Matthew 23:13-15
Find a place and time free of distractions for the next 7-10 minutes. Sit comfortably and breathe deeply for a few seconds before you begin. As you breathe in, say the name of Jesus and become aware of his presence with you. As you breathe out, open your mind and heart to receive whatever Jesus has for you today.
Today we continue with Jesus’ rebuke of the religious leaders as he begins to articulate eight “woes” which contrast with the eight Beatitudes from Matthew Chapter 5. Before you read today’s passage, look back over Matthew 5:3-10, then read Matthew 23:13-15* letting the two warnings in today’s mediation act as a searchlight in your own spirit.
Throughout Matthew’s Gospel we have heard Jesus describe the nature of the Kingdom of God – the realm where God’s shalom ways reign and all is as God originally intended. We have also seen that God’s Kingdom is the place of life, freedom, and ultimate meaning for all those who enter through faith in Jesus and is therefore is more valuable than anything we might sacrifice to follow Jesus.
As part of the community of Jesus, we are his representatives on earth. If we are depending on Jesus and allowing the Holy Spirit to continually transform us, our lives become an invitation to others to experience God’s Kingdom.
Take a few minutes to consider how your life either invites or discourages others from following Jesus on his terms. This isn’t meant to be an exercise in guilt but rather an honest assessment of how your life reflects the teachings and example of Jesus.
Talk openly with Jesus about your thoughts.
Read Matthew 23:13-15 again.
Many scholars believe that first century religious leaders were actively seeking converts to their form of religion and that this missionary zeal continued even after Jesus’ death and resurrection. But as we have seen, the religion these authorities pedaled was based their own erroneous ways of thinking about God and Scripture. Instead of leading people to Jesus and to life, they led them to a system full of injustice.
It's also worth noting that the word translated “hell” in this passage is “Gehenna” in the Greek. In rabbinic tradition, Gehenna was a desolate valley where people who did evil were banished to serve time for their offenses. In essence, by rejecting the Kingdom of God as embodied in Jesus, these leaders were imprisoned in a Gehenna of their own making and causing others to end up there as well.
Take some time to consider what is most important to you: people agreeing with you, or people being open to the transforming power of Jesus. To explore this, you might consider the feelings that rise up in you when someone has a different interpretation of a biblical principle that you believe to be true.
For the final moments of this time of reflection, get quiet and just be still in the presence of Jesus.
What might Jesus be saying to you today?
What will you do about it?
*Verse 14 is omitted in the New Living Translation because it was not present in the earliest and most reliable texts.
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