Words from the Rock
Every plant not planted by my heavenly Father will be uprooted, so ignore [the Pharisees]. They are blind guides leading the blind, and if one blind person guides another, they will both fall into a ditch.
Matthew 15:13–14 NLT
Jesus is describing religious hypocrites again, plainly stating that despite the Pharisees’ “godly” claims, they do not truly represent God. Jesus knew that God would eventually take away their so-called authority by uprooting them. In the meantime, he warned his followers to ignore leaders like them. He understood that their form of religion was to bind people with ridiculous legalistic restrictions, to the point where they became too distracted to see God or to recognize his Son.
It’s like those leaders were religious traps. They were set on ensnaring people and essentially preventing them from hearing or understanding the real truth—Jesus. Fortunately, Jesus was able to cut through their deceptive ways again and again. He did this openly and publicly so that his followers would remember these incidents when Jesus was no longer physically living among them.
Did you know there are still religious traps today? These traps come in many disguises, but most of them are rooted in legalism, not God. Legalism happens when we create or follow man-made rules in order to make ourselves “acceptable” to God. When we believe that it’s our own actions that earn our way to God, we have fallen into a religious trap. Time and again Jesus says we come to God through him—via his grace, his forgiveness, his love. Thankfully, that’s not something we can manufacture on our own.
My Prayer
Dear God,
Help me to remember that the only way to you is through your Son. Don’t let me fall into any religious traps—whether of my own making or someone else’s.
Amen.
Final Word
We say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”
Hebrews 13:6 NIV
Stone for the Journey
I will not be led astray by legalism.