The Grands Letter (Matt/GLJ)
Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D. on June 24, 2026 5:13 am (CST)
Dear Grands,
Matthew 23:13-16, “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut off the kingdom of heaven from people; for you do not enter in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.
14 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense you make long prayers; therefore you will receive greater condemnation.
15 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you travel around on sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.
16 “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.’”
When was the last time you investigated the word “woe” in the Bible? Just what I thought. Well, neither had I until recently. Interestingly, that word is used 99 times in the New American Standard Bible; namely from Numbers to Revelation.
The dictionary describes “woe” as a word of “profound grief or distress.” All of us experience distress at some point in life. It’s never pleasant. The Bible, however, uses the word as forbidding something, not merely the verbal usage of the word.
The Pharisees were indeed hypocrites! They forbade the people from doing what they themselves did with considerable frequency. They said, “NO!” for the people, but “YES!” for themselves.
We need to tread carefully here. Parents who deny certain involvements in their children but engage in them themselves are practicing Pharisees! Moreover, they will one day regret their own involvements, especially when they see them being practiced in their children.
Christians should always pattern their lives after the LORD Jesus Christ. We will never reach His Divine Standard, but He will reward us for having tried. At the same time that we’re patterning after Jesus, we are reflecting His likeness to those around us. God bless you abundantly!
Heartily in Christ,
Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.
United States of America
