Daily Word Of God
Matthew 23: 13-17, 22
Jesus said: ‘Alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut up the kingdom of Heaven in people’s faces, neither going in yourselves nor allowing others to go who want to.
‘Alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over sea and land to make a single proselyte, and anyone who becomes one you make twice as fit for hell as you are.
‘Alas for you, blind guides! You say, “If anyone swears by the Temple, it has no force; but anyone who swears by the gold of the Temple is bound.” Fools and blind! For which is of greater value, the gold or the Temple that makes the gold sacred?
‘And someone who swears by the Temple is swearing by that and by the One who dwells in it. And someone who swears by heaven is swearing by the throne of God and by the One who is seated there.’
Today's Pointers on God's Word
As you read the passage what words, phases or meanings caught your attention?
- The Pharisees and scribes were the elite in the Jewish hierarchy. They were knowledgeable and learned. However, Jesus called them hypocrites as they used their positions to exploit others.
- We should guard ourselves against practising a spirituality that is skin-deep and insincere.
- It is a good practice to spend some time during the day and at the end of each day to reflect on our awareness of God’s presence in our lives. We live for God, not to impress others.