"There is a conspiracy of her prophets [religious leaders] in her midst, like a roaring lion tearing the prey. They have devoured lives; they have taken treasure and precious things; they have made many widows in the midst of her. Her princes within her are like wolves tearing the prey, by shedding blood and destroying lives in order to get dishonest gain." (Ezekiel 22: 25, 27)
"Beware of false prophets," Jesus warned in Matthew 7:15. The wolves are in the house, and some of them are in charge. Little wonder that it was part of Jesus's mission to expose an abusive system. It's important to remember four things about His confrontations. First, His confrontations landed on those who saw themselves as God's official spokespersons--the most religious, the best performers. They gave money, attended church and had more Scripture memorized than anyone. They set the standard for everyone else. Second, Jesus broke the religious rules by confronting those in authority out loud. Third, He was treated as the problem, because He said there was a problem. And fourth, crowds of broken people rushed to Him, because His message offered hope and rest.
---The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse, pages 35-36
