Jesus spoke to the ages. His words two thousand years ago are meant to be understood by people today. His words in Mt 23:13-22 about scribes and Pharisees apply to some of those around us.
Jesus spoke clearly to the crowds and to his disciples. Jesus’ warning to anti-Catholic clergy: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You lock the Kingdom of heaven before men. You do not enter yourselves, nor do you allow entrance to those trying to enter.
Today, we may apply that to those who say they are “Christian ministers” but who strive to keep people from obeying Jesus’ command, “If you do not eat My Body and drink My Blood you do not have life in you.” (John, 6: 53)
Protestant churches simply do not have Jesus’ Body and Blood in their communion. Jesus did not say to their vain founders: “Thou art Peter and on this rock I build My Church. . .” (Mt. 16:18-20)
The Catholic Church, founded by Jesus and the apostles, provides Transubstantiation in the Eucharist. The wine and wheat become His Blood and Body. Jesus is actually present in the Catholic Mass. He has been since The Last Supper.
Anyone who tries to keep people from being Catholic, striving to worthily receive real Communion, and thereby have “life in you” should find His description of their coming fate frightening: “Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You lock the Kingdom of Heaven before men. You do not enter yourselves, nor do you allow entrance to those trying to enter.”
Jesus goes on to describe their “missionary” efforts: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You traverse sea and land to make one convert, and when that happens you make him a child of Gehenna twice as much as yourselves.
Jesus’ warning to anti-Catholic clergy: Anyone who leads, or keeps, anyone from The Body and Blood of Christ is among the “scribes and Pharisees” and is destined to “Woe”.
