Read Matthew 23:27-28
Why Do I Have To Repeat Myself?
7th Woe: Jesus says, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness.” Scribes and Pharisees, ” You too, outwardly, appear righteous to people, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.”
The 7th WOE sounds like a repeat of some of the previous WOES when Jesus confronts the fact that they emphasize looking good on the outside but are evil on the inside. Why does Jesus have to repeat himself? Because they don’t get it. They aren’t listening. They are stuck, trapped, held in bondage in their sin. Jesus goes to a new level by comparing them to a tombstone which, on the outside, were painted a beautiful white but on the inside were full of dead people’s bones.
This illustration is more harsh, but sometimes we need to hear the facts about our lives because we aren’t letting go of sin that holds us in bondage. Our stubbornness and arrogance is preventing us from experiencing the freedom God wants to give us. God keeps nudging us to let go but we aren’t listening. He sends his Holy Spirit, but we rationalize our sin. He sends godly people, but “we’re doing just fine.” He sends our spouse, a close friend, our children, or maybe even an old stranger on the street. But we choose to stay in bondage to our sin. God loves us and wants to set us free but we don’t listen.
What sin are you trapped? You KNOW you have to let it go but you don’t? Is it swearing, arrogance, alcohol, the desire to always be right, in control, sports, certain relationships, gambling, pornography, and the list goes on.
Let today be the day you are set free from bondage!
