235. Seven Woes, And Counting: An Overview

Isaiah 5:8-25, Matthew 23, Luke 11:37-54

Key Verse: "The greatest among you will be your servant. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted."

Matthew 23:11-12

I have placed these three passages of scripture together, in one place to demonstrate how hard God worked to speak into the sinful lives of His people. In Isaiah, seven hundred years before Jesus, God was already warning His people to stop, check and discern the situation. The contemporaries of Jesus, especially the leadership, are no better off in His day. Once again, Jesus issues the warning, "WOE!"

Woe is a word of mourning, as in “woe is me,” it's used to express grief, regret, or distress.  But it is interesting that Jesus seems to also use it as a call to repentance, so that it could mean “Stop!” as in “Whoa!”

Woe to you experts in the law, or woe to you teachers of the law, and Pharisees, you hypocrites, or as we have learned, "actors!" Jesus is warning them, addressing their sin and giving them the opportunity to repent. He is finding fault, yes, and His words are to serve as a warning, but what they choose to do with that warning is based on their hearts' decision. How loving of Jesus to care enough to give them the opportunity to change.

As I have said before, Jesus probably issued these warnings on more than one occasion. Thus, in Luke, we have Jesus making these statements at a dinner at a Pharisee's house before Palm Sunday, as He was on His way to Jerusalem. In Matthew, Jesus makes these statements during Passion Week, at the temple. I've combined these passages to get at the meaning of the statements rather than focus on when they actually occurred.

These are good warnings for us to consider as well as we walk with Jesus.  What "whoa" do you believe that Jesus might issue to you?

Hymn: "I Would Be True"