Day 273, Year 1

Do Not Put the Cart Before the Horse

“Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the temple, that is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple is obligated.’ You fools and blind men! Which is more important, the gold or the temple that sanctified the gold?” (Matthew 23:16-17 NASB)

The word “blind,” tuphlos in Greek, is used twice in today’s verses, which also means “blind in the eyes of the heart.” The Pharisees, etc., at that time were obviously not physically blind. Hence, this likely refers to their spiritual blindness. This may also explain why they would talk but would not do God’s Word. Since they have misplaced their focus, their evaluations of different matters have become skewed, leading to problematic value systems. If these people with incorrect discernment became leaders, they would mislead many people. The word “guide,” hogedos in Greek, also means “a leader of the way, a teacher of the ignorant and inexperienced.” Woe to those who have a distorted value system but exalt themselves as leaders, as they are the very ones who cause others to stumble.

The Pharisees, etc., valued gold, which certainly has market value from a material standpoint. However, Jesus treasures spiritual value. The temple was a place where gold was sanctified, while unsanctified gold remained filthy. In ancient times, gold could be imported from foreign lands and was often used to worship idols, which is why it was considered unclean. Similarly, anything else that has market value can be spiritually cursed or even contain the devil’s work. In these cases, the prayers and rituals in the temple had the power to transform, which could sanctify gold, allowing it to be used by God. Thus, the temple was more valuable than gold.

The Pharisees, etc., were supposed to have spiritual discernment.  But they had become secularized and followed the values of the unbelieving world, causing the eyes of their hearts to become blind. In other words, Jesus expects His people to have spiritual eyes that can know His way of consecration. Likewise, Apostle Paul mentions that the believers’ bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19). Through the guidance of the Spirit, we can transform our idolatrous bodies into instruments for God to use. In this way, our spiritual eyes can also comprehend the cleansing power of His temple; in fact, this cleansing power comes from Jesus. What Jesus is indicating here is that the spiritual world is far more substantial than the material world. Thus, we should pray for His guidance so as to open our eyes to comprehend the things in the spiritual world.

Reflection questions:

1) Are your spiritual eyes normal and healthy, and able to gradually comprehend the spiritual world?

2) Have you removed everything that is cursed or unclean from where you live? If you have already done so, please continue to pray for the Lord Jesus to guide you on your next steps.