Look to the Cross for Truth

Good morning to all on this wonderful Monday morning. Waine and I are back to the US and we had a wonderful week in Jamaica and I am well rested and invigorated. I had a lovely birthday celebration in the sand and heat of Jamaica and was pampered from head to toe. Waine got to play golf with a Jamaican golf legend, so all is well in the Basil Waine Kong household. You can read about our week at Breezes on this blog.

I am continuing my journey in Matthew 23 verses 13-39. Christ is preaching to His disciples and labels His instructions as the Seven Woes; "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men's faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to. Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are. Woe to you, blind guides! You say, 'If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.' You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred? You also say, 'If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gift on it, he is bound by his oath.' You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred? Therefore, he who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. And he who swears by the temple swears by it and by the one who dwells in it. And he who swears by heaven swears by God's throne and by the one who sits on it. Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel. Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean. Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness. Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous. And you say, 'If we had lived in the days of our forefathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.' So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets. Fill up, then, the measure of the sin of your forefathers! You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell? Therefore I am sending you prophets and wise men and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify; others you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town. And so upon you will come all the righteous blood that has been shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berekiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. I tell you the truth, all this will come upon this generation. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing. Look, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. Amen and amen!

You can tell that these religious hypocrites had gotten on Christ's 1/2 half last nerve! Sin is abhorrent to Christ and "religious" leaders who prey on the unsuspecting are doomed to a life eternal without God. Christians have an obligation to reflect the Love of God; it is the Love of God and the life we lead that should convict and then convince others to give their lives to the One and True God. All too often, we find ourselves with religious rulers who begin to create the "rules" by which someone can have a life with God. These folks are referred to as vipers who are condemned to hell, in this passage. Chris was so taken aback that the religious rulers of the chosen people who act and behave in the manner in which they confronted Him and His early followers. The Pharisees were more concerned with protecting their power base than preaching the Power of the Kingdom. It is our job, job, job to spread the Good News, that Jesus died for ALL and then was resurrected so that we as Christians could have eternal life with Him.

Reject those who wold have you believe anything other than your duty to follow the principles as taught by Christ. Your life will then bear the Fruits of the Spirit. If your life is bearing anything other than the fruits of the spirit than refocus your gaze on the Cross of Calvary. There is no confusion or fear there. Only love. Be blessed today because Jesus loves you.

Stephanie