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Ever Wondered About The "Woes" Jesus Pronounced?

Jesus in Matthew 23 tells his listeners not to follow after the works of the Scribes or Pharisees. Jesus strongly says:

"they say and do not"

"they bind heavy burdens on men's shoulders"

"they do works to be seen of men"

"they love the uppermost rooms at feast"

"they love high position"

"they want to be called Rabbi."

Examine Matthew 23:1-12 and see how Jesus warns us about not taking on the characteristics of the Scribes and Pharisees.

Woe is a very strong word Jesus used to pronounce a very strong distaste for the actions of the religious men of his day.

Matthew 23:13-39

"But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in."

"Woe unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation."

"Woe unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves."

"Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor!"

"Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy,and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone."

"Woe unto you, ye Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess."

"Woe unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto white sepulchers, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness."

"Woe unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchers of the righteous, And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets. Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers."

"Ye serpants, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?"

Up above is a mirror. As you studied these woes I implore you to examine yourself and see if any of these characteristics are residing in your heart. If so God is merciful and wants you to come and confess before him such a state of religious uncleanness.

I John 1:9

The scripture above can lead you in the right direction if you come to Jesus and confess your self-righteous walk. See, Jesus is the only way, truth,and life. He is forgiveness, purity, loving, merciful, and he is not willing that anyone should perish. The way to him is to confess your sin of indifference and come to him.

How can you and I witness if we take on these characteristic's? How can we make a mark in our lives if we feel we are righteous by our works? May we never hear a WOE pronounced against us as His Body...