God Speaks
Jesus Confronts Hypocrites and Discloses Signs of the End Times
Verse of the Day: “Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.” (Luke 21:36 NIV 2011)
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Watch TBR Day 309
We Respond
Matthew 23
Reflection: Consider the following questions regarding Matthew 23:
1. What does this chapter tell me about God?
2. What does this chapter tell me about the human beings He created?
Here is one possible answer to each of these questions. Ask the Holy Spirit if there are any others for you personally to ponder.
1. Because He is God, Jesus saw the hypocrisy in the hearts of the Pharisees and the religious leaders.
2. People think that they can placate the LORD God by only their outward actions (virtue signaling or empty rituals).
Prayer:
3. How might I pray regarding Matthew 23?
Dear Father God, thank You for the courage and right perspective You gave Jesus in this encounter with the religious and political leaders of His day. He didn’t mince words when He called out these leaders. Although they were in positions prescribed by Moses (and rightly so), You, Jesus, called them out for over-regulation, hypocrisy, self-aggrandizement, and manipulation. Jesus, You taught and demonstrated true humble servant-leadership. You taught the true basis for making promises to God. They micro-managed the tithes, but You focused on the more important, less measurable or self-focused issues of justice, mercy, and faithfulness. They were concerned about appearances and image, while You saw the need for cleansing our hearts. They focused on the past; whereas You warned of severe judgment to come in the near and distant future. I need Holy Spirit’s help to be more like Jesus and less like the Pharisees. AMEN
Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, if He wants you to work on one of the suggestions below or something else more personal that He points out.)
4. What action does the LORD want me to take in response to Matthew 23? With the help of God’s Holy Spirit:
- I will ask God to search my heart and show me if I am harboring any of the attitudes that underlie the actions of these leaders.
- I will ask God, the Holy Spirit, to give me the courage to speak up about similar self-focused behavior in my day, then act and see what happens.
- I will write a note of support to _______ (a specific person) to encourage them because they are standing firm against behavior like that of the leaders in this chapter.
- I will get involved in ________ (a specific organization) that is fighting against the kind of attitudes and behavior Jesus was addressing here.
Luke 20
Reflection: The Jewish leaders who challenged the authority of Jesus really did understand that it came from God, but they refused to acknowledge that fact. The parable of the wicked tenants illustrates how people God has blessed have treated His servants and His Son over the centuries. The leaders knew that then (and others know it now), and they hated Jesus for calling them out on it. The following questions were posed by various segments of society trying to trap Jesus. Those positively or negatively concerned with the government asked, “Should we pay taxes to Caesar or not?” Then Sadducees (who didn’t believe that there is such a thing) asked Jesus a trick question about the resurrection. Jesus’s answer could be summarized as saying that, from God’s perspective in eternity, all people (including Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) are alive, not dead. Jesus also asked them, “Whose son is Christ?” indicating that He was the Messiah (God with a human body). Jesus cautioned the disciples to beware of the prideful hypocrisy of the religious leaders of that day. God will deal with them sternly.
Prayer: Dear Father God, the authority You assigned to Jesus was based on His voluntary, sacrificial obedience. Thank You that the same authority is delegated to me whenever I voluntarily and sacrificially obey You as well. As people read or hear the parable of the wicked tenants, may they see themselves as sinners, turn back to You, and gladly give You the profit from their lives that You deserve. May Your faithful followers (myself included) give to Caesar (the government) what bears his/its mark/image (money) “and give to [You] what belongs to [You]”–our very lives. Thank You for the resurrection of Jesus Christ and that You continue to bring order out of chaos and life out of death. Thank You that Jesus Christ was fully man and fully God. Help me to beware hypocrisy in my own life and in the lives of others. Forgive us, Lord, and help us to change. AMEN
Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, which one of these He wants you to work on or something else more personal that He points out.)
- I will examine myself as to how well I submit to authority (first to God, then to other people). Then I will ask God to help me to improve.
- I will give God the credit in my life He deserves. (Be specific.)
- I will intentionally work at faithfully portraying the stamp of Christ Jesus on my life. (Mention one specific example.)
- I will discuss with a trusted friend how I might be behaving hypocritically, then seek to change.
Luke 21
Reflection: After condemning the rich religious leaders for their prideful self-aggrandizement, Jesus turned and commended a poor widow’s self-sacrificial offering. Jesus foretold of the destruction of the temple, of wars and persecution, and the destruction of Jerusalem. Many of these things happened around 70AD. Many others will occur at the coming of the Son of Man. Some seem to be occurring now. Some commentators think that the fig tree represents the nation of Israel reestablished in their ancient land in May of 1948. We are to watch for the signs of the times and keep our own behavior pure and godly and pray. The time of the Lord’s return is sooner than it has ever been.
Prayer: Dear God who watches over the widows and the orphans, the poor and the afflicted, You called attention to this widow’s sacrificial offering. I desire, with help of the Holy Spirit, to follow in Your footsteps and hers. Jesus, You, foretold of the destruction of the temple, wars and persecution, and the destruction of Jerusalem. You wanted Your disciples (then and now) to not be surprised but prepared. Over the centuries, the coming of the Son of Man has been the subject of many sermons and books. Please help your people to know which ones are right. Your fig tree, Israel, is budding as well as under attack from her hostile neighbors. May Your people be alert, watch our behavior, and pray for the peace of Jerusalem. AMEN
Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, which one of these He wants you to work on or something else more personal that He points out.)
- I will examine my patterns and motives for giving and ask the Lord to help me to follow faithful patterns and to purify my motives.
- I will search through the Old and New Testaments for prophecies of the destruction of the Temple and of Jerusalem and compare it with secular accounts of 70A.D.
- I will search through the Old and New Testaments for prophecies of the return of Christ and use the list to wait expectantly and pray for it to come soon.
- I will pray for myself and other believers to be faithful in the midst of persecution and other suffering so that “. . . as a result, the Messiah will be widely known and honored.” (Luke 21:13 TLB)
Share: I plan to share what I’ve learned with __________.