Matthew 23: Part 2
Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 36:20
0 ratings
· 5 viewsFiles
Notes
Transcript
Matthew 23 Woes To Scribes And Pharisees
Matthew 23 Woes To Scribes And Pharisees
The section of Matthew 23 that we will be going over today records part of Jesus' final public warning of the scribes and Pharisees during the last week before His crucifixion. In a series of eight "woes," Jesus exposes their religious hypocrisy for all to see. The word "woe" is both a warning of coming judgment and an expression of sorrow.
Verses 13–15: Hypocrisy That Keeps Others From God
Verses 13–15: Hypocrisy That Keeps Others From God
But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.
Jesus says, "You are preventing people from entering God's kingdom. You refuse to enter yourselves, and you discourage those who are trying."
The scribes and Pharisees were Israel's religious teachers. They rejected Jesus, the very Messiah the Scriptures pointed toward (John 5:39–40). Their traditions and legalism made it harder for ordinary people to recognize God's grace. Rather than leading people to God and salvation through recognizing Jesus as the Messiah, they became obstacles in the way.
Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.
REMEMBER that the Greek word translated "hypocrite" (hypokritēs) originally referred to a stage actor—someone wearing a mask. Jesus uses it to describe people who act holy while hiding a corrupt heart.
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.
Many modern Bible translations place this verse in a footnote because the earliest Greek manuscripts do not include it here, though a nearly identical statement appears in Mark 12:40 and Luke 20:47. Whether here or in those passages, Jesus condemns leaders who exploit vulnerable people (Example: Pushing for tithes from elderly). They act holy and essentially steal from their congregations.
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.
Jesus says they traveled great distances to gain converts, but instead of leading people to God, they made them "twofold more the child of hell" than themselves. Notice that this is someone BECOMING a child of hell. This is talking about a spiritual seed being planted in the heart, not being part of a literal genealogy. Choosing to follow man’s traditions and the will of Satan being performed by humans, rather than following the truth of God’s Word and recognizing Jesus as our savior.
A proselyte was a Gentile who converted to Judaism. The problem was what the converts were being taught. They were often instructed to adopt the Pharisees' man-made traditions rather than developing genuine faith in God. The Pharisees were reproducing their own hypocrisy in these people that they were converting.
Verses 16–22: Blind Guides and Dishonest Priorities
Verses 16–22: Blind Guides and Dishonest Priorities
Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor!
Jesus is saying, "How terrible for you, blind leaders! You teach that an oath made by the temple doesn't matter, but an oath made by the temple's gold must be kept." He is exposing the faulty logic of the religious leaders.
The phrase "blind guides" is important. The Pharisees and scribes were supposed to lead God's people in truth, but Jesus says they were spiritually blind. They knew the Scriptures but failed to recognize the Messiah standing before them. A blind guide cannot safely lead others, and Jesus warns that their teaching was misleading the people.
In Jewish culture, taking an oath was a serious matter because it called upon God as a witness to the oath. But the religious leaders developed complicated rules about which oaths were binding and which were not. They taught that swearing by the temple was not legally binding, but swearing by the gold of the temple was. (God or the Church Building?)
Their system provided loopholes. Someone could deliberately choose a form of oath that the Pharisees considered "non-binding" in order to avoid keeping a promise. Their traditions encouraged deception while maintaining an appearance of righteousness.
This connects with Jesus' teaching in Matthew 5:33–37, where He instructed that a simple "Yes" means yes and "No" means no. Integrity should not depend on the wording of an oath but on a heart committed to truth.
The deeper lesson is that religion can become distorted when people focus on technicalities instead of God's intent. He calls us to simple, wholehearted integrity not to overly complicated oaths and legalities.
Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold?
Jesus says, "You foolish and spiritually blind leaders! Which is greater—the gold, or the temple that makes the gold holy?"
Jesus calls them "fools and blind." The word "fools" refers to people who lack spiritual discernment and fail to understand what truly matters. The Pharisees had extensive knowledge of the Law, yet they could not see the obvious truth that the temple's holiness came from God, and the gold was sacred only because it belonged to Him.
