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Jesus said to the crowds and his disciples, “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you lock people out of the kingdom of heaven. For you do not go in yourselves, and when others are going in, you stop them. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cross sea and land to make a single convert, and you make the new convert twice as much a child of hell as yourselves.” ~ Matthew 23:13-15
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Today’s “Word” at SacredGateway stumped me … 2 questions arise to challenge me (especially as a leader in some capacity) while I stopped for a while to allow these questions to haunt me …
1. What kind of “converts” am I making? Are they “better” people because of the contact we’ve had?
2. What aspects of my life may have potentially “stopped” others from entering in the kingdom kind of life?
There’s a strong pull towards an unhealthy guilt-trip here (the voices of accusation are somehow in the air though from within and outside)… the “Woe” is glaring (Could that be more of the voice of conviction from the Spirit calling?) … in the context of Forgiveness and repentence it more of a growth-trip or the grace Christ offers for us to walk in his way not our own (Sounds like the Gospel at work here …). Lord, Help! Amen
I was similarly stumped by yesterday’s reading from Sacred Space. It was challenging to think about the way my own life could impede others entry/ growth in the kingdom kind of life. It opens up a wider question of what we mean by kingdom living?