Contrasting Blessings and Woes: A Call to Authentic Faith

Devotional

Day 1: The Duality of Blessings and Warnings

The Beatitudes and the Woes present a powerful contrast between blessings and warnings. The Beatitudes, found in Matthew 5, offer hope and blessings to those who embody the values of God's kingdom, such as humility, mercy, purity, and peacemaking. These teachings challenge the world's understanding by elevating those whom society often overlooks. In contrast, the Woes in Matthew 23 serve as a stern warning to the religious leaders of the time, highlighting their hypocrisy and the dangers of living a life focused on outward appearances rather than genuine faith. This duality challenges us to examine our own lives and align them with God's teachings, ensuring that our faith is authentic and not merely for show. [37:48]

Matthew 23:27-28 (ESV): "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people's bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness."

Reflection: In what areas of your life might you be focusing more on outward appearances rather than genuine faith? How can you begin to align these areas with the values of God's kingdom today?

Day 2: Joy and Sorrow in Spiritual Awakening

Jesus' entry into Jerusalem was both a celebration and a moment of sorrow. As He was welcomed with shouts of "Hosanna," He also wept over the city's spiritual blindness. This moment serves as a reminder of the importance of recognizing our own need for spiritual awakening and transformation. Just as Jerusalem was blind to the presence of the Messiah, we too can be blind to the areas in our lives that need change. By acknowledging our spiritual blindness, we open ourselves to the joy of transformation and the sorrow of realizing how far we may have drifted from God's path. [31:14]

Luke 19:41-42 (ESV): "And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, 'Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.'"

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you might be spiritually blind? How can you seek God's guidance to bring about transformation in this area?

Day 3: Vigilance Against Subtle Drifts

Subtle shifts in our lives, like the gradual removal of grains from a pile of sand, can lead us away from righteousness. These drifts are often unnoticed until they have created a significant gap between us and God. It is crucial to remain vigilant against these drifts to maintain a close relationship with God. By regularly examining our hearts and actions, we can identify these shifts early and take corrective measures to realign ourselves with God's teachings. This vigilance helps us stay on the path of righteousness and avoid the emptiness of a life lived for show. [47:05]

Hebrews 2:1 (ESV): "Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it."

Reflection: What subtle shifts have you noticed in your spiritual life recently? How can you address these shifts to ensure you remain aligned with God's path?

Day 4: Embracing the Comfort and Challenge of Discipleship

Authentic discipleship requires examining our hearts and aligning our lives with Jesus' teachings. This involves embracing both the comfort of His promises and the challenge of His warnings. By doing so, we cultivate a life of genuine faith that reflects the heart of a true follower of Jesus. This process is not always easy, as it requires us to confront areas of our lives that may be out of alignment with God's will. However, the rewards of living a life grounded in the values of His kingdom are immeasurable, leading to spiritual growth and a deeper relationship with God. [52:38]

James 1:22-24 (ESV): "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like."

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you find it challenging to align with Jesus' teachings? What steps can you take today to embrace both the comfort and challenge of discipleship in this area?

Day 5: Recognizing Our "Hosanna" Moments

Our spiritual journey involves recognizing the areas where we cry out "Hosanna," seeking God's help and guidance. These moments are opportunities for us to acknowledge our dependence on God and invite Him into our lives to bring about change. By paying attention to the subtle drifts and areas where we need His intervention, we can live a life that truly reflects the heart of a follower of Jesus. This awareness helps us stay grounded in the values of His kingdom and ensures that our faith remains vibrant and authentic. [01:04:20]

Psalm 121:1-2 (ESV): "I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth."

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you are currently crying out "Hosanna"? How can you actively seek God's help and guidance in this area today?

Sermon Summary

In today's reflection, we explored the profound contrast between the Beatitudes and the Woes as presented in the Gospel of Matthew. The Beatitudes, found in Matthew 5, offer blessings to those who embody the values of God's kingdom—humility, mercy, purity, and peacemaking. These teachings flip the world's understanding upside down, elevating those whom society often overlooks. In contrast, the Woes in Matthew 23 serve as a stern warning to the religious leaders of the time, highlighting their hypocrisy and the dangers of living a life focused on outward appearances rather than genuine faith.

Jesus' entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday was a moment of celebration, yet it was also a moment of deep sorrow for Him as He wept over the city's spiritual blindness. This dichotomy between joy and lamentation mirrors the dual messages of the Beatitudes and the Woes. The Beatitudes promise blessings to those who live according to God's values, while the Woes caution against the emptiness of a life lived for show.

The subtle shifts in our lives, much like the gradual removal of grains from a pile of sand, can lead us away from the path of righteousness. It's crucial to remain vigilant against these drifts, as they can widen the gap between us and God. Authentic discipleship requires us to examine our hearts and align our lives with the teachings of Jesus, embracing both the comfort of His promises and the challenge of His warnings.

As we navigate our spiritual journeys, we must be aware of the areas where we cry out "Hosanna," seeking God's help and guidance. We must also pay attention to the subtle drifts that can lead us astray. By doing so, we can live a life that truly reflects the heart of a follower of Jesus, grounded in the values of His kingdom.