The key word here is "sanctifieth," meaning "makes holy," "sets apart," or "consecrates." The Greek word is Hagiazō (Strong's G37), which means to make something holy by setting it apart for God's purposes. The temple itself was not holy; it was holy because God had chosen it as the place where His presence dwelt among His people (see 1 Kings 8:10–13). Because the temple belonged to God, everything dedicated to it (including its gold), was holy.
This reveals something deeper about the Pharisees' hearts. They showed that they valued material wealth more than God’s presence that made the temple holy.
There is also an important principle for us in this. It is easy to become more impressed by God's gifts than by God Himself. We can admire beautiful church buildings, traditions, financial blessing, health, success, a loving family, and on and on while forgetting that we only have those things because of God. The Creator is always greater than His creation.
And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty.
Jesus says, "You teach that if someone swears by the altar, the oath doesn't matter. But if someone swears by the offering on the altar, then the oath must be kept." Once again, He is exposing the inconsistent traditions of the scribes and Pharisees.
The altar refers to the bronze altar in the temple courtyard where sacrifices were offered to God (Exodus 27:1–8). It was one of the holiest objects in Israel's worship because it was the place where atonement was symbolically made through sacrifices. The gift refers to the sacrifice or offering placed on that altar, whether an animal sacrifice, grain offering, or another gift dedicated to God.
According to the Pharisees traditions, an oath made by the altar could be disregarded, but an oath made by the gift on the altar (the sacrifice) was considered binding. Jesus points out how illogical this is. The gift became sacred because it was placed upon an altar that God had set apart for His worship.
This is the same problem we’ve seen in the earlier verses. Instead of encouraging people to be honest in every circumstance, they developed a system that allowed people to decide which promises they intended to keep and which they could ignore.
The gifts brought to the temple often had financial value, and the temple authorities oversaw these offerings. They again appear to be placing greater importance on material value (think about Jesus overturning the tables of the money changes, and those that were selling mite infested doves to be used for sacrifice).
Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift?
Jesus says, "You foolish and spiritually blind leaders! Which is greater—the offering, or the altar that makes the offering holy?" The answer is obvious: the altar is greater, because it is the altar that sets the gift apart for God's service.
The altar did not magically change the offering, but because God had consecrated the altar for worship, anything properly offered upon it was set apart as holy.
This principle is rooted in the Old Testament. When God instructed Moses about the tabernacle, He declared:
Seven days thou shalt make an atonement for the altar, and sanctify it; and it shall be an altar most holy: whatsoever toucheth the altar shall be holy.
An offering became holy because it was presented to God upon His altar. The holiness flowed from God's appointment of the altar, not from the value of the gift itself.
The Pharisees attached greater importance to the offering, because people could see and measure that, than they did to the altar, which represented God's fellowship.
These sacrifices pointed forward to the perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ, who fulfilled everything the altar and offerings foreshadowed (Hebrews 9:11–14; Hebrews 10:10–14).
It is easy to become more focused on what we give; our money, time, service, or talents; than on the God to whom we give them. God is never impressed by the size of a gift if the heart behind it is wrong (see Mark 12:41–44; 2 Corinthians 9:7).
Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.
Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon.
Jesus explains that anyone who swears by the altar is also swearing by everything on it. The altar and its sacrifices can’t be separated. The offerings are holy because they belong to God and have been placed on His consecrated altar. So an oath involving the altar includes everything connected with God's worship.
And whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein.
The phrase "him that dwelleth therein" refers to God Himself. Although God is not confined to a building (1 Kings 8:27; Isaiah 66:1),
But will God indeed dwell on the earth? behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have builded?
the temple was the place where He chose to manifest His presence among Israel. The Holy of Holies symbolized His dwelling with His people. So to swear by the temple was, whether it was acknowledged or not, to invoke God as the witness to that oath.
The Pharisees treated the temple as though it could be separated from God, but Jesus reminds them that the temple's entire significance comes from God's presence.
And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon.
Jesus broadens the principle further:
Some people thought they could avoid directly invoking God's name by swearing "by heaven." Jesus says this is impossible because heaven is God's throne. This echoes Isaiah 66:1, where God declares:
Thus saith the Lord, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: Where is the house that ye build unto me? And where is the place of my rest?
Since heaven belongs to God, an oath made "by heaven" is an oath made before God Himself.
