Cheryl Schatz

Hi Greg,
I didn’t remember that you were a Lutheran. What kind words you said on my behalf. Thank you!

Indeed it seems that there are spiritual leaders whose main purpose in life is to keep people away from the kingdom of heaven. I find this incredibly sad.

How did they do this? I will quote a couple of good commentaries on the sad state of the leadership of God’s people at the time of Christ:

How did they “shut up the kingdom”? (v. 13) First, by refusing to receive the message of John the Baptist (21:25–27; 11:16–19). Second, by refusing to acknowledge Christ Himself (John 7:47ff). Third, by keeping the true meaning of the Scriptures from the people (Luke 11:52). By hiding “the key of knowledge” (Christ as seen in the Scriptures) behind their man-made traditions, the scribes and Pharisees actually locked the door to the kingdom of heaven! How tragic when “religious leaders” today shut people out of heaven by rejecting Christ, resisting His Spirit, and refusing to preach and teach His Word.
Wiersbe, W. W. (1997). Wiersbe’s expository outlines on the New Testament (pgs 83–84).

13. But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men—Here they are charged with shutting heaven against men: in Lu 11:52 they are charged with what was worse, taking away the key—“the key of knowledge”—which means, not the key to open knowledge, but knowledge as the only key to open heaven. A right knowledge of God’s revealed word is eternal life, as our Lord says (Jn 17:3; 5:39); but this they took away from the people, substituting for it their wretched traditions.
    A commentary, critical and explanatory, on the Old and New Testaments (Mt 23:13).