Jesus reminds His audience to listen to the reading of God’s Word when it is read in the synagogue but not to follow the religious leaders’ actions. The actions of the religious leaders did not match the Biblical command set forth by God through the lawgiver Moses. Unfortunately, this picture represents the current state of the church more and more every day. Outwardly, we appear healthy, but inwardly, we are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness (Matthew 23:27-28), to the point of setting up Hollywood idols and political leaders as the objects of our worship.

Main Text: Matthew 23:1-7 (ESV)