Today’s world is full of messages. People claim to know the truth and to assert that their opinion is a true guide. The choice of the people we listen to is one of the most important decisions a leader can make. Who is guiding us? Who is pointing us in the right direction? In Matthew 23 Jesus accuses the scribes and Pharisees of being blind guides. Why? What do they do? What can we learn from this correction of Matthew’s gospel and how can we lead better thanks?

They say that the mark of a good leader is their ability to do the right things. Making choices to stay focused on what needs to be done is essential for anyone wanting to succeed in their endeavors. But what does God want us to focus on? What are the things that he expects from us in the places where he’s asked us to lead? In Matthew 23 Jesus gives us a clue. He criticizes the Pharisees and scribes for missing the point and shows us what he wants from us as well.

In Matthew 23 Jesus gives us a list of seven woes addressed to the Scribes and Pharisees of his time. These woes read like a list of condemnations and that of course they are, but what would happen if we flipped those conversations to see what they were saying on the positive side? That is, what is Jesus looking for from his leaders and that he did not find in the Scribes and Pharisees of his time? Today we take a look at the second of the seven woes.