Reflections on Matthew 23 Part 6

Good Morning,

It has been very busy around here recently. This past weekend I was blessed with the opportunity to fill in for our pulpit minister as well teach my Bible class and have the teens over for a devotional. This week I’ve gotten to have lunch with our senior citizens, meet with my youth ministry buddies and spent a great deal of quality time with Emma. It has been so busy that I realized last night that I have yet to finish our journey through Matthew 23. I apologize for not getting back to you sooner. I hope that you are still enjoying the journey as much as I am.

Matthew 23:25-26

²⁵ “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. ²⁶ Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.

This has always been one of my favorite passages to use as an example when teaching or preaching. The reason for that is that, almost without exception, everyone you speak to has washed the dishes from time to time. Anyone who has ever washed dishes has had that experience of opening a covered dish that doesn’t look used on the outside but on the inside has a science experiment growing in it. This happens quite often in our household as we have a child that is drinking whole milk. Just this week I went to fix Emma a glass of milk and I found a thick, curdled mess waiting for me in a beautiful Disney Princess cup. I would never allow my little girl to drink out of a cup that had something inside that was not good for her. We wash her cups and then put them in the dishwasher to make sure that they are as clean as they possibly can be on the inside and on the outside.

Jesus is talking to a group of men who have allowed the inside of their cup (their minds, hearts and souls) to become filthy. On the outside they have on the finest clothes and the best accessories but the inside of their cup is something that nobody would want anything to do with. We still do the same thing today in our lives here on Earth. When we come to worship we wear our finest clothes and put our best foot forward while the whole time we are allowing bad things to live inside of our cup. As we think about cleaning out the inside of the cup let’s consider the dishwashing analogy once again.

When you wash cups in dishwater you don’t just wash the outside of the cup. When you wash cups you submerge them into warm, soapy water and with a sponge or rag you wash the inside and outside of the cup. When you go to rinse a cup after washing it you don’t just rinse out the inside of the cup, you rinse the whole cup inside and out.

If we are living the kind of lives we should be as Christians then the inside and outside of our cups must be clean. This doesn’t mean that you have to spend money on a new wardrobe; but it does mean that you need to reflect the image of Christ. This doesn’t mean that you act pious for all to see; but it does mean you are as concerned with keeping the inside and outside of yourself as thoroughly clean as those cups you just washed. Let’s remember that every cup has an inside that must be kept clean just like our physical and spiritual bodies do.

Questions For Thought:

1. How are you making sure that the inside of your cup is clean?

2. Where is a good place to examine the cleanliness of your cup?

3. If your cup is not clean on the inside where can you go for help?

Reflections on Matthew 23 Part 5

Good Morning,

Today is a very special day. Two years ago today, very early in the morning, I became a father for the first time and life hasn’t been the same since. It was such a blessing to welcome our sweet Emma into the world and she has brightened every day of my life since she was born. It may seem strange but a big reason that I am writing this series of articles is because of my sweet little Emma. Today we are looking at our fourth woe, I hope you will continue on this journey with me.

Matthew 23:23-24

23 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. 24 You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.

Under the law the Jewish people were commanded to give a tenth of the produce of their fields. It is interesting to note is that the spices that are mentioned here are all from relatively small plants in the world of agriculture. Jesus is calling these men on the carpet for keeping the letter of the law but ignoring the spirit of the law, for majoring in minors.

The life of a Christian doesn’t allow us to pick and choose what parts of God’s commands to follow or not to follow. When we reduce God’s word down to a checklist instead of a way of life then we are trying to live our lives much like these men in the time of Christ did. It is unfortunate that I see this happening all the time. People will come to worship and say all of the right things, shake hands and even write a check to drop in the collection plate. The problem is that they are repeating the mistakes made by the very people that Jesus is calling on the carpet in this passage because what they do at worship does not shine through in their lives outside of the church building. The saddest part of all is that sometimes the person I see doing this the most looks back at me in the mirror in the morning.

As I began this morning I told you that I am writing these articles because of my little girl. I won’t bore you with the details of my little one’s life but I will say that she means the world to me. My prayer for her is to grow up loving her God and that one day she will find a man to marry and start a family with that loves God as much as she does. Jesus said all of these things to show the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law the error of their ways, but he might as well have been talking to me. I want my little girl to understand that God loves her and that he wants his Word to be the standard for her life and not just a checklist. Happy Birthday sweet Emma, Mommy and Daddy love you and God loves too!

