Jesus was on a role, He had spent so much time ministering despite the interference of the religious leaders. On this, the end of His mission, Jesus had simply run out of patience. He finally called these men out on the attitudes and behaviors they now were portraying as Godly. They were living a gotcha religion, that, really, was not about God. Instead it was about some spiritual maze that if you followed just right–and, if you were lucky, You could get through and be atoned.
Jesus said, “Enough! Enough, blocking others from God simply because you can’t reach Him. Enough traveling far and wide simply to destroy the spiritual lives of others. Enough, using semantics to avoid or trap people in their oaths–look at men’s hearts! Enough taking pride for your meager gifts to God when you refuse to give Him your heart. you are scrubbing the outside but leaving the inside filthy. You condemn the actions of your ancestors, but, then do the same thing–showing that you are no better or closer to God than they were.”
God has always, is and will always seek to win our hearts. He does not get impressed by our attempts to prove to Him we are righteous. He simply wants us to confess Jesus is LORD of our lives and believe that God raised Him from the dead. Romans 10:9. We are to seek God and he cannot wait to bless us. His agenda is reconciliation. It is not to make His kids jump through hoops. If those that are called by His name try to push that agenda, it breaks God’s heart. Love God, trust Him and follow Him–that is all He desires!!!
God Bless You
Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to. [14] [b]
15 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when you have succeeded, you make them twice as much a child of hell as you are.
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.’ 17 You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred? 18 You also say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gift on the altar is bound by that oath.’ 19 You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred? 20 Therefore, anyone who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. 21 And anyone who swears by the temple swears by it and by the one who dwells in it.22 And anyone who swears by heaven swears by God’s throne and by the one who sits on it.
23 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. 24 You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.
25 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 26 Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.
27 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. 28 In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.
29 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous.30 And you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’31 So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets. 32 Go ahead, then, and completewhat your ancestors started!
33 “You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell? 34 Therefore I am sending you prophets and sages and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify; others you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town. 35 And so upon you will come all the righteous blood that has been shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berekiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. 36 Truly I tell you, all this will come on this generation.
37 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing.38 Look, your house is left to you desolate. 39 For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’[c]”
Walking With God 