The progression of Jesus' argument is deliberate:
Swearing by the gift involves the altar.
Swearing by the altar involves everything offered on it.
Swearing by the temple involves God, who dwells there.
Swearing by heaven involves God's throne and God Himself.
In other words, Every oath involves God. There are no loopholes.
The Pharisees had built a system that allowed people to decide which promises they were obligated to keep. Jesus is showing that God is present in all things and one can’t manipulate words to escape accountability before Him.
This is the same truth Jesus taught earlier in the Sermon on the Mount:
"But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil." (Matthew 5:37)
But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.
The point is that we should strive to become the kind of person whose word is trustworthy because our heart has been transformed by God.
God hears every promise we make, whether spoken publicly or privately. Jesus teaches that every word is spoken before God, who knows our hearts and holds us accountable (see Ecclesiastes 5:4–5).
When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed. Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.
For believers, our integrity should be so consistent that our simple "yes" can be trusted and our "no" accepted without explanation.
Verses 23–24: Neglecting The Weightier Matters
Verses 23–24: Neglecting The Weightier Matters
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.
The Pharisees were incredibly careful to tithe even tiny garden herbs. They counted leaves and seeds to ensure they gave exactly one-tenth.
Jesus does not criticize their tithing. Notice He says: "these ought ye to have done..."
The problem was that while being meticulous about small ceremonial matters like tithing, they neglected what God cared about most: judgment, mercy, and faith.
These reflect God's own character and are repeatedly emphasized throughout the Old Testament (Micah 6:8; Hosea 6:6).
For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; And the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.
He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; And what doth the Lord require of thee, But to do justly, and to love mercy, And to walk humbly with thy God?
Jesus concludes: "...and not to leave the other undone."
The issue is balance, we need to be faithful and follow God’s word; but we also have to be merciful. The Pharisees had lost sight of this and were burdening the people with overzealous legalistic faith, but then lacked mercy and compassion.
Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.
This is one of Jesus' most memorable illustrations.
Both gnats and camels were ceremonially unclean animals under the Law (Leviticus 11). The Pharisees would strain wine through cloth to avoid accidentally swallowing a tiny insect and becoming ceremonially unclean. But spiritually they tolerated enormous sins like pride, injustice, greed, and hypocrisy.
Jesus uses a humorous exaggeration to expose their distorted priorities: they obsessed over tiny details while ignoring massive problems.
Verses 25–26: Cleaning The Inside First
Verses 25–26: Cleaning The Inside First
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.
Again, the religious leaders were focused on outward appearances. Their ceremonies, clothing, prayers, and public behavior looked impressive.
But Jesus says the inside was filled with:
Extortion (greed and dishonest gain)
Excess (self-indulgence and lack of self-control)
A cup can look spotless on the outside, but if the inside is filthy, it is still unfit to use.
But Jesus then gives the solution for this problem:
Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.
Real righteousness begins in the heart. When the heart is transformed, our outward behavior naturally follows.
This theme echoes throughout Scripture:
God looks on the heart rather than outward appearance, we looked at this last week (1 Samuel 16:7).
But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.
David prayed for a clean heart (Psalm 51:10).
Create in me a clean heart, O God; And renew a right spirit within me.
Jesus taught that evil actions flow from an unclean heart (Matthew 15:18–20).
But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.
The Holy Spirit changes believers from the inside out (Ezekiel 36:26–27; Titus 3:5).
A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.
So we must first clean the inside, we must first fix our heart; and then our actions and the outward expression of our faith will follow.
Matthew 23:13–26 is not an attack on obedience to God's commands. It is a warning against substituting the appearance of being faithful, with actually practicing our faith in our daily lives. The scribes and Pharisees had become experts in religion while neglecting love for God and people. Jesus calls His followers to begin with a transformed heart that expresses itself in justice, mercy, faithfulness, integrity, and humble obedience. Outward acts of worship are valuable when they come from a transformed heart with genuine intention to glorify God, but they become empty when they are just to impress others. Jesus' words call us to examine not only what we do, but why we do it.
Matthew 23: Part 2 Woes To Scribes And Pharisees
Matthew 23: Part 2 Woes To Scribes And Pharisees
