“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to.” (Matthew 23:13)
When I prepare for a trip, I often feel a little anxious that I’m going to forget something or not to leave in time to catch my flight. I can become so concerned about the preparations—packing the right clothes, bringing my toothbrush and toothpaste, making sure I have snacks, checking in for my flight—that I lose sight of where I’m going or what the point of the trip is.
Have you ever become concerned with the wrong thing? Have you ever lost sight of the point of something because other troubles, worries, or inclinations overtook you?
Jesus’ rebuke of the teachers of the law and the Pharisees is right on point here. They work in the territory of the sacred and the holy, of God’s glory and God’s mercy, of true humanity and the meaning of the world, but they have lost sight of the point of it all. Like a captain of a ship full of passengers who forgets the way to the destination, these religious leaders shipwreck themselves on the rocks of their own prideful power, leaving devastation in the lives of those who follow them.
Jesus is anything but gentle with these folks. Why is that? It seems they should know better. This is their area of specialty and knowledge. They read God’s book and trade in the treasures of divinity all day long. They should know God and His ways. They should recognize God’s chosen One when He shows up in front of them. Instead, they gallivant around, captivated with themselves and their dangerous adventures in missing the point.
Of course, we might be tempted to say, “Those religious leaders are so foolish and lost. I am so glad I’m not like them.” But, of course, that is just as dangerous. What if we, too, tend to miss the point? What if Jesus has a word for us this Lent—a word which is loving but not entirely gentle?
For reflection:
- What stands out to you about Jesus’ words to the teachers of the law and the Pharisees?
- How do you think they or others who were nearby would have responded to Jesus’ rebuke?
- How might you be in danger of missing the point in your own life?
by Matt Erickson
Week 5 Family Talk
Do you keep your room clean? Think about a time when your room was VERY messy. You might have had dirty dishes, food wrappers, mountains of toys and smelly, sweaty soccer gear in your room. Instead of putting everything in its correct place and washing what was dirty, you decided to “clean up” and cram all of your stinky socks, dirty dishes, and overflowing garbage under your bed or in your closet. Is your room REALLY clean? Or does it just look clean? What would your mom or dad say?
In Jesus’ day, the Pharisees were the ones who tried hard to follow God’s laws. Or, at least, it seemed that way. Jesus talked to his disciples and the crowds about the Pharisees. He called them names like “pretenders” and “poisonous snakes.” That doesn’t make the Pharisees sound very godly! Why was Jesus using such harsh words? The problem with the Pharisees is that they were like that room that seemed clean, but actually did not have all of the gunk cleaned out. They wanted to look good in front of the other Israelites but their hearts were sinful. Jesus even says “On the outside you seem to be doing what is right. But on the inside you are full of what is wrong. You pretend to be what you are not” (Matthew 23:28b, NIrV). What is even worse is that they lead others away from God. Jesus was trying to help the people to see what God says is really important.
Sometimes we act like the Pharisees. We try to look good on the outside but have sinful thoughts or behave in a sinful way. None of us is able to clean out our sinful heart by ourselves. The first step is to see things the way Jesus would. Think about what thoughts or actions are “messy” in your life. Is it lying, or acting unkindly toward your friends or brother and sister? Is it not talking to your parents respectfully or wanting to be treated better than someone else? Talk to Jesus about it.
Remember… Jesus is moving closer to the Cross, where He will put sin to death forever!
For Discussion:
- Why might Jesus point out the Pharisees’ sin? How would that help us know why we need Him?
- As you clean your room this week, think about what is “messy” in your life. Talk to Jesus about it. Ask Him to help you turn away from your sin and follow Him.
by Megan Hendricks
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