St. Matthew, Chapter 23, verses: 14b; Widows houses.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Woe to the Scribes and Pharisees) Part 6.  

The kingdom of heaven was at hand and Christ pronounced judgment over the Scribes and the Pharisees.  He made every effort to reach them.  He did everything he could to pull them back from the brink, but they were too far gone to turn back.  They were too caught up in their anger and frustration at Christ to break free from their positions of hatred and fear.

The prophets of the past had called them out to the people.  They spoke the words of God to the leaders and rulers who did not listen.  And so it was the same in the time of the Scribes and the Pharisees.  They would do the same as their forefathers to get rid of those who would call them out to the people.  Christ called them hypocrites:  "Because you devour the houses of widows, praying long prayers."  

This is the time in history to look back on and imagine what it was like to be there with Christ.  Imagine being in his presence, in the presence of the kingdom of heaven that was with him.  And yet from what we can read it was difficult for those who were there, those that did not know him, to experience his presence.  Often he said that this man was blind or this person was cripple for the sake of the disciples and the people that they might believe, that they might see the power of God in him.  And how much of a life altering experience was it for those who were touched by his miracles.

We, today, do not have the luxury of experiencing his miracles as they did then.  Or do we?  We cry and moan to God when we are in pain, when we suffer loss.  We blame him for the loss of our loved ones when they are taken suddenly without cause.  We cry to him of the hardships that we face daily because we are presented with a better life that we wish we could have.  Yet with all our pain and suffering, do we thank him for the little blessings, the little miracles that he gives us daily.  

If we let him he will provide.  If we allow him he will protect.  If we trust him he will secure for us a place of peace in our life today, tomorrow and forever.  And if we learn to love that which he does for us he will call us home to be with him for eternity.

Read the sign of the times! Read the Highlighted New Testament Bible and lift the scales from your eyes that you may see, that you may know, that you may find the truth of who you are in Christ. Read it as though you would read a good book, from cover to cover, and see for yourself. Do not study it in parts reading one passage nd then skipping to another, but read it for understanding. Read it for knowledge. Read it for faith. Read it that your eyes may be opened, that your ears may hear, that your heart may be filled with the light of Christ .   The Holy Spirit awaits you. Christ seeks to know you. Open the door and let him in.

St. Matthew, Chapter 23, verses: 14a; Woe to you.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Woe to the Scribes and Pharisees) Part 5.  

Christ continues to scold the Scribes and the Pharisees about their behavior.  He calls them hypocrites in public for all to hear which is not good.  The Scribes and the Pharisees are respected and honored and to call them hypocrites in public is bad.  

Christ did not do this out of hate.  He did not do this out of jealousy.  He loved his people.  He did this because he wanted to save the Scribes and the Pharisees.  He wanted to open their eyes.  He wanted them to see the truth of what they were doing to themselves and to the people.  But they were so blinded that they could not see, they could not hear his love for them, they could not understand the truth of what he was doing for them.  Therefore, he said to them:  " Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!"

What would you do for someone that you loved that you knew was going in the wrong direction?  Would you try to help them see what they were doing?  Would you do everything in you means to open their eyes to the truth?  What methods would you take to help them understand?  God our father tried to make us understand but we were wayward children driven by the lust of our flesh.  So he almost destroyed the human race.  But he decided to start over with a chosen few.

He gave us free will to choose.  And Christ gave us the choice of new life or death.  His passion and love for the good that he saw in us allowed him to withstand the test of pain and suffering for all mankind.  Not for one or two or three but for all men, all women, all children on this earth.  

We live and die that we might show that we are worthy to have the choice of life with him in heaven.  This is our entire purpose in life.  Recognize the choice.  Remember the choice.  Live the choice in Christ.

Read the sign of the times! Read the Highlighted New Testament Bible and lift the scales from your eyes that you may see, that you may know, that you may find the truth of who you are in Christ. Read it as though you would read a good book, from cover to cover, and see for yourself. Do not study it in parts reading one passage nd then skipping to another, but read it for understanding. Read it for knowledge. Read it for faith. Read it that your eyes may be opened, that your ears may hear, that your heart may be filled with the light of Christ .   The Holy Spirit awaits you. Christ seeks to know you. Open the door and let him in.

St. Matthew, Chapter 23, verses: 13d; You do not allow others to enter.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Woe to the Scribes and Pharisees) Part 4.  

Theirs was a grievous crime against the law of God.  They were the rulers of the people.  They were the religious leaders, the guides for the people.  They were supposed to lead the people, to show them the way to the kingdom of heaven.  Yet they themselves did not know.  They, themselves, did not see.  They, themselves, did not open the door to the kingdom so they could enter and go in.

Instead they remained outside.  They decided not to enter.  They decided that it was better to stay here in the realm of the physical, not enter the spiritual.  So if this was good for them it should also be good for the people.  And this was their belief according to the influence of evil.  

History and their heritage had given them evidence of their God .  Writings from their father told of how their God had saved them from destruction and brought them forth from the land of Egypt to the land of milk and honey.  But that was so long ago that they had forgotten their beliefs, their foundations, their heritage.  And evil came in to take the place of what was given to them from the hand of God himself.  For they do not go into the kingdom of heaven:  "Nor do you allow those going in to enter."

What is the influence of others in our lives today?  How much weight do we give to the beliefs of others?  How much wieght do we give to our desire to be accepted by others?  Are we willing to allow them to turn us away from what we believe, against our own inner thoughts and beliefs?  Are we willing to allow others to influence us to do things that we know is wrong just so that we might be accepted?  Do we go along just to go along without any knowledge of where we are going or where we might end up?  Do we have the conviction, the inner fortitude to say no to what seems wrong?  Being accepted is a strong motivation to change.  Being alone is also a strong motivation to cause us to change.  

The home is the incubator for us to learn acceptance.  We venture out into the world little by little experimenting with accepting ourselves and others in an attempt to fit into the world order.  Finally we break our tether with the home environment and go it alone into the world where we experience who we are as individuals.  Our home experience will determine where we land in the world and how we are motivated to change.  We may find the right places, the right peoples, groups, communities, societies to join that give balance to self.  Or we may find that we changeour inner self according to the motivation of what the world presents us as opportunities.

In all of what we experience in the world God waits in the background.  Some may have had a foundation in the home environment, others may not.  There are those who may have been devoid of any religious or spiritual experience in the home but instead exposed to pain, suffering,  and evil. God waits for those too, for we were all brought into this world as his children, created in his image and likeness.  He holds our hands.  He walks with us.  He gives us opportunity to see, to understand, to know him.  He wants all his children to know his love.  No door is closed if we want to open it.  No voice goes unheard if we call out to him.  Seek him and he will come to you and comfort your pain and sorrow.  He loves all.  He knows all.  He is all.  Be with him, for he is with you.   


Read the sign of the times! Read the Highlighted New Testament Bible and lift the scales from your eyes that you may see, that you may know, that you may find the truth of who you are in Christ. Read it as though you would read a good book, from cover to cover, and see for yourself. Do not study it in parts reading one passage nd then skipping to another, but read it for understanding. Read it for knowledge. Read it for faith. Read it that your eyes may be opened, that your ears may hear, that your heart may be filled with the light of Christ .   The Holy Spirit awaits you. Christ seeks to know you. Open the door and let him in.