13 “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. 14 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation.
Jesus now directly addressed religion itself (23:13-33). Turning from addressing the disciples, He pronounced eight woes upon religion.
23:13
“But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!
The first “woe” is a pronouncement of judgment against those who kept the crowd from the kingdom. A woe certifies condemnation.
The word “hypocrites” shows the sham religious leaders perpetrated on the gullible public. Their phony front was full of deceit.
For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.
Religious leaders were the primary cause in keeping people from the kingdom. Although their religion appealed to the masses, it was deadly because it kept people from eternal life. They should have been the first to embrace the Messiah, but they were the leading cause of rejecting Him.
23:14
Some manuscripts omit this verse.
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!
This second “woe” shows the stark contrast between religion’s profession and practice. These leaders made long prayers but shacked up with women on the side.
For you devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation.
Religious leaders who assume the religious authority and live contrary to that authority will receive greater condemnation.
PRINCIPLE:
The greatest spiritual battle is for the souls of men.
APPLICATION:
The church would rather do anything than evangelize for the souls of men. We cannot afford to be indifferent to this issue.
1 Th 2:14 For you, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God which are in Judea in Christ Jesus. For you also suffered the same things from your own countrymen, just as they did from the Judeans, 15 who killed both the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they do not please God and are contrary to all men, 16 forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they may be saved, so as always to fill up the measure of their sins; but wrath has come upon them to the uttermost.
Hey Dr. Grant, is there anything wrong with having a installation/ordination service?
Derick, I see nothing wrong with it from a biblical viewpoint. There are passages that indicate public recognition of people for ministry to establish their credibility publicly.