Matthew 22:14-23:39

Introduction

In the fall, my kindergartners soccer team was undefeated, at the end of the season they gave her a medal which she proudly wears frequently around her neck and tells us how great she is at soccer.

In fact on Sunday at dinner some neighbor friends were over and she was telling one of the boys all about her soccer greatness.

Now, my 1st graders team- never won a game. In fact, they lost most games by 6 or 7 goals.

Just take a moment and pretend you live in my home.

(pause & smile) uh huh..yup..are you there with me

if you are imagining my kindergartener encouraging her sister, telling her that it doesn’t matter who wins or loses as long as everyone has fun- you are imagining it wrong.

So- tired of their bickering on who was the best I challenged them to a game, 2 against 1 ...And I showed them who in fact was the best at soccer. you know- to keep everyone humble

That’s sort of what Jesus does today...

The religious leaders were cocky- wearing long tassels, parading themselves around and letting everyone know just how awesome they were at following God’s law and keeping the rules-

Jesus is going to put them in their place, exposing their pride and warning them of the dangers of continuing down that path.

Before we go any farther lets talk about pride vs humility.

Pride is when we compare ourselves to others and see ourselves as better than, elevating ourselves above others.

The opposite of pride is humility.

Humility is when you put yourself aside and elevate God and see Him as everything.

In other words- humility is when you place your entire dependence on God because you recognize that he is greater than you are

In our passage today Jesus exposes sinful pride and calls people to humility. (AIM)

We are going to divide our passage into 2 sections:

1. Sinful pride exposed- Matthew 22:15-46

2. The Call to Humility- Matthew 23:1-39

I. SINFUL PRIDE EXPOSED- Matthew 22:15-46

2 weeks ago, before spring break, Jesus told the Pharisees a series of parables

Matthew 21:45-46: “When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus’ parables, they knew he was speaking about them. They looked for a way to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowd because the people held that he was a prophet.”

Jesus threatened their power and authority with the people—so their solution was to find a way to stop him.

Before we even begin to dig into this scripture- we see their pride on display simply through their motives.

They do this by asking him a series of 3 questions with the intent to trap him in His words.

22:15-22: PRIDE IN MOTIVES- QUESTION 1

vs 15 starts again telling us that their intent was to trap him.

Notice that this appears to be a group effort, we have the Herodians and “some of the disciples of the Pharisees”

these 2 groups- Pharisees and Herodians- would have been opposed to each other- they were not friends.

The Pharisees were devout Jews…who tried to very closely follow the law and the scriptures…

the Herodians on the other hand, were pro Roman government- the complete opposite of the pharisees- yet, here they come- together-

Look at how they address him in vs 16 (READ WITH SARCASM)…“Teacher,” they said, “we know that you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are.

uh huh

Remember, Jesus knows their intent- so this rubbish about how great of a person he is, is fake- it’s a false humility. Their intent was not to elevate Jesus, but to trap him.

So now that they think they have successfully buttered Jesus up, they then move into their first trap question for Jesus

“Is it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not?

If he says to pay the tax—>he loses any standing with the Jews

if he says not to pay the tax —> he gets arrested by the Romans

hence the trap.

Jesus then asks for a coin that would be used for the tax because there would have been a picture of Caesar Tiberius…

along with an inscription that says “Caesar Tiberius, Son of the Divine Augustus”

so Caesar Tiberius was in charge at the time…how many of you have heard of him?

yea..nobody..exactly

See his Dad was Caesar Augustus- how many of you recognize that name?

Right…he declared the Census leading Jesus’ parents to Bethlehem where Jesus was born…so anyways... the people viewed him as divine…Tiberius, his son, was not so popular, so to keep up his image he kept using his dads name- cuz well, he was a “god”

Jesus says “give to Caesar what is Caesar and God what is God’s.”

This is not a scripture about whether or not you should pay taxes- there are places for that but here,

Jesus is making a statement about image.

The coin bears the image of Caesar....and people bear the image of God

Jesus is saying- whose image is stamped on you?

Every human is an image bearer of God- we are to reflect our creator and live our whole lives in humble submission to Him.

In our pride, we often like to act like we are god…instead of image bearers of the one true God.

Jesus’ here exposes their pride by pointing out that they are image bearers and they aren’t acting like it- because if they were, they would not be walking around thinking they were in charge but would instead be living under God’s authority as His children- elevating the creator above the created.

22:23-33: PRIDE IN KNOWLEDGE- QUESTION 2

Alright..moving to verses 23-33...So the Sadduccees are sitting around like- hey- did you hear what happened- the Pharisees disciples and the Herodians failed to get Jesus earlier- let’s show them how it’s done...

so off they go...

Here they propose a ridiculous scenario about the resurrection- something they didn’t believe in..

So what does it mean that they didn’t believe in the resurrection?

basically, they believed that after death there is nothing left, just a memory- there is no “afterlife”…so no heaven, no hell.

In their scenario- some poor woman- apparently lost 7 husbands so they want to know in the afterlife- whose wife will she be…

you can see your notes for more detail on this

but here we see Jesus- ignores their ridiculous question and addresses their unbelief in the resurrection.

Jesus doesn’t hold back here- he bluntly tells them in vs. 29 that they don’t know their scriptures or the power of God.

