
a. “While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption”
b. “The works of the flesh are made manifested”
c. The Judaizers and the Pharisees shared the same spirit, and displayed the same attitudes.
7. Woe 7 - White washed exteriors full of death-
a. Who is the father of the deed is made plain by the characteristics of the offspring.
b. They promise life but are full of death
c. Jesus rebuked the Pharisees and said
Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. Mt.8:44
d. The devil comes not but to steal, kill and destroy…
e. And they took up stones to kill Him Mt 8:59 – Proving they were of their father.
f. They brought false accusations before a unjust jury, and condemned Him to death – displaying the works of their father.
8. Garnish the tombs of the dead ministry but actively pursue and kill the living
a. The inability to work in harmony with other men
b. The inability to submit to any of the rules of conduct ascribed to others
c. They can give great flowery speeches about the ministry of the past. Pharisees love dead preachers!
d. It is the living preacher they have a problem with.
e. Murder with words, silence, innuendo.
f. “Fill ye up the measure of your fathers” the children of preacher killers
Gods Judgment is a desolate house
Christian living denoted by service and kindness, this is rewarded with an established house.
· For the promise is unto you and your children…
· Children are the heritage of the Lord
· Gods plan has always been to go from generation to generation
Pharisaical living denoted by great public piety and purity, it is judged with sterile altars, and a desolate house
A few more observations from this text:
· They passed rules which they held themselves exempt from following
· Everything they did was for “to be seen by men”
· They exploited their position so that others are made to feel dependent on it.
· Much of the driving motive of their lives was self love, self promotion and greed.
· They love a position of superiority ( Moses seat)
o The command was to "submit to me," rather than "I will serve you."
o Their method of leadership was to "order" people around, rather than to appeal for them to do the right things.
· They demand respect/reverence—“Touch not the Lords anointed”
· Maintaining their power structure preceded any plans of helping others
Their method of leadership was
· The command was "submit to me," rather than "I will serve you."
· Instead of helping people the goal was to control and use people
· They were inflexibility - "don't question me" - "don't touch the Lord's anointed."
· They were un- approachability and used intimidation - the "aura" around the leader kept the followers in "awe." And at arm’s length
o Jesus was and is easy to approach
· There is more concern for maintaining the authoritarian structure than there is for caring about the people in it.
· They loved public lynching’s, purges and intimidation
o “this woman was caught in the very act”
And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.
Exalt/ exalted are the same word.. Abased and humbled is the same word.
He who will not humble himself - God will abase.
God is not mocked.
8 woes and their judgements
lm
8 woes and their judgements
lm
No comments:
Post a Comment