Woe To You Scribes And Pharisees - Part 7
Many, many pastors and teachers fall into a trap in their ministries. It’s the trap of familiarity.
Woe To You Scribes And Pharisees - Part 7
Matthew 23:16-22
“Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the temple, that is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple is obligated.’”
Of all the condemnations that Jesus unleashed on the spiritual leaders, this one is the longest and most complex. There is some very deep insight in these words of Jesus. His criticism saw beyond the rites and rituals of the law and stared down the corrupt hearts of men who had lost track of their purpose.
When we read the entire passage, we find that words like oaths and obligations are used to describe how these leaders were worshipping in the Temple and towards God’s throne in Heaven. You will also find a significant absence of words like passion, desire, love, joy or humility.
Many, many pastors and teachers fall into a trap in their ministries. It’s the trap of familiarity. It’s the common problem of forgetting that they are privileged and honored to serve God in a way that others can only dream of. They have somehow taken this great privilege for granted and turned it into a routine of obligation.
When that happens, the “stuff” becomes the important part, not God. In today’s church, the “stuff” is what I call the five “R’s”: Rules, Regulations, Rituals, Rites and Relics.
Tomorrow, we’ll look at the danger of this kind of routine in the church.
Matthew 9:13
“But go and learn what this means: ‘I DESIRE COMPASSION, AND NOT SACRIFICE...’”
