Do Not Get Distracted

Then Jesus said to the crowds and to His disciples: “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat, so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice.”
—Matthew 23:1–3, ESV

I was surprised by the instructions Jesus gave to His disciples here. He tells them that even though the scribes and Pharisees are corrupt and fail to practice what they preach, they should still do what these leaders instruct. These individuals were teaching the law of Moses, yet they themselves were not following it.

Often, when we see someone preaching one thing but living another, our instinct is to ignore them—or even run the other way. But in this passage, Jesus shows us that as long as the message is truly from God, we are to listen and obey it. God Himself will deal with the hypocrisy or behavior of the messenger.

I remember an experience I had as a teenager with a pastor at our church. The situation made me not want to hear anything he had to say. If my father hadn’t been the assistant pastor there, I think I might have walked away from God entirely. I don’t know exactly how the situation was resolved, but not long afterward, my father became the pastor and that individual left the church.

This taught me something important: we must be careful not to place church leaders on pedestals. Our focus must remain on Jesus Christ alone. It’s easy to mimic someone’s actions rather than follow God’s Word, but Jesus calls us to obey His teachings and leave the rest to Him.

Key Takeaways

• Not everyone who preaches the Word will enter heaven.

• Our focus must remain on the Word of God.

• Judgment belongs to God, not us.

Affirmations: Matthew 10:20; Luke 24:32; Ephesians 6:19; Isaiah 55:11

🔔 Follow me at JCC Ministries TV: YouTube Channel
 📘 My Books Are Available Now: Amazon - Life’s Journey Volume 2 by Jacqueline Crooks