Wednesday 30 Aug 2023

August 30: Matthew 23:16-24

Key Verse: Matthew 23:16
‘Woe to you, blind guides! You say, “If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gold of the temple is bound by that oath.”

Devotion:
After reading through the woes on the teachers of the law and the Pharisees I thought I would do one more before moving on to something new. The teachers of the law and the Pharisees were heavily pushing the giving of gold and other gifts to the temple but Jesus was questioning their motives. People wanted to offer what they could and make these sacrifices from their hearts and by what they were able to do. The temple guards were being instructed to only allow certain offerings.

How does that sit with you? I get cross when I hear of people trying to manipulate people’s relationships with God through their own rules and regulations; that just does not sit well with me! We can look back at things like this and heap up criticism on what they were doing, whilst ignoring the march of the big churches in modern society – which again does not sit well with me.

God wants us to come to Him will a willingness to listen to His will and to do what he asks of us. He does not want us to be driven down a certain path just because some leaders are dictating we do things in a particular manner. He wants a personal relationship with us…

So do we ignore what big church organisations tell us? Far from it. We need to compare what they are telling us with what God tells us through our bibles. It is God’s word which should be the driving force in our lives and we should be upholding what God tells us through His Word, just as Jesus was trying to do during His ministry on earth. Stick to making your promises with God a direct and personal link rather than a dictated event.

Points to Ponder:
What is more important to you, your church building or the people?

What is the most important part of your relationship with God?