Day 40- Matthew 23-24; Psalm 6

Henry comments within his lengthy disposition on Matthew 23,

Note, 1. The scribes and Pharisees were hypocrites; that is it in which all the rest of their bad characters are summed up; it was the leaven which gave the relish to all they said and did. A hypocrite is a stage-player in religion (that is the primary signification of the word); he personates or acts the part of one that he neither is nor may be, or perhaps the he neither is nor would be. 2, . That hypocrites are in a woeful state and condition. Woe to hypocrites; so he said whose saying that their case is miserable makes it so: while they live, their religion is vain; when they die, their ruin is great.Now each of these woes against the scribes and Pharisees has a reason annexed to it containing a separate crime charged upon them, proving their hypocrisy, and justifying the judgment of Christ upon them; for his woes, his curses, are never causeless.

Have you heard that joke, have I used this one before, about standing in the garage no more makes you a car then sitting in church makes you a Christian?  Don't we encounter these hypocrites in all walks of life and everyday? 

 No; they were to proud to stoop to his meanness, too formal to be reconciled to his plainness; they did not like a religion which insisted so much on humility, self-denial, contempt of the world, and spiritual worship. Repentance was the door of admission into this kingdom, and nothing could be more disagreeable to the Pharisees, who justified and admired themselves, than to repent, that is, to accuse and abase and abhor themselves; therefore they went not in themselves; but that was not all.

Does this make you think, why is it so important to dress up for church?  Why is a fancier church a greater cause for a priest or other disciple of God's word cause for "fuss?" I don't know, but I know it happens that way.

I found myself intrigued in Matthew 24.  This has been so much an idea in the news recently, and I honestly had no took it upon myself to find no authority to lead me in one way or the other.  Henry summarizes it nicely, but I thought to myself, this is one that I should tab for future and frequent reference.

Christ’s preaching was mostly practical; but, in this chapter, we have a prophetical discourse, a prediction of things to come; such however as had a practical tendency, and was intended, not to gratify the curiosity of his disciples, but to guide their consciences and conversations, and it is therefore concluded with a practical application. The church has always had particular prophecies, besides general promises, both for direction and for encouragement to believers; but it is observable, Christ preached this prophetical sermon in the close of his ministry, as the Apocalypse is the last book of the New Testament, and the prophetical books of the Old Testament are placed last, to intimate to us, that we must be well grounded in plain truths and duties, and those must first be well digested, before we dive into those things that are dark and difficult; many run themselves into confusion by beginning their Bible at the wrong end.

Interesting, that we might start at the end.  More and more I see that the Bible is not one of those page turners where you are interested to see what the last page says.  You really need to know the beginning pretty well, before you can understand any further.