After more than two thousand years of prophecy, the long awaited Messiah finally arrived in the person of Jesus Christ.
But not only the very people who had awaited so long, fail to recognize Him, but their leaders - the High Priest, the Pharisees, the Sanhedrin - even conspired to have Him executed because He challenged the prevailing religious system.
Jesus' strongest denunciations were directed not at thieves, murderers, adulterers, but leaders of their day - the very men who studied Scriptures most. Jesus called them hypocrites, blinded guides, sons of hell, whitewashed tombs, snakes and brood of vipers.
It is shocking that these men - so steeped in the law and in the history of Israel - had gone so wide off the mark. Their spiritual blindness was so profound that they could crucify their own Messiah,
And it is more shocking that we also, fail to recognize Christ in the least of these - the poor and the victims of injustice.
But not only the very people who had awaited so long, fail to recognize Him, but their leaders - the High Priest, the Pharisees, the Sanhedrin - even conspired to have Him executed because He challenged the prevailing religious system.
Jesus' strongest denunciations were directed not at thieves, murderers, adulterers, but leaders of their day - the very men who studied Scriptures most. Jesus called them hypocrites, blinded guides, sons of hell, whitewashed tombs, snakes and brood of vipers.
It is shocking that these men - so steeped in the law and in the history of Israel - had gone so wide off the mark. Their spiritual blindness was so profound that they could crucify their own Messiah,
And it is more shocking that we also, fail to recognize Christ in the least of these - the poor and the victims of injustice.
No comments:
Post a Comment