Matthew 23:13 - “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites!” This Scripture is taken from one of Jesus’ last sermons on this earth, and it was not a mild one. It was a scathing rebuke against the religious elites who were getting it completely wrong. One of the targeted groups was the “teachers of the law” known as the Sadducees. In order to be a Sadducee you had to be born into that group. These guys served in the roles of Chief Priests and Elders and they were a big deal in Jesus’ day. But Jesus called them “hypocrites”. Ouch! He pulled no punches. The Sadducees had the family requirements and the pedigree, but they didn’t have the heart. A modern day equivalent would be the person who grew up in a christian home and learned how to “play the part”, but they never truly gave their heart to Jesus. It was their parent’s faith, their church’s faith, maybe even their friend’s faith - but it was never their own. Why? Because knowing and following Jesus is a choice each of us must make. It can’t be handed down. You either choose to love Jesus or you don’t. No one can make that choice for you. I am so thankful for the great christian home I grew up in. And one day I had to make the choice to surrender my heart to Jesus. So does everyone. So do you. If you are playing the game like the Sadducees, please let Jesus’ words of rebuke be a wake-up call. He means what He says. Don’t wait. Make the choice to follow Jesus all the way.