Matthew: Chapter 23
Chapter 23 records Jesus speaking to the crowd, after he had silenced everyone who tried to test him with questions. Jesus mainly criticizes the Pharisees and the teachers of the law for their hypocrisy and illustrates the differences between their inner and outer moral states.
Instructions to the crowd
Before calling down woes on the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, Jesus instructs the crowd on the necessities with respect to listening, practicing and preaching the word of God in verses 1-12.
Jesus acknowledges that the Pharisees and teachers of the law sit in Moses' seat, and therefore the people must obey what they teach. However, Jesus sternly adds not to do what the teachers of law and Pharisees do, because they do not practice what they preach. Jesus moreover points out, everything teachers of the law and Pharisees do is for others to see, and they love the places of honor at banquets and at synagogues and they love to be greeted in the marketplaces with titles. In essence, they do everything to serve themselves and they exalt themselves above their fellow men. Jesus further states what is expected of the people.
"But you are not to be called 'Rabbi', for you have only one Master and you are all brothers. And do not call anyone on earth 'father', for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. Nor are you to be called 'teacher', for you have one Teacher, the Christ. The greatest among you will be your servant. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted." Matthew 23:8-12
After instructing the crowd on what to do and how to do it, Jesus utters seven woes against the teachers of the law and the Pharisees for their hypocrisy and points out specific mistakes of theirs for which, if they don't mend their ways, they will suffer dearly. Also, these "woes" teach us what not to do in our life in order to not displease the LORD.
First Woe
"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men's faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to." Matthew 23:13
The very first issue which the LORD and Jesus had against them is that they prevented many from entering the kingdom of heaven. They did this through a number of ways, but primarily their lifestyle. They never followed what they taught. They were partial. They were judgmental. They increased the burdens which others had to follow, by adding to the law more and more and withdrew the essence which the LORD originally provided.
Second Woe
"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much as a son of hell as you are." Matthew 23:15
They made a big deal to convert someone, but when they did, they ensured that this person learnt their ways and not what the LORD actually wanted. This started a cycle where succeeding generations were progressively worse than the preceding, falling further and further away from the LORD.
Third Woe
"Woe to you, blind guides! You say, 'If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.' You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred? You also say, 'If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing, but if anyone serves by the gift on it, he is bound by his oath.' You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred? Therefore, he who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. And he who swears by the temple swears by it and by the one who dwells in it. And he who swears by heaven swars by God's throne and by the one who sits on it." Matthew 23:16-22
Their focus was not on the LORD, but on the material gains and material things which came because of the LORD. They failed to understand the holiness of the LORD, but were content to think that the money and gifts were important.
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| Woe unto you |
Fourth Woe
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices - mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law - justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel." Matthew 23:23,24
They more or less followed the law to the letter, but not in spirit. They were ready to do things mentioned in the law which would be visible to others, but failed to comprehend the reason for said laws was to provide for ones who weren't provided for. Thus, they gave tithes as mentioned in the law, but failed to show mercy to the poor, justice to the helpless, and were unfaithful towards the LORD. They were so conscious about a tiny thing, but deliberately ignored things which mattered more.
Fifth Woe
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean." Matthew 23:25,26
Their public outward facade masked their detestable inward self, filled with greed and self-indulgence. They used the name of the LORD to serve themselves.
Sixth Woe
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness." Matthew 23:27,28
They were presentable on the outside, but their insides held hypocrisy and wickedness, which motivated everything they did.
Seventh Woe
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous. And you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets. Fill up, then, the measure of the sin of your forefathers!" Matthew 23:29-32
Finally, they sanctimoniously washed their hands of the blood of the prophets which their ancestors murdered and built tombs for them, but they were even more wicked than them. Soon they will be crucifying Jesus on the cross, no different from what their ancestors did to prophets. (As previously pointed out by Jesus through parables in chapter 21). They condemned themselves, and they will receive condemnation to hell for all that they did.
Lament over Jerusalem
"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing. Look, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD.'" Matthew 23:37-39
The LORD is compassionate and wants everyone to partake in his kingdom. But as we have seen time and again, he doesn't force us into it. Nevertheless, the alternative is terrible, and that isn't something the LORD wants for us. We know, through the scriptures, what pleases the LORD, and this chapter summarized what displeases the LORD. So, let us try to do our best. May the LORD give us strength. See you in the next one. Take care of yourselves and each other!
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