Woe #1: Don't put up roadblocks

Do we ignore Jesus' teaching not put up roadblocks? 

Matthew 23:13 ¹³ "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.

These religious leaders were not embracing Jesus as the Messiah - therefore they were not "going in themselves."  And not only were they not part of the Messiah's community, but they were keeping others from following the Messiah too. 


This is the beginning of seven woes or warnings that Jesus gives the religious community who claimed to worship God.  These woes still relate strongly to those claiming to be the church today.  We claim to be the community of God (just as the scribes and Pharisees claimed).  But are our churches the community of the Messiah?  Have we embraced Jesus' teachings?  Jesus said that outsiders would know us by our love for each other.  And that all would have an open invitation to join us.  Does this sound like your church?


Are our churches based on Jesus' teachings or do they reflect something completely different?  Do outsiders know us by our love for each other?  By our servant's hearts?  Are we the community of God?  If not, we are certainly putting up road blocks to others finding Jesus. 

Have we embraced the Messiah or are we ignoring Jesus' teaching not to put up roadblocks?