Happy Monday! Have you ever been around an individual who said one thing and did the other? Have you heard the phrase do what I say and not as I do? Well today we will read on Jesus’ use of some of those words. Enjoy today’s reading and your day. Remember, the Lord will never leave you. He is on your side. He is your protector and peace.

BIBLE VERSE – Matthew 23:1-7 NLT
“¹ Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, ² “The teachers of religious law and the Pharisees are the official interpreters of the law of Moses. ³ So practice and obey whatever they tell you, but don’t follow their example. For they don’t practice what they teach. ⁴ They crush people with unbearable religious demands and never lift a finger to ease the burden.

⁵ “Everything they do is for show. On their arms they wear extra wide prayer boxes with Scripture verses inside, and they wear robes with extra long tassels. ⁶ And they love to sit at the head table at banquets and in the seats of honor in the synagogues. ⁷ They love to receive respectful greetings as they walk in the marketplaces, and to be called ‘Rabbi.’”

REFLECTION
These scriptures pick up following Jesus’ encounters with the religious leaders. Jesus is speaking and exposing the truth for everyone to hear. Notice he didn’t say don’t listen to the religious leaders (v.3), but Jesus said, practice and obey whatever they tell you, but don’t follow their example. Jesus then begins his list of whys. Starting with everything these specific religious leaders did was for show. From making things (religious task) difficult when they ought not be that difficult, bringing attention to themselves and expecting respect wherever they went.

Brothers and sisters, there is a lot to be learned from chapter 23, as Jesus lays out the truth. Let us self-check as we continue to read the chapter this week.

PRAYER
Father God, we thank you for life. We thank you for salvation and for forgiveness of our sins. Lord, you know our hearts, you know how many times we quoted scripture and didn’t live by them ourselves. Lord, you know our struggles with flesh and the desire to be known and loved. Yet, Lord, you loved us enough to send your son to save us. Lord, we need your help to change us. Lord, align any motivation that we might have for serving with your will and your direction. Lord, we don’t want to go down any path without you. Lord, lead us and give us discernment to hear the truth and see right through the lies of the enemy (or those he uses). Lord, cover our families and stretch us to be better servants and representatives of you and your kingdom. Lord, let our speech and the things we do match and bring glory to your name. Lord, keep our families safe, be with the innocent people of the city and cover them. Lord, protect our children and young adults around the world. Lord, bring them back to you. Teach them how to be the difference, a light on a hill in our world today. Lord, we pray for those who are having surgery today and we ask that you be with the physicians as they prepare and conduct surgery today. Lord, give them wisdom and discernment to successfully perform the surgery.  Lord, we pray for healing and fully recovery. Lord, may your favor be upon us today. Keep working in all of us. In Jesus name, amen.

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