August 9 - Blind Guides

Matthew 23:13-22

“Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’ You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that has made the gold sacred? (Matthew 23:16, 17 ESV)

Jesus let the scribes have it. He was tired of those guys. They had completely missed the point of their calling. In a lengthy speech he warned them using strongly condemning language. Pointing out their various grievous flaws he moved from area to area of their arrogant and corrupt practices. Their priorities were so out of balance and Jesus held nothing back.

Jesus had come to heal the blind and set the captive free, but many of the Pharisees had rejected Christ. They didn't realize that not all sight refers to eyes, not all vision is produced by eyes, and not all blindness is a physical ailment. The Pharisees and scribes were blind, their hearts were blind.

I can't really imagine trying to make it through this life without the ability to see. All I can imagine is darkness and uncertainty when I stop to consider blindness. And yet the Pharisees were willfully leading people into corruption. They were, as Jesus said, producing "sons of hell."

I am so glad that the love of Christ at work in my life brings with it a heathy perspective. But even so, I still find myself reeling from blind spots. That is why it is really important to surround yourself with really honest and aware people that will let you know when you stray off target.

March 29 - Fakers

Read: Matthew 11:7-19

But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their playmates, "We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn." (Matthew 11:16, 17 ESV)

The Pharisees were major critics of John and Jesus, neither of whom avoided offending their ridiculous religious pride on a regular basis. Jesus compared to them to children playing wedding and funeral games. They were fake and phony. Less than the real thing, poor replacements. The Pharisees fell short of what God had called them to in a lot of ways. They had traded authentic communion with God for shallow and ridiculous purity rituals.

It would be kind of like if you were supposed to have dinner with your family or close friends, but all you did was stay in the bathroom and wash your hands all night instead of ever taking your place at the table. What's worse is that they kept calling everyone else into the bathroom too. Their message to everyone was something like, "the only way to really worship God is if you stay here and wash your hands."

They were fake. It was tragically sad because I'm sure there were many among their number who legitamately believed they were doing the right things. It kind of makes you want to step back and examine your own life when you think about it like that. Is there any area in my life where I am accepting less than the real thing? Am I trading authenticity and communion for shallow ritual or stubborn tradition? God helps us to find these areas of our loves that we might be blind to if we're serious about coming to terms with them.