Matthew 23:16 “Woe unto you, ye blind guides!
I read lately that the 23rd chapter of Matthew contains some
harsh criticisms and reproofs as Jesus delivers the eight “woes.” Even the
Greek word is a bit eerie. Can you imagine this series of stern admonitions
delivered to the faces of these self-righteous manipulators of truth? Woe (“οὐαί” in Greek) you Scribes and Pharisees and Sadducees, hypocrites! The
blindness that Jesus was condemning has both a practical and spiritual impact.
Worship God; not the brick and mortar of the church, not the music, not the
pastor, not the fellowship/relationships, not the programs, events and groups;
worship God alone. Obviously, if one does not understand simple truth, the
result is going to be either embarrassing or painful. I heard an illustration
once about a person who loved a certain other person who was gone on a long journey,
but had a photo of this beloved other person that they looked at constantly, hugged
and kissed regularly, and talked to lovingly daily. Then one day the beloved
other person returned home and when the homeward person saw them, they picked up the
photo of them and started hugging and kissed it again. The point is, who or
what was this person loving? The person or the image?
Matthew 15:14 “They are blind leaders of the
blind,” Jesus said. “Leave them; they are blind guides. If the blind
lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.”
The great Creator of the universe knows best how to guide His
creation. If we, the stewards, do not know or understand the Creator’s
instructions, we are bound to get into trouble. That “truth blindness” often
results in “blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel” – Matthew 23:24. There is an old saying, "There's none so blind as
those who will not see."
Psalm 146:5-8 “Blessed are those whose help is the God
of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord their God. He is the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and
everything in them - he remains faithful forever. He upholds the cause of
the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets
prisoners free, the Lord gives sight to the blind,
the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down, the Lord loves the
righteous.”
But the article points out that the greater
blindness is spiritual. Peter listed attributes on how to grow in faith and
gain blessed assurance. Then he advised in 2 Peter 1:9, “Whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting
that they have been cleansed from their past sins.” In His
messages to the seven churches, Jesus warned Laodicea , “Because you
say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know
that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked” - Revelation 3:17.
His counsel: “I
counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and
white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of
your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that
you may see”
- Revelation 3:18. Come to Jesus, who says, "Buy from me." He alone is the Way, the Truth and the Life.