Matthew 23:1-14 Woe to the Scribes and Pharisees
“Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples, saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. Therefore, whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do. For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. But all their works they do to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders of their garments. They love the best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, ‘Rabbi, Rabbi.’ But you, do not be called ‘Rabbi;’ for One is your Teacher, the Christ, and you are all brethren. Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. And do not be called teachers; for One is your Teacher, the Christ. But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.
“But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore, you will receive greater condemnation.”
Well, the gloves have come off and Jesus is finally speaking out against the practices of the scribes and Pharisees. Why now? These people have been pushing, questioning, accusing, and doing everything they can to humiliate Jesus; meanwhile, Jesus has simply been teaching about the Kingdom of God. Messiah has come and those who claim most loudly that they are waiting for him are rejecting him because God has sent him in a fashion that doesn’t meet their expectations. Jesus has given these judges every opportunity to change and to repent, but they have persisted. Now Jesus is going on the offensive, publishing their sins for all of Jerusalem to hear.
“Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples, saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do.”
Notice that Jesus does not encourage the crowds to stop observing the Law of Moses, for there is nothing wrong in that Law. Jesus is telling the crowds that the scribes and Pharisees are hypocrites because they keep the letter of the Law but not the intentions of it. Through demands to observe minutiae that are no part of the original Law of Moses, the scribes and Pharisees have placed intolerable burdens on common believers.
“But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” The last thing these men wish is to humble themselves; instead, their motto is “If you’ve got it, flaunt it!”
“But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore, you will receive greater condemnation.”
At the same time, these same people who claim to be ultra-religious are complete hypocrites, praying long prayers, demanding the best seats at feasts and in the synagogues, and flashing big phylacteries and huge tassels on their garments-all to demonstrate just how religious they are. These same men love for people to call them Rabbi or Teacher, forgetting that God is the ultimate Teacher. These same men who are observing the letter of the Law have completely lost sight of the intention of that same Law, victimizing widows, and other disadvantaged people-the very people the Law seeks to protect. By setting such terrible examples, these men are turning people away from the God they claim to serve.
There is an old hymn that begins “Gentle Jesus, meek and mild…” Many times, we mistake gentleness and meekness for weakness and being a pushover. But strong people can be meek, simply restraining themselves from reacting to situations. Throughout his ministry, Jesus has steadfastly refused to call attention to himself or to promote himself because he has had no need to do so. But now Jesus is in Jerusalem, the city God has chosen as the site of the temple and the seat of religious hypocrisy. It’s time for Jesus to speak out.
Notice that in all the records of these confrontations between Jesus and the religious leaders, not once does Jesus descend into attacking individuals or deriding personalities. Jesus is criticizing the religious leaders because they have promised righteousness but have failed to deliver it.
As disciples of Jesus, we must be careful when confronting critics to avoid becoming vicious. We must remember that even when someone is attacking us or trying to tear us down, God still loves that person. Jesus Christ has died for the sins of the whole world, including those who are persecuting or opposing us. We must also be careful that we have all our facts straight before speaking out against someone. Nothing is more embarrassing or detrimental to the cause of Christ than a poorly informed disciple running off at the mouth without adequate information. Equally, nothing is more detrimental than a disciple who calls names or employs stereotypes. But Jesus wasn’t doing any part of this.
The problem for the scribes and Pharisees is that Jesus was accurately describing their shortcomings, and everyone in the crowd knew it. Jesus was speaking authoritatively as the Messiah, and the religious leaders had no defense. Tomorrow we will continue to study Jesus as he confronts his critics, but for today, remember that speaking the truth in love is not the same thing as being a pushover.
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to follow hard after You all the days of our lives. Help us also to refute criticism accurately and adroitly, remembering that You love those critics just as much as You love us. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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