Key Takeaways

1. The Beatitudes and the Woes present a powerful contrast between blessings and warnings. The Beatitudes offer hope to those who embody kingdom values, while the Woes caution against hypocrisy and superficial faith. This duality challenges us to examine our own lives and align them with God's teachings. [37:48]
2. Jesus' entry into Jerusalem was both a celebration and a moment of sorrow. He wept over the city's spiritual blindness, reminding us of the importance of recognizing our own need for spiritual awakening and transformation. [31:14]
3. Subtle shifts in our lives, like the gradual removal of grains from a pile of sand, can lead us away from righteousness. We must remain vigilant against these drifts to maintain a close relationship with God. [47:05]
4. Authentic discipleship requires examining our hearts and aligning our lives with Jesus' teachings. This involves embracing both the comfort of His promises and the challenge of His warnings, leading to a life of genuine faith. [52:38]
5. Our spiritual journey involves recognizing the areas where we cry out "Hosanna," seeking God's help and guidance. By paying attention to the subtle drifts, we can live a life that truly reflects the heart of a follower of Jesus. [01:04:20]
** [64:20]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[28:37] - Scripture Reading: Matthew 23:1-7
[29:36] - The Philosophy of Small Changes
[30:28] - Entry into Jerusalem
[31:14] - Jesus Weeps for Jerusalem
[32:08] - The Narrow Streets of Jerusalem
[33:06] - The Celebration and the Tension
[33:57] - The Fig Tree and the Money Changers
[34:41] - Jesus' Last Sermon
[36:25] - The Beatitudes and the Woes
[37:48] - Eight Blessings and Eight Woes
[38:44] - The Pharisees' Drift from True Faith
[47:05] - The Danger of Subtle Drifts
[52:38] - Heart vs. Appearance
[64:20] - Recognizing Our "Hosanna" Moments
[68:06] - Closing Prayer and Reflection

Sermon Clips

"The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat. So you must be careful to do everything they tell you, but do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. They tie up heavy cumbersome loads and put them on other people's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them. Everything they do is done for people to see." [00:28:20]

"The entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday was exactly like we were talking about with the kid. It was loud. It was raucous. It was celebratory. We all get the image in our mind about what may have happened that day. The disciples went out. They made the preparations Jesus asked them to do. They got the donkey and all that kind of stuff. And he's sitting on the hill overlooking Jerusalem. And he weeps and he looks down. He weeps at the brokenness. He weeps at the hurt. He weeps at the difficulty that the people of the city are having." [00:30:36]

"Something happened between that Sunday entrance and Friday, where he's standing in the courtyard and he's saying people shouted hosanna are now shouting crucified. Something happened one day. We know he comes back. We know that he walks in and there's a fig tree that's not blooming when it's supposed to be blooming, and he pronounces a curse on it. We know that he encounters the money changers at the temple cheating people with their offering purchases and those kinds of things, and he overthrows tables and drives them out." [00:33:30]

"The messages that Jesus shared from the beginning of his ministry to the end of his ministry, the first to the last, are those messages. They're complimentary yet opposing. His first one shows up in Matthew chapter 5, beginning of the sermon on the mount. We call them the beatitudes. The beatitudes. We've got eight different blessings that Jesus shares on the people. Eight different blessings that offer a message of hope. Eight different blessings that say if you live your life in this way, if you embrace the value of my father's kingdom, these are the things that you receive." [00:36:35]

"Eight different woes. Eight different warnings. Eight different words of condemnation against the religious leaders and the hypocrites of the day. Each one of them corresponding to one of the beatitudes from Matthew 5. Each one of them saying, 'If this is how you are living, don't expect the blessings. If this is how you're living, expect separation from all that God has for you.' I'm sure the Pharisees, the Sadducees, I'm sure all the religious leaders of the day started out really well. They had good intentions." [00:37:59]

"Blessed are those that mourn, they'll be comforted. Woe to you scribes, Pharisees, hypocrites. You devour widows' houses. You make pretense with long prayers instead of holding those that mourn. Instead of holding those that are broken, instead of holding those that are sad, instead of giving them what they need in that moment, the comfort, the hope, and the strength that comes with a relationship with God, they took opportunity to take from the home." [00:39:20]

"Blessed are the meek, they'll inherit the earth. Woe to you teachers of law, Pharisees, hypocrites. You travel the land and the sea to win a convert. When you succeed, you make them twice as much the child of hell as you are. Instead of realizing that it all comes from God, instead of understanding who we are in relationship with him, instead of just focusing on what is available right here and how we can serve and minister, you put on the show." [00:40:17]

"Blessed are the merciful, they're shown mercy. Woe to you. You give a tenth of your spices, your mint, your dill, your cumin, but you neglect the more important matters: justice, mercy, faithfulness. We make sure that we tithe down to our spice rack. We make sure we tithe by counting every little detail in our home. We fulfilled what it is that we're supposed to do. Merciful live that life of giving. They see help that's needed and they focus there and they give there and they help there." [00:42:39]

"Blessed the pure in heart, they'll see God. Woe to you. You clean the outside of the cup in the dish, but inside you are still full of greed and self-indulgence. The pure in heart, the ones that not only walk with God but live with God, who strive to stay connected with God compared to the Pharisees, the hypocrites, the teachers of the law that regardless of what they felt in their heart, they made sure they looked good." [00:43:50]

"These two sermons present a difference between blessing and condemnation. Countless times we read in scripture about how God looks at our hearts. One of the easiest, not easiest, one of the ones that we learn earliest is the word I'm trying to say is when we're looking for the next king of Israel. Not this one. Not this. Not this one. They look kingly. They're built kingly. They have the stature. Do you have any other sons, Jesse? Yes, I do." [00:52:53]

"The blessings of the beatitude come when we realize it's not through the things that we do but rather by the grace of a God who loves us. The blessings come when we realize we can't do it and we need Jesus. We have to be vigilant about the drift, about that little shift. My car has all these features that I didn't particularly want and I most likely will never use, but they come with it. One of them is called automatic lane centering." [00:58:45]

"The ship is designed to not go any farther. The car will keep drifting if you don't stop it. Our lives will keep drifting. We don't stop with both of these messages, both the blessings and the woes. We really need to pay attention to both of them because in both of them there's this call to authentic discipleship. In both of them there's this call, there's this urging, there's this encouragement to say you need to live your life this way." [01:02:59]

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