Father, I am grateful for Your presence throughout this day, in both worship services and in our time with family, as well as, traveling to and fro. As I quiet my heart this evening, may I hear what You have for me. Amen.

Matthew 23:13-36 (<<click to read the passage)

Lord, reading through these verses it is obvious that You held absolutely nothing back! The words You used were biting but totally appropriate! Words like hypocrites, blind guides, blind fools, snakes, sons of vipers! But…but You are love! How could You say such things?

Again I will stress, who You were talking to here. You weren’t talking to the lost, as such. You weren’t talking to those who didn’t really know any better. You blasted those who supposedly knew Your Law inside and out, from top to bottom! Those who intellectually knew all there was to know but spiritually were a parched dry land!

Yes, You most assuredly are love but there are times when tough love is the only means possible to get through to us. We have thick heads and hard hearts and soft, polite little niceties just won’t cut it!

My study Bible* lists Seven Sorrows,

23:13…………Not letting others enter the Kingdom of Heaven
and not entering yourselves

23:15…………Converting people away for God to be like
yourselves

23:16-22……Blindly leading God’s people to follow man-made
                             traditions instead of God’s Word

23:23-24……Involving yourself in every last detail and ignoring
what is really important: just mercy, and faith

23:25-26……Keeping up appearances while your private world
is corrupt

23:27-28……Acting spiritual to cover up sin

23:29-36……Pretending to have learned from past history, but
your present behavior show you have learned
nothing

It goes on to say that these are “still applicable anytime we become so involved in perfecting the practice of religion that we forget that God is also concerned with mercy, real love, and forgiveness.”

Lord, this list had to sting the religious leaders of Your day and if we are guilty of them Your words should sting us into repentance, as well. May we be attuned to Your will and hold nothing back in following Your direction – rebukes included. Amen.

*Life Application Study Bible New Living Translation

Oct 21st, 2018, Sun, 9:02 pm