When Jesus Curses Missionaries...

I read this morning, while the church service was going on (while carrying a stuffy-nosed sleepy 14 month-old out in the foyer) this striking verse in Matthew 23:15. The context is that Jesus has foiled all the Pharisees' plans to trap Jesus in his words in order to have a reason to accuse him of something. After this, Jesus pronounces 7 "Woes" on the Scribes and Pharisees. A "Woe" is something in the Bible (and in many cultures for that matter) that is a formal pronouncement of God's judgement to come on someone. And Jesus does this. Jesus cursed people while being on earth, and since He will be the judge on the last judgement day he will also curse and doom billions of others to eternal outer darkness and flame. Here is the one curse that grabbed my attention.

"Woe to you Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across land and sea to make one convert, and after he has been converted, you make him twice the child of hell as yourselves!" (Matthew 23:15)

Here are some implications from this verse that immediately came to mind.

1. Being very religious does not necessarily mean that you are not a "child of hell". The Pharisees were the most Bible-reading, well-respected, religious people of their day, while still not loving or knowing God.


2. Being a cross-cultural missionary does not necessarily mean that you are not a "child of hell". These men not only were religious but they went "across land and sea" to make others religious like them (converts). That means that they probably had to raise or accept some type of financial support, "sacrifice" by leaving their families, learn a new language, and live among a people different than themselves. And they did all this and still were unconverted themselves.


3. Having a successful missionary career with "converts" does not necessarily mean that you are not a "child of hell". These men were zealous and successful in converting people. There was something about what they said or did that appealed and won people over. And they did all this and still were in spiritual darkness.

It made me think that we must always remember that God is not like men. God sees the heart. He does not look at outward appearances rather He sees past our hypocrisy and our self-righteousness (that is pulling ourselves up by our own "moral" boot straps). There is only one way to escape humanity's "default setting" that is called "child of hell"....we must trust fully in what Jesus did on the cross to save us from our own guilt. Turn away from the old life of ignoring and rebelling against God and turn to Jesus and righteousness and put all your trust in Him for salvation and for everything. That is why He came, not to be an example...but to be our Savior.