Day One Matthew 23:1-3
“Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, 2 'The teachers of religious law and the Pharisees are the official interpreters of the law of Moses. 3 So practice and obey whatever they tell you, but don’t follow their example. For they don’t practice what they teach.'“ – Matthew 23:1-3 (NLT)
Discover
1. Who is Jesus talking to in this passage?
2. Who are the official interpreters of the law of Moses in this passage?
3. What is the difference in what these interpreters say versus what they do?
Respond
The teachers of the law and Pharisees were well-versed in Scripture. They had a lot of head knowledge. The problem is that they didn’t allow it to go from their heads to their hearts. They quoted Scripture, taught it, and even rightly interpreted it, but they never applied it to the way they lived. Often, we know what Jesus has said, but instead of allowing that to transform our hearts, we use it to create barriers in our relationships with God and others. Take some time to reflect on the words Jesus said, and then read and pray through the passage of Scripture below from James.
For Further Study: James 1:22-25
For Families with Kids at Home
With our kids, there is much more that is “caught” than “taught” from us - they’re much more observant of us than we often give them credit for! Take time to pray and ask God to show you ways as a parent you haven’t “practiced what you’ve preached”. Then take the next step and ask for forgiveness from your kids for any ways you’ve fallen short.