Seven Woes On The Teachers Of The Law And The Pharisees

Matthew 23:27

Many times I asked myself this question, why the Pharisees did hated Jesus these much that all they want is to kill him, and not just him but anyone who proclaim his name or believe in him?

Brief intro

The teachers of law and the Pharisees are the OFFICIAL interpreters of the Law of Moses. The teachers are also called scribes and both the scribes and the Pharisees are seated in the chair of Moses. They are experts in the Law of Moses, they tell people exactly what they need to know and also do but they found wanting in what they are telling people to do.

No wonder Jesus said to/ warn his disciple and the crowd in vs 1-7 that they must be careful of the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees. In fact he said they must be careful to do everything they tell them. But should not do what they do, for they don’t practice what they preach.

Now the WOES… vs 13-32

The first four woes are directed mainly to the teachings of the scribes and Pharisees; the last three to their characters. The two first of these fasten on the same sin of hypocritical holiness.

You need to read the 7 woes and pick the one that provoke your thought.

This is mine. Vs 27

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. ²⁸ In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.

After reading this, I asked myself, why is Jesus more concern about the Inside? You remember Matthew 15:10-12

10Jesus called the crowd to Him and said, “Listen and understand. 11 A man is not defiled by what enters his mouth, but” by what comes out of it. 12Then the disciples came to Him and said, “Are You aware that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?”

Now the Pharisees were angry again

He didn’t stop there, look at Revelations 3:1

“To the angel of the church in Sardis write: These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead.

Hmmm… So what/who I am as a disciple of Jesus Christ is not determined by my look or by what people knows or calls me,  but my inside, by what I do when people are not around me, by my true me which is inside.

Jesus hate deceptiveness, it is very obvious in those scriptures above most especially in Matthew 23.

So my question for today, how is my life deceiving others?

My inside and my outside, are they contradicting each other?

What is my true reputation as a disciple of Jesus Christ?

What is my true behavior?

Am I like the teacher of the Law and Pharisee? If I am Jesus says WOE on to me!!!

Conclusion

Ephesians 4:1

As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.

Amen