Questions For Thought

1. What are some of the minors you allow to be majors in your life?

2. How can we keep God’s word from becoming a checklist in your life?

3. Are you leaving a legacy of faith for your children?

Be Strong and Courageous,
Paul

Reflections on Matthew 23 Part 4

Good Morning,

I hope that all of you had a wonderful and restful Labor Day holiday. We are so blessed to live in a country that respects the men and women who serve in the Armed Services to insure that we are able to enjoy the quality of life that we do. As Christians we are blessed to have a God that sent his son to live and die on this Earth so that we will be able to enjoy an eternal way of life someday. Today we are continuing in our study of the seven woes in Matthew 23, specifically the fourth woe today, thank you for joining me on this journey.

Matthew 23:16-22

16 “Woe to you, blind guides! You say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’ 17 You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred? 18 You also say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gift on it, he is bound by his oath.’ 19 You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred? 20 Therefore, he who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. 21 And he who swears by the temple swears by it and by the one who dwells in it. 22 And he who swears by heaven swears by God’s throne and by the one who sits on it.

Once again Jesus is commenting on the inconsistent lives that the Pharisees and Teachers of the Law are living, and the example that they were setting for the people of their day. When I read this passage it reminds of my first full-time ministry job in the small town of Pocahontas Arkansas. The teens in my youth group were fond of using the phrase “don’t lie in church” anytime one of them said something unbelievable in the church building. At first I thought this was just a cute colloquialism, but I soon found out that they really placed some importance on the building in which we met to worship and have Bible class. In their minds this building was set apart as holy and as such their actions should be holy while inside this building while outside of the building they could live however they wished.

This isn’t a new phenomenon in the lives of Christians. The denominational world would have you believe that the building in which you worship is a “sanctuary” where the Lord dwells. In reality the Lord does not dwell in the physical building but rather in the hearts of his followers (Acts 17:24). If we follow this line of reasoning then we will come to the inescapable conclusion that it doesn’t matter where we are or whom we are with when it comes to obeying God and keeping his commandments. This cannot be an occasional decision, it must be a daily choice to love God and keep his commandments consistently. Let’s help each other make and keep that decision everyday no matter where we are or whom we are with.

Questions For Thought

1. Why do we live inconsistent lives when we know God sees all and knows all?

2. What are some ways to insure consistency in our lives?

3. Is there a Christian person in your life that demonstrates consistency?

Be Strong and Courageous
Paul

Reflections on Matthew 23 Part 3

Good Morning,

I bring you greetings from the great State of Minnesota. I am very bad at taking vacations and time away from my work. I love my job and I love the privilege of serving the saints at the Pearland Church of Christ, but from time to time a vacation is needed. I spent a week in Minnesota visiting my wife’s family and encouraging the brethren at the Roseville Church of Christ. I considered doing some writing while on my trip but I decided that I should take full advantage of my time away. After a restful visit I am back in the saddle here at Pearland and ready to continue my reflections on the seven woes found in Matthew 23.

Matthew 23:15

15 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are.

To understand this particular woe some background must be given. The Jewish people (sometimes referred to as the “Children of Israel) were God’s chosen people and there were two ways that one could become part of this chosen nation. The first, and simplest way was to be born into a Jewish family. The second way was to convert to Judaism as a convert or proselyte. The Pharisees and the teachers of the law took great pride when a Gentile would choose to convert to Judaism and the Jewish way of life. The woe that Jesus is talking about here is that after these people were converted the Pharisees and teachers of the law didn’t feed them the way they should spiritually. Rather the Pharisees and teachers of the law chose to give them a steady diet of legalism and manmade tradition. This is still an easy trap for us to fall into as Christians.

There is no greater joy than when a person gives their life to Christ in baptism. Before I left on my trip I was blessed to witness one of my teenagers, whom I have been working with for the past four years, to become a Christian. This young man made this decision with the full confidence and assurance that he was living a life that separated him from God and that the only way to live eternally was to give his life to Jesus Christ. I received the call to come up to the building to witness this blessed event and to say that I was joyful would have been an understatement. As overjoyed as I am that this young man is now a Christian I am also fearful that his young faith could be damaged by the same kinds of legalism and manmade traditions that hindered those Jewish converts of old.

