Hey Bible readers, I'm Tara Lee Cobble, and I'm your host for the Bible recap.

Today Jesus covers a lot of ground with the Pharisees that may seem familiar.

It's possible that Matthew has collected all Jesus' sayings to the Pharisees and put them

all in one convenient filing cabinet labeled Chapter 23, but it's also possible that Jesus

is just giving them a big once and for all summary of everything he's been communicating

to them over the past few years.

His words to them are full of woe, seven woes to be exact.

They are number one, woe to those who don't enter the kingdom and who, by their lies,

prevent others from entering to.

Number two, woe to those who make converts to false religions, taking them from one lie

to another.

Number three, woe to the blind guides who value the symbol over the source and the creation

over the creator.

Number four, woe to those who neglect the way to your things, who tie the religiously while

oppressing others.

Number five, woe to those who try to look righteous while they're greedy and selfish.

Number six, woe to those who work hard to seem perfect on the outside when they're full

of sin and death.

And number seven, woe to those who repeat the sins of their fathers, killing the prophets.

There are a few things worth pointing out in these woes.

First, I think it's interesting that in verse three, Jesus tells the crowds to follow the

commands of the scribes and the Pharisees, but not their actions.

...