Connect Matthew 23:29 with another verse about honoring God's messengers. Setting the Scene • Matthew 23 records Jesus’ final public message before the cross—a scorching exposure of religious hypocrisy. • Verse 29 pinpoints a specific inconsistency: celebrating past prophets while silencing present ones. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous,” (Matthew 23:29) Paul’s Call to Honor Today’s Messengers – 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 “But we ask you, brothers, to recognize those who labor among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Live in peace with one another.” Connecting the Two Passages • Jesus condemns honoring dead prophets while rejecting living ones; Paul commands honoring living shepherds now. • Both passages expose the heart: external gestures (tombs, monuments) mean nothing without present obedience. • True honor is not nostalgia but active submission to God’s current messengers. Practical Ways to Honor God’s Messengers Today • Listen—receive the preached Word with humble, Berean-like eagerness (Acts 17:11). • Encourage—speak words that refresh weary servants (Proverbs 25:11). • Support—give time, resources, and loyalty so leaders can “devote themselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word” (Acts 6:4). • Imitate—follow their faith as they follow Christ (Hebrews 13:7). • Pray—regular, specific intercession for their protection, wisdom, and boldness (Ephesians 6:19-20). Warnings Against Empty Honor • Ceremony without submission mirrors the Pharisees’ hypocrisy. • Criticism that dismisses biblical correction repeats Israel’s rejection of the prophets (Jeremiah 7:25-26). • Reluctance to forgive or reconcile cripples the church’s witness and discredits its leaders (2 Corinthians 2:10-11). Encouraging Promises • Honoring faithful leaders brings peace and order to the body (1 Thessalonians 5:13b). • Obedience to godly oversight “profits” us spiritually, for leaders watch over our souls (Hebrews 13:17). • The Lord remembers every act of service shown to His servants (Hebrews 6:10). |
    |