Woe To You Scribes And Pharisees - Part 10
Has anyone ever asked you what God wants from us? Have you ever wondered that, too?
Woe To You Scribes And Pharisees - Part 10
What Does God Want?
Let’s camp out on yesterday’s message for a bit. Jesus, in Matthew 23:23, was condemning the spiritual leaders for their corrupt practices, particularly in regards to their greed and selfishness. But, at the end of His criticism, He reveals to us the heart of God.
We all know that we should care for the needy. God wants us to feed the hungry, clothe the naked and love those who are oppressed. But, then Jesus says this:
Matthew 23:23
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you ... have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness...”
Jesus is quoting the prophet Micah, who spoke those words 750 years earlier.
Micah 6:8
“He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?”
Has anyone ever asked you what God wants from us? Have you ever wondered that, too? Well, there it is in black and white, spoken by Jesus Himself. God demands justice and mercy. Justice means that He wants this world to be fair and right for everyone - rich or poor, powerful or unimportant. Mercy is, at it’s core, kindness and love towards those who don’t deserve it.
God is all of those things but Jesus also tells us to be faithful. Micah describes faithfulness as “walking humbly with God.” James 1:27 describes it as being “unstained by the world.”
The challenge to you is this: take stock in these words of Jesus. He is telling you what God wants from you. While doing this, He is literally condemning these leaders to hell for their failure to take this command seriously. It’s what God requires of us, according to Micah.
God is just and merciful and He wants humble followers. The goal of following Him is to be like Him. So, start walking in His steps. They will lead you.
