a 365 day trip through Matthew with a key thought, prayer, focus verse and contextual verses for each day
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May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer. (NIV)
Psalm 19:14
Be careful! When you do good things, don’t do them in front of people to be seen by them. If you do that, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. ... When you give up eating, don’t put on a sad face like the hypocrites. They make their faces look sad to show people they are giving up eating. I tell you the truth, those hypocrites already have their full reward.So when you give up eating, comb your hair and wash your face.Then people will not know that you are giving up eating, but your Father, whom you cannot see, will see you. Your Father sees what is done in secret, and he will reward you.(NCV)
Matt. 6:1, 16-18
Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind.Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation,now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. (NIV)
1 Pet. 2:1-3 |
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November 2
How Terrible! (6) - Matthew 23:27-28
How terrible for you, teachers of the law and Pharisees! You are hypocrites! You are like tombs that are painted white. Outside, those tombs look fine, but inside, they are full of the bones of dead people and all kinds of unclean things. It is the same with you. People look at you and think you are good, but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and evil.
Full Text
Key Thought
Jesus is relentless in his condemnation of the Pharisees. This "woe" or "How terrible!" does less diagnosis of the problem and speaks directly to the problem. "You look good on the outside, but your decayed and putrid on the insided!"
For Jesus, pretensious externalism is hypocrisy pure and simple. Painting up the outside only makes the death of character on the inside worse, because it disguises it.
Today's Prayer
Father, forgive me for the times that I have faked my piety without repenting of my sin. Please forgive and cleanse me so that I may be pure through and through. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Today's Verses with Jesus
(key verses in bold)
13 “How terrible for you, teachers of the law and
Pharisees! You are hypocrites! You close the door for people to
enter the kingdom of heaven. You yourselves don’t enter,
and you stop others who are trying to enter. 14-15 “How
terrible for you, teachers of the law and Pharisees! You are
hypocrites! You travel across land and sea to find one person
who will change to your ways. When you find that person, you
make him more fit for hell than you are.
16 “How terrible for you! You guide the people, but you
are blind. You say, ‘If people swear by the Temple when
they make a promise, that means nothing. But if they swear by
the gold that is in the Temple, they must keep that promise.’
17 You are blind fools! Which is greater: the gold or the Temple
that makes that gold holy? 18 And you say, ‘If people swear
by the altar when they make a promise, that means nothing. But
if they swear by the gift on the altar, they must keep that
promise.’ 19 You are blind! Which is greater: the gift or
the altar that makes the gift holy? 20 The person who swears by
the altar is really using the altar and also everything on the
altar. 21 And the person who swears by the Temple is really
using the Temple and also everything in the Temple. 22 The
person who swears by heaven is also using God’s throne and
the One who sits on that throne.
23 “How terrible for you, teachers of the law and
Pharisees! You are hypocrites! You give to God one-tenth of
everything you earn—even your mint, dill, and cumin. But
you don’t obey the really important teachings of the law—justice,
mercy, and being loyal. These are the things you should do, as
well as those other things. 24 You guide the people, but you are
blind! You are like a person who picks a fly out of a drink and
then swallows a camel!
25 “How terrible for you, teachers of the law and
Pharisees! You are hypocrites! You wash the outside of your cups
and dishes, but inside they are full of things you got by
cheating others and by pleasing only yourselves. 26 Pharisees,
you are blind! First make the inside of the cup clean, and then
the outside of the cup can be truly clean. Top
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27 “How terrible for you,
teachers of the law and Pharisees! You are hypocrites! You are
like tombs that are painted white. Outside, those tombs look fine,
but inside, they are full of the bones of dead people and all
kinds of unclean things. 28 It is the same with you. People look
at you and think you are good, but on the inside you are full of
hypocrisy and evil.
29 “How terrible for you, teachers of the law and
Pharisees! You are hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets,
and you show honor to the graves of those who lived good lives.
30 You say, ‘If we had lived during the time of our
ancestors, we would not have helped them kill the prophets.’
31 But you give proof that you are children of those who
murdered the prophets. 32 And you will complete the sin that
your ancestors started.
(NCV) The New Century Version, (Dallas, Texas:
Word Publishing) 1987, 1988, 1991.
Used by permission.
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