Sincere Sorrow on the part of the Savior

37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! 38 See, your house is left to you desolate. 39 For I tell you, you will not see me again, until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’” (Matthew 23)
This concluding paragraph of this chapter shows that Jesus was more sad than mad when He gave His "woes" in reference to the Pharisees.  He saw that the people were being led astray like chickens wiith their heads cut off. They were not receiving their Messiah; they were not seeing; they were not hearing; they were joining right in and rejecting God's Messenger once again.  Jesus would return once again, at His triumphal entry, when they cried out "Blessed is He...", and will yet return again.  Will He find us ready to receive Him?

How to Break God's Heart #6 - Same Old Story

29 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous,30 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.’ 31 Thus you witness against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. 32 Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers. 33 You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell?34 Therefore I send you prophets and wise men and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues and persecute from town to town, 35 so that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah the son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar. 36 Truly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation. (Matthew 23)
How many of us have wondered why people throughout history have rebelled so much against God, and thought "If it were me, I would never have..."  That's the way it was with the Pharisees. They did not see that they were just like the rebellious generations that refused to listen to Moses or the prophets. They were acting just like them in rejecting Jesus as Messiah and Master. Taking things a step further, we all would have done what Adam and Eve did and rebelled in the garden. Trust me, you would have.  The question then is "Will we repent and accept the remedy God offers for our rebellion?"  

How to Break God's Heart #5 Doubly Dirty

27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people's bones and all uncleanness. 28 So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. (Matthew 23)
It's not just what's in the tomb - a dead body, but what else is in there - decay, dirt, and disease.  Noone wants to live there.  This takes things a step further than the dirty cup; it is not only dirty, but filled with dirt. Here, the heart is not only full of fake righteousness, but evil activity as well. There is not just hiding of uncleanness, trying to look "clean" to others, but actual active rebellion - thinking, planning, doing, and desiring evil. For the Pharisees, it was planning a rebellion against God and His Son - to reject His rule and do away with Him. For us it is focusing our lives on self-fulfillment; hiding our thoughts and sometimes actions from others, even though we know God sees; we act like He cannot.  Elsewhere, Christ wants us to beware hypocisy - it's so easy to fall into it. All we have to do is point the finger judgmentally at others and we are vulnerable to it.  May we today, on His day, let Him clean out completely whatever is in our cups, our tombs, our hearts and minds.

How to Break God's Heart #4

25 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 26 You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean." (Matthew 23)
Who are we trying to impress?  We all want to "look our best", but why? Is it to impress others? Try to fake them, or God, or even ourselves, about who we are? Jesus says that is often the case. It is fine to look fine - it can be a sign of respect towards God or others, and even ourselves. But we often cross the line from healthy respect to substituting and outward expressing of success - and even spirituality - for what really matters more: cleanliness of heart, having our inner life in order. God's heart is broken when we put the outer above the inner, when we are more concerned with what other people think than what He knows, and when we treat Him like He cannot see what is within our hearts. Then we are acting more like we are gods made by ourselves than those who believe and trust in Him as the God Who really is. 

How to Break God's Heart #3 - Choking on Camel Meat

23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. 24 You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel! (Matthew 23)
Rules, Rules, Rules.  Beware when you start piling up rules.  When a society starts piling up laws, it is a sign that there are deep issues leading to misbehavior.  Jesus' reactions to the Pharisees and others like the rich ruler point to the fact that minimal rules are necessary when the heart is right: Love God and others. Focues on responsibilities and not right. Seek justice for others and let God be your protector.  Nobody wants a fly in their soup, but living by laws of self-righteousness is like gagging on a camel hump - tough and dry and choking the life out of you.  God gives us His laws to protect us and guide us to His character: merciful, just, faithful and true - not to ruin our fun or give us a weapon to make others miserable.  The Pharisees broke God's heart because not only did they break the important laws of God, they totally misrepresented them to the people they were to lead. Let us not do the same. 

How to Break God's Heart #2

16 “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.’ 17 You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that has made the gold sacred? 18 And you say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gift that is on the altar, he is bound by his oath.’ 19 You blind men! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred? 20 So whoever swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. 21 And whoever swears by the temple swears by it and by him who dwells in it. 22 And whoever swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by him who sits upon it. (Matthew 23)
Words. We use them all the time. We also misuse them often. God does not. He keeps His promises - even the ones we do not like. That is why He judges our words so severely. Our words reveal our hearts. Are we looking for loopholes in our lives?  Are we trying to convince others, ourselves, and even God that we are sincere in what we say, when we are not?  God hears it all, and weighs our words. He also sees our hearts.  He rules and reigns on His throne as King and judge.  May our words be sincere and true and spoken as if in His presence, because they are. 

How to Break God's Heart #1

13 “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people's faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in. 15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves. (Matthew 23) 
Woe: something that takes you back, and not in a good way. It is so wrong it pierces your heart, knocks the wind out of you, making you mad and sad at the same time.  Nothing breaks God's heart more than when our self-righteousness infects others - when we convince ourselves, and others that we can be, and even are, good enough to merit God's favor on our own accord. It creates a false hope, or maybe an empty emptiness that keeps us, and them "going through the motions."  May we make it clear, to ourselves, and others, that it is only through God's grace through Christ that we can ever be right with Him. 

The Inverted Pyramid

Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, 2 “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat, 3 so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice.4 They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. 5 They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, 6 and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues 7 and greetings in the marketplaces and being 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 call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. 10 Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ. 11 The greatest among you shall be your servant. 12 Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. (Matthew 23)
We are all familiar with pyramids. The ancient wonders were built on the backs of lowly workers moving large blocks. The modern corporations are often built on the hard work of unskilled laborers. Religious institutions can be built on the sin burdens of beaten down laypersons.  Humble service by all - that is what God's kingdom looks like.  We are not all the same - we all have different gifts and callings in the body of Christ.  But we are all equally sinners who need a Savior, and all who believe have the Holy Spirit to instruct us and full rights as the children of God. May we all beware our tendancy torward spiritual snobbery. Christ has turned the pyramid upside down. 

