"You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell?"
(Matthew 23:33)
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We would all do well to read through this chapter once in a while. Jesus didn’t oppose the Pharisees because of their robes. His issue was with the condition of their hearts. After His strong words of woe to the Pharisees and to us whose hearts tend toward being pharisaical, Jesus closes with the ache of His own heart: how He longed to gather His children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings (v. 37). But people are stubborn, aren’t they? We always have been. May Jesus’ confronting and loving words draw us into a self-denying, real relationship with Him.
Scripture Focus
Matthew 23
Insight
As you read this passage, does your conscience remind you of where Jesus may be calling you to recognize your own hypocrisy?
Bible In A Year
- 2 Chronicles 17-18
- Psalm 16
- Matthew 23