Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. Matthew 23:23 KJV
There will always be someone who seems to have good intentions.
They show concern only to find out they really had something else in mind.
They make it seem like it would be worthwhile to the person they are speaking with.
That they are there to be of help, but they really are not.
It is for their benefit.
They are really stealing from them.
That was the type of horrible behavior that the Pharisees and Scribes exhibited.
They gave people the impression that they were ready, willing, and able to assist them (Matthew 23:15 KJV).
They presented themselves as men of prayers and men with knowledge of the Scriptures.
They were supposed to be champions of faith and helpers of the needy.
But they were what is called a “Fraud”.
They carried the titles but were not doing things the right way.
It was revealed that they were thieves.
That they only wanted to get benefits from the people they were supposed to be helping.
All mankind can be subject to this kind of behavior.
We really want to be of help to someone else.
It is our Christian desire.
But somehow deep down inside we become more interested about our own welfare than about others.
That is why we must stay rooted in the Word and follow the Lord’s lead.
He has blessed us to be able to assist others not to take advantage of them.
Never forgetting that although what others see on the outside may look clean, the Lord knows how the inside is not.
Because He knows our actions before we do anything.
We all must take the time to reassess our lives and the way we do things.
He is always giving us the opportunity to renew our hearts and spirits.
When we repent, a newness of life can be ours.
A newness worth more than anything we could ever ask for.
A WORD OF PRAYER
Savior, we don’t want to be like the Pharisees and Scribes in this passage. Because we know that being selfish is not what we are to do. We want to real and loving just like You. Remembering You have and will grant us the same blessings. Thank You, Savior.
In Jesus’ Name We Pray, Amen