Whoa to the Woes (Part 1 of 3)
Matthew 23:13-15
Matthew 23:13–15 (ESV): 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.
Woe #1- Obstructing the way to the Kingdom
- Rejecting Jesus
- Legalism, i.e.- perfect adherence
The Result: the door was shut to them because they prevented others from going in.
Woe #2- Zeal that leads to Hell
- Flawed teaching leads to doubly flawed converts
- Remember, the Laws true intend is justice, mercy, and faith.
- Religion celebrated becomes more self-righteous and arrogant, and it becomes exponential over time, i.e.- teacher teaches convert, convert is doubly self-righteous and arrogant.