Welcome to day 12 of our 40 day challenge! Today, we are in Matthew 23

(You can catch up on our Intro, Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5, Day 6, Day 7, Day 8, Day 9, Day 10, Day 11 if you missed them)

A Warning Against Hypocrisy

23 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 be careful to 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, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.

⁵ “Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries^[a] 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 with respect in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by others.

⁸ “But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, 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 instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Messiah. ¹¹ The greatest among you will be your servant. ¹² For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.

 

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We aren’t likely to see ourselves in the Pharisees of this passage. We’re more likely to see ourselves in the role of the crowd, loving that Jesus is holding those in power to account.

But we are all Christ’s ambassadors to the world. And so we have the same responsibility the Pharisees did, to various degrees. We show others what God is like. As followers of Jesus, it’s our job to show a watching world what Jesus is like, and we bring His Spirit and His Kingdom with us wherever we go. We might not have a place of honor at a banquet or the most important seat in church, but we have a great responsibility. The world will think they know Jesus by our actions. May our actions show Him as He really is.

In Jesus, we see God’s character, His easy yoke, and His upside-down-Kingdom ways. As we walk with the Lord, we will have His heart for others, and all the issues and divisions that others think are so important will fall away. All our debates and issues become like Jesus talking to the Samaritan woman. (John 4:19-24) As we sit and debate who has it right, Jesus shows us that neither matters because He is calling us to be true worshippers.

When Jesus rebukes the Pharisees, what they do next reveals what’s in their hearts. Humble hearts accept correction and even welcome it. Because a true shepherd desires only good for their sheep.

And so, when we’re corrected, what do we do next? Do we take the feedback to the Lord and let Him search us and know us? Or do we harden our hearts in pride and ego and close our ears to things we don’t want to hear?

Walking with Jesus requires a humble heart. We can look in any direction today and see a leader who would not pass this test. We seem to elevate people specifically because they project a facade of strength that’s actually just hubris, like the Pharisees.

May we have humble hearts, open to correction, and focused on the good of those we influence. May we show others the kindness and generosity of God in the way we treat them, so that the Jesus they think they know is Who He really is.

Options for further  journaling or discussion throughout the challenge:

• Choose a part of the passage to write out by hand. Writing by hand helps us slow down and focus on what the Lord might highlight for us in the passage. Our brains can focus and remember better by writing than just reading alone.
• Journal about what the passage brings to mind. Does the passage tell us anything about God? Does it tell us anything about our response to Him?
• Does your heart respond in gratitude to any part of the passage? Write or pray your gratitude to the Lord.

We’ll see you tomorrow for Day 13, and Jeremiah 18

♥ Samantha