What Jesus Did! 'Severe Punishment' — Luke 20:45-47

Wednesday, November 22, 2023

[Following Jesus' rebuff to the teachers of religious law], with the crowds listening, he turned to his disciples and said, "Beware of these teachers of religious law! For they like to parade around in flowing robes and love to receive respectful greetings as they walk in the marketplaces. And how they love the seats of honor in the synagogues and the head table at banquets. Yet they shamelessly cheat widows out of their property and then pretend to be pious by making long prayers in public. Because of this, they will be severely punished."
— Luke 20:45-47 NLT

Key Thought

Three great sins are pronounced on the religious leaders of Jesus' day:
  1. They are pretentious, loving to be recognized as important religious people.
  2. They cheat the helpless in society that they are supposed to protect.
  3. They are hypocrites trying to cover their hypocrisy by seeming to be pious.

Jesus points out that those sins bring severe punishment. Those of us who are so invested in passionately living our faith need to know that God is pleased with our passion. However, our heavenly Father does not want us to make a big show of our religious zeal, [1] especially if we live in contradiction to his will as revealed for us in Scripture.

[1] Matthew 6:1-6.

Today's Prayer

Father, may I never be guilty of the sins that Jesus condemned in these verses: the sins of self-righteousness, hypocrisy, and taking advantage of the less fortunate! And, dear God, please forgive me for those times when I've wanted to appear religious but lived my life in hypocrisy and sin. Through your blessed and powerful Holy Spirit, conform me to be more like your Son each day. In his name. Amen.

Related Scripture Readings

  • Proverbs 6:16-19
  • James 1:27
  • Amos 5:21-24

Comments

Archived Facebook Comments

Other Devotionals from Heartlight for Wednesday, November 22, 2023

God's Holy Fire
A daily devotional about the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
'Don't Be Troubled or Afraid' (Jn. 14:25-27)
"[Jesus said,] "I am telling you these things now while I am still with you. But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative — that is, the..."
Morning & Evening
The classic twice-daily devotional from Charles H. Spurgeon.
Morning Thought: Hosea 12:12
"Jacob, while expostulating with Laban, thus describes his own toil, "This twenty years have I been with thee. That which was torn of beasts I brought...."
Passion for Praise
A daily passage of Scripture emphasizing praise to our God.
'Rejoice, O Heavens!' (Re. 12:10-12)
"Then I heard a loud voice shouting across the heavens, "It has come at last — salvation and power and the Kingdom of our God, and the authority...."
Praying with Paul
Features the apostle Paul's writings turned into daily, powerful prayers.
'A Brilliant Star' (Ph. 2:14-18)
"Dear Father, Help me do what is needed without complaining or arguing, so that I may be blameless and pure. Let me be your child without fault, a..."

Illustration

Illustration of Luke 20:45-47 NLT — Because of this, they will be severely punished.

About This Devotional

What Jesus Did! is a series of one-year devotional guides through each gospel, using one short scripture passage each day and following the Gospel in sequential order. Each devotional consists of a scripture passage and a reflection and a prayer which open up the day's scripture and show how it challenges you to live for Jesus.

What Jesus Did! is written by Phil Ware and is available in book form.

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

More What Jesus Did!