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. Jesus. Matthew 23:13
Hey, I’m Nathan, and this is Day 22 of 30 Days Watching Jesus. Harsh words. Saved for the religious elite—those who’d been leveraging power for personal advantage. Not for the prostitutes. Or the soldiers. Or the tax-collecting tricksters. Or the fisherman. Or the drunks at the bars. Or the dad with the wild kids running around. No, these words were aimed at the elite, who’s behavior was keeping life and light from those who needed it most. They are sharp words, because these spiritual elite were intended to be the healers and builders—working to lift society to a whole new place—not lock it under their ridiculous rules and schemes. So today, the spiritual elite—especially pastors, elders, teachers—are meant to lift up, not limit. Meant to bring healing and wholeness not exploit and control.
