Avoid the Woes! (Part 2)
Altar, Arbitrary Rulings, Avoid the Woes! (Part 2), Bibles, Blind, Blind Guides, Blog, Commitment, David, Dwells, Erik Garthe, Faith, Fools, Gift, Gold of the Temple, Heaven, Hypocrisy, Hypocrites, Integrity, Jesus, Justice, Legalism, Lord, love, Mercy, No Longer Conformed, Non-Binding, Oaths, Obliged, Person, Pharisees, Problem, Promise, Reliable, Religious Leaders, Scribes, Scripture, Sincerity, Swears, Tabernacle, Temple, Throne of God, Tithe, Trust, Uncategorized, Woes
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Hypocrisy is a problem for many, but it doesn’t have to be. When Jesus confronted the religious leaders in Matthew 23:13-33, He revealed how to avoid the woes by declaring the opposites of integrity. Continuing …
Fourth, be a reliable person of your word—“Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is obliged to perform it.’ Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifies the gold? And, ‘Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gift that is on it, he is obliged to perform it.’ Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifies the gift? Therefore he who swears by the altar, swears by it and by all things on it. He who swears by the temple, swears by it and by Him who dwells in it. And he who swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God and by Him who sits on it.” (vv. 16-22) Those were arbitrary rulings by the Pharisees, with no basis in Scripture. Sort of like, “I swear on a stack of Bibles.” or “I swear on my mother’s grave.” The degrees of sincerity were identified by the value of the object sworn on. Lying was excused by making non-binding oaths: that is not a basis for trust! It was excusing a failure to keep a commitment or promise. In Psalm 15:4, David wrote, “LORD, who may abide in Your tabernacle? Who may dwell in Your holy hill? … He who swears to his own hurt and does not change … He who does these things shall never be moved.” Fifth, be a promoter of love rather than legalism—“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.” Hmm … hold that thought; we’ll get back here next time.
Sin cera, Erik
Erik O. Garthe is Associate Pastor at Canton Baptist Church in Baltimore, Maryland.