No More Questions

34 But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. 35 And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. 36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

41 Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question, 42 saying, “What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?” They said to him, “The son of David.” 43 He said to them, “How is it then that David, in the Spirit, calls him Lord, saying,

44 “‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at my right hand,
    until I put your enemies under your feet”’?

45 If then David calls him Lord, how is he his son?” 46 And no one was able to answer him a word, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions. (Matthew 22)

Imagine a press conference where the reporters run out of questions. Unimaginable!  But a similar thing happened in this passage: the Pharisees, like a bunch of vultures picking for some meat, give up trying. They could find no dirt on Jesus. They were not trying to get to the truth, but trying to tear Jesus to shreds; they were unsuccessful. With each interview, they only ended up looking bad or stupid.  With the Pharisees the ultimate question was always one of authority: "What gives you the right to...?" Having answered their question here, Jesus did what He does so well: ask a question back.  They took the bait. This, of course, lead to another question, which they were unable to answer, which really made them look stupid, or worse yet, unworthy of trust. What if they knew the answer, but were untilling to tell it, withholding important information from the people?  If they knew something more about Who the Messiah would be, and did not let God's people know, they were guilty of obstruction of justice, withholding information people had a right to know. Jesus had the answer, but they would not receive it. That's why they stopped asking questions.  

Don't Be Mistaken! He Is Risen Indeed!

23 The same day Sadducees came to him, who say that there is no resurrection, and they asked him a question, 24 saying, “Teacher, Moses said, ‘If a man dies having no children, his brother must marry the widow and raise up offspring for his brother.’ 25 Now there were seven brothers among us. The first married and died, and having no offspring left his wife to his brother. 26 So too the second and third, down to the seventh. 27 After them all, the woman died. 28 In the resurrection, therefore, of the seven, whose wife will she be? For they all had her.” 29 But Jesus answered them, “You are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God. 30 For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.31 And as for the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was said to you by God: 32 ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not God of the dead, but of the living.” (Matthew 22)

Usually, Jesus confronted the errors of his opponents in a subtle, yet powerful way, but on this occasion, He was straightforward: "You are wrong!. You don't know the Bible, and you don't know the God of the Bible! The Resurrection is Real!" Today, above all days, realize, recognize, and remember this: Christ is risen, just as He said! Because He is risen, we too shall rise. God is the God of the living, and we can have new, eternal, abundant life in His Risen Son. Make no mistake. Trust in the Risen Christ today. 

Lots of Preparation

 And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying, 2 “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son, 3 and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come. 4 Again he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.”’ 5 But they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business, 6 while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them. 7 The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. 8 Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy. 9 Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.’ 10 And those servants went out into the roads and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests.

11 “But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment. 12 And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless.13 Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ 14 For many are called, but few are chosen.” (Matthew 22)

In Jesus' illustration the king is preparing for a great feast for His people. The problem is that His people are NOT preparing to come. It sounds like our day. We talk about watching for Christ to come again, but often we do not live like it.  Today is a day many are prepaing to celebrate Easter: coloring eggs, baking, shopping for clothes and food, and maybe even thinking about Jesus.  In the Gospel accounts of the Passion, there are several mentions of a "Preparation Day" or day of preparation.  The most literal understanding of these mentions is that it is not a "day" of preparation, but a time of preparation before a Sabbath. (see below for a link to a long and detailed, but good explanation) Part of the preparation during Passover was the removal of all leaven, which Jesus often used as a reference to sin.  Should not this time of looking back to Christ's work on the cross, and His powerful resurrection not also be a time of preparation where we remove the leaven from our lives, making ourselves ready for the King's return?  Let us take time to prepare our hearts and minds as to how we will live after this celebration of the Passion, to be more ready for His return. 

http://www.bibleinsight.com/prepare.html

Removing the Stone

33 “Hear another parable. There was a master of a house who planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a winepress in it and built a tower and leased it to tenants, and went into another country. 34 When the season for fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to get his fruit. 35 And the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. 36 Again he sent other servants, more than the first. And they did the same to them. 37 Finally he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 38 But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and have his inheritance.’ 39 And they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. 40 When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” 41 They said to him, “He will put those wretches to a miserable death and let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons.”

42 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:

“‘The stone that the builders rejected
    has become the cornerstone;
this was the Lord's doing,
    and it is marvelous in our eyes’?

43 Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits. 44 And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.”

45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he was speaking about them. 46 And although they were seeking to arrest him, they feared the crowds, because they held him to be a prophet.

When we think about the Passion accounts, the mention of the word "Stone" automatically makes us think about the stone in front of the tomb of Jesus, placed there to keep people out, and in the minds of some, keep Jesus in. But there is another Stone in the background throughout this series of events: the Cornerstone, Who God put in place, on the earth, to build a new Building, a new Temple of His dwelling - His Christ.  Many saw Him as in the way, like a rock that needed to be removed and thrown out of the way.  That is the way the priests and Pharisees viewed Jesus.  So they set their hearts and minds to remove Him, which is why we have Good Friday.  For us, here and now, the day is to be one for us to ask ourselves: "How am I trying to get the Stone out of my way?  Do I try to walk around Him in my normal day? Do I keep Him out of my thoughts, trying to ignore Him?  Do I view Him as God's Good Son, who has come to the earth, and will come again to the earth, to receive only what is rightfully God's - a people who live in communion with Him. Am I so bent on living life trying to remove the Stone, when He is the very foundation of life, and life eternal?