We must guard our personal lives as Christians against legalism and manmade traditions as well the life of our individual congregations. When faced with a question about life or about how to move forward we must hold our decisions up to the standard of scripture. The old phrase “that’s the way we’ve always done it” is not a sufficient answer for important decisions in the life of a Christian or for the Lord’s Church. Let’s be careful and hold one another accountable to measure our lives against Word of God and not to manmade traditions.

Questions For Thought

1. What manmade traditions do you see in your life?

2. How can we make sure that we are training new converts in the Word of God and not legalism?

3. How are you going to be consistent in being free from legalism?

Be Strong and Courageous,

Paul

Reflections on Matthew 23 Part 2

Good Morning,

I hope you enjoyed my last article on the introduction of Matthew 23. For the remainder of this series we will be looking at the seven woes found in this chapter one at a time. This may seem as if we are moving at a snail’s pace but I fear that to do otherwise might keep us from seeing some of the truths that God wants us to see.

Matthew 23:13

¹³ “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to.

As we discussed yesterday the Pharisees and the teachers of the law were considered the upper crust in Jewish society; the ruling class if you will, and they were extremely proud of this fact. They were so proud of this fact that they were willing to fight to protect their way of life so much so that they would not even listen to John, who was sent to prepare the way for Jesus, or Jesus himself (John 1:23). Worse than the fact that they didn’t want to believe in what Jesus was doing is that they were keeping others from believing in the Kingdom as well through their actions.

The world we live in today is in desperate need of Jesus Christ. The world we live in is plagued with people and things that are shutting the door to the Kingdom and unfortunately sometimes these people and things are Christians. Un-churched people look at Christians and see us fighting amongst each other, gossiping and backstabbing all while proclaiming to be followers of Christ. This is not a new phenomenon and the answer to this problem is not new either, it is found in 1 Corinthians 10:31-33.

1 Corinthians 10:31-33

³¹ So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. ³² Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God — ³³ even as I try to please everybody in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved.

As God’s people we need to consider our actions. If we are faced with the decision to do something that glorifies God or something that is sinful then we need to choose the former and not the latter. When we have the opportunity to be in the company of un-churched individuals then we need to do our best to live out a Christian example, not by putting on a fake façade, but by living the kind of life that makes God proud. We can do it but it will take a great deal of work.

As we close I would like to leave you with a quote.

“Eight times in this chapter Jesus pronounces woe upon the scribes and Pharisees. The word is an interjection and means a term of grief or dismay, and when spoken by an inspired man means that great calamity is in store for those referred to.”-E.M. Zerr

Don’t live a life that is a life of woe, rather live a life that reflects Jesus.

Questions For Thought

1. What closes the door to the Kingdom?

2. How can you help change preconceived notions about Christianity to un-churched people?

3. How are you helping to keep the door to the Kingdom open?

Be Strong and Courageous,

Paul

Reflections on Matthew 23 Part 1

Good Morning,

Recently a good minister friend of mine challenged me to look at the seven woes in Matthew chapter 23. I enjoyed my study of the chapter and I decided I wanted to do something with my study that would allow me to share what I have learned. I thought about making a sermon series out of it, writing a Bible class over it or even planning a men’s retreat. At the end of the day I am still not sure what I want to do with my study but I figured that the best way to flesh out my thoughts would be to write about them. This is the first in a series of articles on my reflections on Matthew 23. I hope that you find these articles enjoyable as well as insightful.

Matthew 23:1-4

1 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: 2 “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. 3 So you must obey them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. 4 They tie up heavy loads and put them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.

Imagine yourself in the crowd as Jesus begins this wonderful, if not scathing, lesson. There are so many things I admire about the life and teachings of Jesus but the aspect of his life that is most apparent to me is the fact that he never missed an opportunity to teach. Jesus was also never in fear about what he was teaching. The Pharisees and teachers of the law were considered to be at the highest level of the Jewish culture but Jesus had no fear of calling out their actions when they were wrong.

Our Church and our society has become plagued with political correctness and fear that doing the right thing will hurt someone’s feelings. I believe that we should never do anything to intentionally hurt someone but I also believe that when we see something that is morally corrupt that we must stand up for what is right. Jesus demonstrates this for us here and in many other places in the Gospels. If Jesus teaches us something then I believe we should put it into practice in our lives.

