Matthew 23
Rebecca Lightfoot
N the 7 woes of Matthew23,Jesus warns us of what makes up the core of everything that keeps us from a true relationship w Him,& turns our lives away from being true benefactors of Who He is,& away from WHAT He alone can provide 4 us...the “life more abundant”.In essence,these 7 Woes r what rob us of the abundant life Jesus desires 2 give us(John 10:10,”The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly").These “troubling 7 woes” boil down to issues of insincerity;hypocrisy;arrogance;pride;narcissism;legalism;piety;&greed.Wherever 1 of these characteristics exists...they all exist n 1 way or another.They r intertwined,usually “hidden” “beneath the surface” of our lives & IN our heart.These “Woes” turn our hearts “inside-out”(deadening our heart)making us more concerned about how we “appear” to those around us than what is “going on IN our hearts/minds”-more concerned with how others perceive us than what&who we truly are(Matt23:27b-28,”For you r like whitewashed tombs,which outwardly appear beautiful,but w/in r dead people’s bones & all uncleanliness.So u appear righteous 2 others,but w/in u r full of hypocrisy & lawlessness.”).This hypocrisy robs us of LIFE,making us dead 2 sincerity,&causing us 2 live lies(dead peoples bones...).We battle hypocrisy by becoming honest&transparent w God first,and then others-with God’s wisdom&discernment.We battle lawlessness(lack of respect&honor n & thru or lives for God’s Word),by seeking 2 learn/know God’s precepts&principles 4 a Holy life & assimilating these INTO our life.When we allow these things to knead INTO our heart/life(through Christ alone),what happens” on the outside of our life is a reflection of what Christ is doing on the “inside of our life”...&we begin 2 experience the life more abundant that is a Gift of Christ!And the “Woes”....they “fade away” from our life.Dear Jesus...,I have some of these woes n my life that have deadened parts of my heart/life.Forgive me...& please do what needs 2 b done IN me,so I might b ALIVE in every part of my life,w the life more abundant that You want me to have