"Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess." Matthew 23:24-25
Jesus was not a man who went without speaking his peace, and at times very loudly with passion behind his voice because of the frustration of the state of people. I am sure that he is frustrated with a lot that he sees today. Season 4 of The Chosen comes out in theaters on February 1st this week, so I chose this scene to highlight from an upcoming episode in Season 4. As his ministry was nearing the end, there came many moments where Jesus chastised the religious leaders of the time, the Pharisees. To be a Pharisee was to be a priest and an upholder of the law in Israel at the time. Their Sanhedrin Counsel was the leading religious authority in the land, and they could place people in prison for their crimes (or alleged crimes in many cases). The Pharisees were meant to be God's chosen priests to carry on the law to all of the people of Israel. That started to go to these people's heads at some point. They appreciated power and respect more than the actual MEANING of upholding the law. A perfect example is something that happens during the week of Passover that Jesus would be killed, the Holy Week. At this time in Israel, they still upheld the Jewish law of making animal sacrifices to atone for particular sins. This was the only way for Jews to be forgiven of their sins before Jesus. They were to take the BEST of their OWN animals and sacrifice them for God. Their sacrifice was the blood that covered the sins of the Jews. The sacrifice came from the hearts of the Jews because they had to give from their best gladly to receive the promises of God. This is also a perfect example for a lesson on tithing for us today, but that will be for another day. Well, in their greed to turn a profit on GOD'S OWN LAW, the Pharisees had the nerve to SELL animals for sacrifice at the HOLY TEMPLE. This completely makes the meaning of the sacrifice null and void. At that point, you're just killing an animal for no reason at all thinking that you are following the regular conduct of religion instead of actually meaning your sacrifice and relationship with God. Hopefully that sounds familiar with some of what we see today. This infuriated Jesus for obvious reasons. Jesus preached on salvation through him by having a relationship with him. These false sacrifices were the exact opposite of having a personal relationship with God. So, what did Jesus do about it? Well, he didn't make a formal inquiry with the High Priest, Caiaphas. Jesus began to flip the tables over of the money handlers that were selling the sacrifices right inside the Temple. That didn't go over very well with the Pharisees, but it was a lesson to us today that Jesus is hurt by our sins. He wants us to be whole and have a real relationship with him more than anything. Playing a religious game like the Pharisees does not make him happy. So when he had the chance, he told the Pharisees what they were doing wrong, and I am sure that it was not pleasant to hear. The problem with the Pharisees was their pure hypocrisy, holding everyone to a standard that they were not living themselves. Jesus calls us to be servants. He wants us to live for him and for others without seeking any attention or any personal gain because of what we do. He wants us to be genuine. Some, if not unfortunately most, people don't behave this way today. Everyone has their own agendas these days. What Jesus says to the Pharisees should be scripture of reflection for us in our own lives today. Can you look at yourself honestly and say that everything that you do for others is from the heart and that you do not want ANYTHING in return for it? No recognition? Go beyond that. Can you truly say that you love others? Not just in a way that you are kind to others. Can you truly say that you care for the well-being and soul of everyone... even your enemies? Do you chastise people first when they do wrong or do you rebuke them from a loving place if rebuke is necessary? Do you behave and love as Jesus did? Be careful. You may be one of many carrying on the spirit of a Pharisee... and woe unto you Pharisees. Thank you so much for taking the time to read The Life of Being The Chosen this week! I hope that you enjoyed and can take some time for self-reflection this week. Don't forget that SEASON 4 FINALLY COMES OUT THIS WEEK IN THEATERS!!!! I absolutely cannot wait to see the next chapter of our amazing journey with The Chosen honoring the life of Jesus and his followers in the greatest way that it has ever been done on the screen. I hope that you all get the chance to see Episodes 1-3 from February 1st to February 14th, Episodes 4-6 from February 15-28, and Episodes 7 and 8 from February 29th to March 10th in theaters and if not that you for sure watch The Chosen Season 4 at home on Angel Studios or The Chosen channel. The Chosen Season 4 Bible Study will come at a later date to be announced soon at the center! Take a look at these exciting trailers for Season 4.
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