False Leaders Are Cursed For Their Extortion And Self-Indulgence (Matt. 23:26-26)

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 10/30/2023 9:56 AM

 

My Worship  Time Focus:  False Leaders Are Cursed For Their Extortion And Self-Indulgence

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                              Reference:  Matthew 23:25-26

 

            Message of the verses:  “25 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full of robbery and self-indulgence. 26 “You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the dish, so that the outside of it may become clean also.”

 

            In today’s SD we want to look at the fifth curse that Jesus gives to the scribes and the Pharisees for their extortion of others and indulgence of themselves.

 

            Jesus is using the outside of a cup and …dish, but not the inside to illustrate once again the hypocrisy of the scribes and Pharisees.  MacArthur writes “The Greek phrase behind dish was often used of a platter on which exquisite delicacies were served.  The idea is of a person who offers a guest a seemingly lovely mean served with the best wine.  But it turns out that, although the utensils are beautiful and ceremonially purified, the food served on them was putrid.”  I have to say that I am happy for that explanation.

 

            So how does this apply to these religious leaders?  These religious leaders gave the appearance of pious devotion to the Lord, but inwardly they were full of the moral and spiritual faith of robbery and self-indulgence.  These leaders were ceremonially immaculate and attractive but they were spiritually foul and hideous.

 

            “Hapage (robbery) carries the ideas of plundering, pillaging, and extortion, and akrasis (self-indulgence) has the basic meaning of lack of self-control and was often used to denote unrestrained self-gratification.  The unscrupulous religious leaders robbed the people they were supposed to serve in order to satisfy their own greed.  The plundered both the souls and the wallets of the people and used the ill-gotten gains to serve themselves.) (MacArthur’s commentary)

 

            Jesus was making the accusation more personal and direct when He said “You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the dish, so that the outside of it may become clean also.”  There is no utensil that is clean when it has ill-gotten food or drink in it.

 

            MacArthur concludes “Throughout history, false religious leaders have become rich and fat by fleecing those they pretended to serve.  Outwardly they appear righteous, caring, and exemplary, but inwardly they are rapacious wolves.”

 

10/30/2023 10:29 AM