Another aspect to what Jesus is teaching us here is consistency. He tells the people that they must obey the Pharisees and teachers of the Law because they sit in Moses’ seat but to not imitate the things that those people do in their daily lives. Without saying, “you must be consistent”, Jesus is telling us that very thing. Our world is full of inconsistency and for the most part people live with it because they have no other choice, but seeing a person living a consistent life would be a breath of fresh air. As Christians we can and should be that fresh air to people of this world who are seeking consistency. 

Matthew 23:5-7

5 “Everything they do is done for men to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; 6 they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; 7 they love to be greeted in the marketplaces and to have men call them ‘Rabbi.’

It has been said that vanity is one of the Devil’s favorite sins and I believe that to be true. We all enjoy our fifteen minutes of fame and if our egos are not stroked from time to time we get our feelings hurt. The Pharisees and teachers of the law had bought into the idea of being important people; they enjoyed the attention and took great strides to make sure that people noticed them. We look at these men with such disdain when really we are not far from where these men were.

When the attention we receive because of our Christianity becomes the reason for our Christianity then we just as guilty as the Pharisees and the teachers of the law. When we are more concerned about the clothes wear to worship and the cars we drive to get there then we are just as guilty as those men, and when congregations of the Lord’s church become more interested in the color scheme for the auditorium instead of seeking and saving the lost then we are walking in the shoes of these men. To put it simply, Jesus wants better for his chosen people than all of that. It won’t always be easy but the rewards will be eternal.

Matthew 23:8-12

8 “But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have only one Master and you are all brothers. 9 And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. 10 Nor are you to be called ‘teacher,’ for you have one Teacher, the Christ. 11 The greatest among you will be your servant. 12 For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

It seems that everyone has a title these days. The lady that used to be a secretary is now and administrative assistant, the person who used to answer the phones is now a communications expert and even our schoolteachers are now titled individuals. This isn’t to say that title are not needed but when that title begins to define you as a person then you are treading on the ground of the Pharisees and teachers of the law.

The final verses where Jesus speaks about being a servant are some of my favorites in the Bible. His message is so clear and yet it is so profound all at the same time. As Christians our concern should not be advancing or looking good to other people, rather our goal should be seeking the lost and lifting up Jesus to the world around us.

Questions For Thought:
1. What are you doing to insure that you are being consistent in all aspects of your life?

2. Are you walking a Christian walk to be seen by others or to glorify God?

3. How can we keep from allowing our titles to define who we are?

Be Strong and Courageous,

Paul

Facebook Doesn't Have a Dislike Button

One of the best ministry tools out there today is the social networking site Facebook. When I log into Facebook I immediately know who’s birthday it is and I can wish them a happy birthday with just a few keystrokes, if there is a congregational activity we can place it on the congregation’s faebook page and people are instantly notified and if someone shares some great news about their life you can simply click the “Like” button to let them know that you are happy for them. For the most part Facebook is a positive place where friends can connect with each other.

One of the things I like the most about Facebook is that there is dislike button. There is no feature that allows you be negative about something that has been written on Facebook. If you want to you can be negative but Facebook provides you know means to do it with just a mouse click. I bring all of this to your attention to pose a question. What would our world be like if being discouraging was not such a readily available option?

The world in which we live is filled with negativity. It seems every time you turn on your television or your radio that someone is tearing someone else down. Unless you’ve been living under a rock you know that we are in an election season and it seems that these seasons bring out the worst in people. Millions of dollars are spent on ad campaigns just so one person can show how much they dislike another person.

If it’s not enough to see all of the dislike in the media then just step outside of your own front door. From the time we are old enough to go to the playground there are others who would take the time to tell and show us how much they dislike one another. A friend of mine was recently lamenting on the fact that his three-year-old son has been picking up discouraging language from the neighborhood children.

I believe there is a solution to all of this negativity and it won’t cost you a dime. The solution is to open our minds, hearts and eyes to what God’s word has to say on the subject, specifically what the Apostle Paul had to say in the book of Philippians.

Philippians 4:8-9 (NIV)

8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

The message Paul is preaching is one of positivity. The message was originally written for the Saints in Philippi but rings true for all of us here in Pearland and the world over. Facebook isn’t perfect and there are still things about it I don’t always like but it doesn’t have a dislike button and maybe there is a lesson in there for all of us.

Be Strong and Courageous,

Paul