Hook: How do religious people sometimes discourage others from following Jesus?

Book: The hypocrisy of the religious leaders was so uncaring that it even shut others out of the kingdom of heaven. Jesus pronounced seven woes on them, predicting their future judgment. Their kind will not respond to God’s grace until the second coming of Christ, when their distress is so great that they call out, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.” The saddest part is that their unbelief and anger took others with them.

Took: What does the Lord’s strong language indicate about such leaders? What do you see in your life that may harm the spiritual life of others?