Matthew 23:29-32

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous, saying, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ Thus you witness against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers." The seventh and final woe Jesus proclaims to the scribes and Pharisees is perhaps the most interesting of them all. It summarizes the behavior of the previous six woes He declares and paints the big picture of their sinfulness against God and the consequential result of those sins in His imminent crucifixion. He points out their consistency of behavior over time and their lack of recognition based on the history of which they are descendants, creating the perfect storm for eternal separation between them and God. What a mighty warning we must heed in response! The apostle Paul makes a similar argument in his letter to the Hebrews: "How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace?" (Hebrews 10:29). How proud must a man be to proclaim in the presence of his own hypocrisy that he would choose righteousness over sin. Truly, he would be better to say nothing at all! Perhaps that is why Scripture admonishes, "For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them" (2 Peter 2:21). The scribes and Pharisees deceived themselves into believing that they were not one in the same with their forefathers, without recognizing their pattern of sinfulness that mirrored the sins of their forefathers. In other words, "They think, if they had lived in the days of the prophets, they would have heard them gladly and obeyed; and yet they rebelled against the light that Christ brought into the world" (Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible). For example, they failed to heed and apply Jesus' teaching which they had firsthand opportunity to hear in the physical presence of the Son of Man: "And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into hell. And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell, ‘where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched’" (Mark 9:43-48). Hindsight is 20/20 though and while it is easy to sit back and judge the scribes and Pharisees for their actions, I realize that in my own life I have fallen prey to the same attitudes and actions. Indeed, Jesus pointed specifically at their lineage and heritage descended from their murderous forefathers whom they lifted up in honor and glory, but are we not all descendants of sin? True, our individual bents are different and unique, but mankind identifies with itself on the foundation of sin and rejection of God's sufficiency. The scribes and Pharisees may have sat in the presence of Jesus Christ and chose not to believe He was the Messiah, but I can identify with how they fell into that trap. Over the past 5-6 weeks, I have come to understand the impact a hardened heart can have on the ability to recognize not only my own sinfulness and selfishness, but who Jesus truly is and what He expects out of my life. It is difficult to hear the Word of God when your ears are covered, to see the hand of Christ at work around you when your eyes are closed, and to taste the mystery of God's abundant grace and mercy when your heart is closed off and self-protecting. God seeks humility of the heart but He does not force his will on anyone. God does not close off our hearts, we choose to. Is it no wonder that God proclaims: "If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land" (2 Chronicles 7:14). God wants nothing more than our hearts fully devoted to Him and seeking righteousness over sin. In my life, that equates to resisting sinful patterns that have eroded the bridge between my mind and heart of understanding God's Word. It is indeed true that "Like a dog that returns to his vomit is a fool who repeats his folly" (Proverbs 26:11). Therefore, I must take action to cut off that sinful behavior and choose to trust in Christ, not pridefully declaring that I have arrived at any state of understanding that deems me worthy of righteousness, but humbly submitting to Christ and His Word. "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves" (James 1:22). This summary passage of Scripture in Matthew 23:29-32 brings to light for me a promise that the apostle Paul makes in his first letter to the church of Corinth. "Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it" (1 Corinthians 10:12-13). My counselor in Christ reminded me of the power of God's promise in that passage to provide a way of escape in the midst of temptation. It is now a constant reminder for me to avoid pride and embrace humility, to die to self and cling to the cross of Jesus Christ in service to Him and my family. Because living like a scribe or Pharisee, knowing the prophesies declared and not recognizing their fulfillment right before my eyes in the person of Jesus Christ is simply inexcusable, and I can escape the tempestuous trap of hypocrisy if I choose to embrace the escape method God provides through the absolute truth of His Word. It is a mockery for me to say I trust in Jesus Christ but not fully believe His Word into my heart, trusting Him in complete faith. That is the weight my sin has laid upon my heart though, and the selfish rock my Lord and Savior is breaking in order to restore my soul to righteousness. "For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives" (Hebrews 12:6), and I praise God immensely for that loving promise.