IIT UBF - University Bible Fellowship at IIT

Daily Bread

Practice Justice, Mercy and Faithfulness

Date: Sep. 25, 2026

Passage

Matthew 23:13-24

13 “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in. 15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves.

16 “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’ 17 You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that has made the gold sacred? 18 And you say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gift that is on the altar, he is bound by his oath.’ 19 You blind men! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred? 20 So whoever swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. 21 And whoever swears by the temple swears by it and by him who dwells in it. 22 And whoever swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by him who sits upon it.

23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. 24 You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!

Daily Bread

Key Verse: Matthew 23:23

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.

Jesus rebuked the religious leaders and called down woes on them for two reasons. First, they were hypocrites. The teachers of the law and the Pharisees were supposed to lead people to God. Instead, they threw burdens on them that shut the door to the kingdom of God in their faces. They were supposed to be shepherds, and outwardly they looked like it, travelling long distances to win converts. But when they found one, they became just like them. They had no idea of the justice and mercy of God, so they could neither practice it, nor teach others to do so.

Secondly, the religious leaders were blind. The teaching of the religious leaders about oaths was twisted. They valued gold and gifts above the temple and altar that were made holy by God’s presence. They were blind to God, who makes all things holy. We should guard ourselves against misplaced priorities and live with integrity and not hypocrisy. Our worship should center on the giver rather than the gift. Ultimately, Jesus calls us to see clearly and honor God above all else.

Prayer: Father, help me not to live, not blindly and hypocritically, but in seeking you and practicing justice and mercy.

One Word: Practice justice, mercy, and faithfulness

Daily Bread

Unlawful Sexual Relations

Leviticus 18:1-30

Key Verse: 18:5

You shall therefore keep my statutes and my rules; if a person does them, he shall live by them: I am the LORD.

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