devotional “ARCHIVE”

The seventh and final woe Jesus proclaims to the scribes and Pharisees is perhaps the most interesting of them all. It summarizes the behavior of the previous six woes He declares and paints the big picture of their sinfulness against God and the consequential result of those sins in His imminent crucifixion.

In my opinion, this passage is the epitome of the human dilemma in relation to the sin of man and his consequential separation from God. It is one of the most recognizable quotes of Scripture known within the Christian church, yet it undoubtedly haunts the spiritual walk of each and every follower of Jesus.

I love how God reveals a passage of Scripture that previously you skimmed over but suddenly are taken back by, as if you never read it before. This is one of those passages for me because Jesus is addressing a number of issues by taking a concept that practically all Christians are aware of (tithing), but adding a dimension that transcends our preconceived notions.

Are you someone who can be trusted? Are your words and actions written in pencil or ink? Do you feel the need to make a hard sales pitch in order to make people believe in what you say, or do you receive the benefit of the doubt because your high countenance precedes your actions? These are a few simplistic, metaphorical ways of describing the point that Jesus is making to the scribes and Pharisees.

This passage is extremely intriguing to me because it directly addresses the topic of (what I personally refer to as) "Pharisaism" which I am extremely passionate about. In many instances, Pharisaism is virtually interchangeable with and more commonly referred to in our culture as "religion." I believe Pharisaism is perhaps the greatest detriment to Christianity and has caused those outside the church to repeatedly turn their backs on considering a personal relationship with Jesus.

After laying a firm foundation in Matthew 23:1-12 on the conduct of the Jewish leaders, Jesus now begins one of His most direct admonitions in all of Scripture. Now begins the "seven woes to the scribes and Pharisees" that in contrast parallels the Beatitudes, commonly referred to as the most popular section of "The Sermon on the Mount" (Matthew 5:1-12).

No one possessed greater knowledge of God's Word, but as Jesus points out, they lacked the supreme understanding to implement the law into their own lives. Their spoken words were a testament to truth, but their inability to practice what they preached was perhaps their greatest downfall in the eyes of God.