Origins (of Hypocrisy)
Woes to Scribes and Pharisees
'Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples: “The scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. So practice and observe everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.'
-written by Matthew, 1st century
[This is the 9th message of this series]
For hundreds of years the Jewish people turned their relationship with God into a religion of rules and regulations, of dos and don'ts and a smorgasboard of religious festivals, practices and tradition.
Jesus did not care for religious people, and cared less for religious leaders and how they turned out after generations of the blind leading the blind.
Their religious leaders' words and actions had the opposite effect of bringing people to God -- they made people turn around and go the other way, away from God.
New Day
When Jesus arrived in the scene, He turned religion and everything else upside down.
Hosea 6:6
For hundreds of years the Jewish people turned their relationship with God into a religion of rules and regulations, of dos and don'ts and a smorgasboard of religious festivals, practices and tradition.
Jesus did not care for religious people, and cared less for religious leaders and how they turned out after generations of the blind leading the blind.
Their religious leaders' words and actions had the opposite effect of bringing people to God -- they made people turn around and go the other way, away from God.
New Day
When Jesus arrived in the scene, He turned religion and everything else upside down.
The hypocrisy that pervaded everything about God didn't and couldn't happen overnight but only through generations of listening to the wrong people and wrong teaching, self-promotion and personal agenda.
When Jesus arrived, He castigated the hypocritical religious teachers and He didn't minced His words when referring to them.
Here is the continuation of that passage above (Jesus speaking about the scribes and pharisees):
'They tie up heavy, burdensome loads and lay them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.
All their deeds are done for men to see. They broaden their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels. They love the places of honor at banquets, the chief seats in the synagogues, the greetings in the marketplaces, and the title of ‘Rabbi’ by which they are addressed.
But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers. And do not call anyone on earth your father, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Christ.'
Brood of Vipers
Such is His disdain for these so called leaders and men of God and He wasn't scared to speak His mind out in the public square, even infront of these religious leaders or their secret minions, who were always listening and following Jesus where ever He went.
Godly Love
Jesus cared for everyone else, especially the downtrodded, the afflicted, the sick, the oppressed, the orphan, the widow, the hurting, the hungry, the lost and the hopeless.
He didn't come for hypocrites, most of whom think so highly of themselves and have no need for God or His mercy.
They think they know so much about God and about heavenly things that they became so puffed up, the air in their heads made them overshoot heaven. With their blindness, they didn't recognize the One who came down from heaven.
Here is the continuation of that passage above (Jesus speaking about the scribes and pharisees):
'They tie up heavy, burdensome loads and lay them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.
All their deeds are done for men to see. They broaden their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels. They love the places of honor at banquets, the chief seats in the synagogues, the greetings in the marketplaces, and the title of ‘Rabbi’ by which they are addressed.
But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers. And do not call anyone on earth your father, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Christ.'
Brood of Vipers
Such is His disdain for these so called leaders and men of God and He wasn't scared to speak His mind out in the public square, even infront of these religious leaders or their secret minions, who were always listening and following Jesus where ever He went.
Godly Love
Jesus cared for everyone else, especially the downtrodded, the afflicted, the sick, the oppressed, the orphan, the widow, the hurting, the hungry, the lost and the hopeless.
He didn't come for hypocrites, most of whom think so highly of themselves and have no need for God or His mercy.
They think they know so much about God and about heavenly things that they became so puffed up, the air in their heads made them overshoot heaven. With their blindness, they didn't recognize the One who came down from heaven.
Prophets
God sent a succession of prophets to warn His people but each time they have dismissed them.
Thr Prophet Hosea said that
God does not require sacrifice and burnt offerings but the acknowledgement of God.
God desires mercy and came down to be the ultimate sacrifice and be merciful to those who seek mercy. God's love and grace is a magnet to all those who wish to return to God and in how God intended everything to be.
The Message Paraphrase puts it another way (one which needs the Holy Spirit's guidance):
'I’m after love that lasts, not more religion.
I want you to know God, not go to more prayer meetings.'
God does not require sacrifice and burnt offerings but the acknowledgement of God.
God desires mercy and came down to be the ultimate sacrifice and be merciful to those who seek mercy. God's love and grace is a magnet to all those who wish to return to God and in how God intended everything to be.
The Message Paraphrase puts it another way (one which needs the Holy Spirit's guidance):
'I’m after love that lasts, not more religion.
I want you to know God, not go to more prayer meetings.'
Hosea 6:6
At the right time, along with the last prophet (John the Baptist), Jesus came down and showed God's love, He did not offer burnt offerings because He was to be the final offering. He came to be the Sacrificial Lamb, the Messiah, the Savior of the world. Our prayers to our Father in heaven goes through Him and His finished work of redemption. God desires a personal relationship not religion.
Church of the Lost Sheep 2012
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