Matthew 23:13-26 “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. 14 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation. 15 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves. 16 “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is obliged to perform it.’ 17 “Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifies the gold? 18 “And, ‘Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gift that is on it, he is obliged to perform it.’ 19 “Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifies the gift? 20 “Therefore he who swears by the altar, swears by it and by all things on it. 21 “He who swears by the temple, swears by it and by Him who dwells in it. 22 “And he who swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God and by Him who sits on it. 23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone. 24 “Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel! 25 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence. 26 “Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also.
John 10:9 “I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.”
Romans 10:2 “For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.
John 14:6 “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
Matthew 15:14 “Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch.””
Psalms 139:23 “Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties;”
Proverbs 4:23 “Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life.”
Ephesians 3:17 “that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love,”
Psalms 51:10 “Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.”
Hebrews 3:7-8 “Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you will hear His voice, 8 Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, In the day of trial in the wilderness,”
Matthew 11:15, 13:9, 43 “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”
Communion: At the Last Supper, Jesus broke bread for his disciples to eat and passed around a cup of wine for them to drink, saying, “Do this in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:19-20).
The bread symbolizes Jesus’ body broken on the cross, and the juice symbolizes his blood shed for the forgiveness of sins. This act is not just a ritual, but a time to remember Jesus’ sacrifice, to be grateful, to reaffirm our love, and to renew our commitment to live for Jesus. It is an invitation for all believers in Jesus to participate and experience the love and grace He gives.