Who do you listen to? Just when you get the idea the scribes and Pharisees cannot possibly offer any spiritual guidance for those who would listen Jesus tells the crowd and his disciples to “do what they say.” Yes, you read that correctly.

I have to admit when I read and re-read the opening of Matthew 23 I found the flow of Matthew’s Gospel interesting. On the heels of what is described the last question Jesus’ opponents pitch in order to trap, test, and discredit Jesus, we find Jesus telling the crowds to listen to his adversaries.

Jesus does tell the same crowd and his disciples “not to do what they do.” But, in our normal course, once someone betrays their words we rarely listen.

What do you make of Jesus’ words?