Cluck, Cluck

Matthew 23
Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. Matt.23:39

LET IT GLOW

When I was a child, my family had a few hens on our farm so we could
have fresh eggs. Sometimes a hen would have baby chicks hatch. We
also had cats and dogs. They were all free to wander in the yard.
When a cat or dog got too close to the chick, the mother hen would
cluck loudly and furiously until all of her babies were safely under her wings
of protection. What a sight it was to watch the baby chicks run as fast as
their tiny legs would carry them to mamma.

What's worse than a mad hen pecking you? Ouch! Nothing in my book.
Especially when you are trying to get her eggs out from under the hen.
I'm sure the cats and dogs would agree with me. If they came near that
mother hen and her chicks, she would flog them. (Is that where the
description of an angry person came from-" madder than an ole wet
hen?") Probably.

In verse 37, Jesus spoke of His love and protection He would have given
to His children of Jerusalem (Jews), but they would not come to Him as
the Messiah or Savior. I want to stay under His wings of protection by
obeying Jesus.

LET IT GROW

The scribes and Pharisees were teachers and interpreters of the Jewish
law. Jesus described them as "hypocrites." (He warned the crowd and
His disciples about them.) Jesus pronounces "woe" onto them. It means
sorrow, grief, intense unhappiness. It was because of the way they
acted. Let's check it out a little closer:

1. They did all they could to keep people from believing in Christ.
2. They stole the widows' estates.
3. They didn't practice what they taught.
4. Everything they did was for a show.
5. The things of God were not considered sacred.
6. They neglected justice, mercy, and faith.
7. Ceremonial cleanliness was more important to them than a clean heart.
8. They honored dead prophets more than truthful living ones. 

Jesus called the scribes and Pharisees serpents, a generation of vipers.
Wow! He didn't beat around the bush.
Lord, what do I need to work on so I am not a hypocrite?


LET IT GO

Listen when Jesus calls to me. Come quickly.
Work at not being a hypocrite. I don't want to keep anyone from
coming to Jesus.