This would have been incredibly insulting to them.

The Sadduccees only believed that the teachings of Moses or the Torah- 1st 5 books of the Bible, were authoritative and they took great pride in their knowledge of Moses.

They also did not believe that God had the power to create life out of death- their denial of a resurrection is a denial of the power of God and Jesus here calls them on it.

Along with their unbelief in the resurrection they also did not believe in angels- and much to our world’s dismay- this does not mean that when you die you become an angel- that is wildly taking this verse out of context-…Jesus is simply saying there will be no marriages at the resurrection and oh by the way, angels do exist.

Then- Jesus, one more time, points out their error by quoting one of their beloved scriptures in Exodus 3:6: so vs 32: I am the God of Abraham, the God of Issac, and the God of Jacob’? THEN look at the wording here.... He IS not the God of he dead but of the living..

HE IS- that is PRESENT TENSE....meaning, that God still actively has a relationship with the dead patriarchs from the book of Genesis....Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob…Jesus is saying- there is life after death.

Jesus here puts the Sadducees in their place. He exposes their pride in knowledge of the Bible-they pridefully thought they had all the answers when in fact they were completely misguided..

Do you take pride in your knowledge of God’s word- thinking that you know better than everyone else? Do you look at others and go man, I’m so glad I’m not misguided like they are?

Ephesians 2:8-9 says- “For by grace you have been saved, through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not a result of works so that no one may boast.”

Paul’s words in Ephesians reminds us that we did not choose God- but He chose us. Our ability to see Jesus for who He is, as Messiah, Savior and Lord, is a gracious gift from God- not something we did on our own...

It’s prideful to think that we somehow would have figured that out on our own. If we possessed the ability to choose Jesus on our own then we would have something to boast in.

It is not the sin of pride that humbles us but the grace of God.

Don’t let your pride in knowledge of God’s word get in the way of knowing Jesus. Look at the Sadduccees- they knew his words and yet completely missed Jesus and missed the power of God.

This interaction may be over for the moment but we know that the Sadduccees are fired up and are intent on getting rid of Jesus.

22:34-40: PRIDE IN RULE FOLLOWING- QUESTION 3: THE GREATEST COMMANDMENT

Alright- moving on…the Pharisees - decide to give it another shot. They move in, this time they send an expert of the law-- to test Jesus.

vs 36 he asks --> “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment of the law?”

in 37-40 Jesus responds by saying:

1st: love the Lord your God w/ all your heart soul and mind- direct quotation from Deut. 6:5

This is from the Shema- so faithful Jews would have quoted this verse daily

2nd: love your neighbor as yourself....also direct quotation from Lev. 19:18

Neither of these laws would have been new to the Pharisee...but by combining these two laws, Jesus is saying you cannot love your neighbor if you don’t first love God.

The pharisee’s prided themselves on following the law. In the next portion of our passage today, Jesus is going to point out more specifically how the Pharisees had failed to follow the law.

But the point here is that if this expert of the law would have fully loved God with all his heart, soul, and mind then he would not have rejected Jesus as the Messiah.

His pride in thinking he was following the rules led him to know the scriptures but miss their application and in turn reject Jesus.

22:41-46: PRIDE SILENCED- JESUS’ QUESTION

Moving into vs. 41-46 this time it is Jesus’ turn to ask a question.

in vs 42- Jesus asks…who is the Messiah? What he is really asking is- who am I?.

Jesus quotes Psalm 110:1 pointing out that the Messiah would be both human- so, a son of David, but also divine- which is why David called him Lord.

The religious leaders spent their lives studying the Messiah, waiting on his return, and yet here he is standing in front of them and they reject him.

They were so blinded by tradition, position and their selfish pride that they refused to see the truth and receive it.

What you believe about Jesus- who you say Jesus is, is the most important question you can answer in this life.

Recognizing Jesus’ authority IS important but it is not enough- you have to yield to it.

Humility is when we recognize God’s authority…acknowledging the truth of his position over us and say you are king and I am not. I will do things your way- I will strive to elevate you- to make myself less so you become more. That is humility.

and Jesus would never ask us to do something he has not done himself.

If you are looking for an example of humility- look to the cross- look to Jesus.

One pastor and missionary said it this way: “Jesus became nothing that God might be all. He let go of His own power, His own will, His own glory, His whole mission with its work and teaching- of all this, He said, I am nothing. I have given myself to the Father to work; He is all.”

1ST MAIN TRUTH: True humility puts self aside and submits to God above all else.

APPLICATIONS:

So,

Do you believe that Jesus is the Messiah?

Do you believe that Jesus is the Son of God?

And lastly, is Jesus the king of your heart? Have you submitted to God above all else, not just with your head but also with your heart?

- If you are struggling to answer yes to these questions, how might your pride be keeping you from submitting to God’s authority today?

II. The Danger of Pride

As we move into chapter 23, Jesus is standing in the temple- before he addresses the teachers of the law and the Pharisees, he first addresses the crowd.

23:1-12 Pride in Image/Hypocrisy- Warning of hypocrisy

in vs 1-12 Jesus here warns them of the pride of the Pharisees

in vs 3 He says, do what they say but not what they do. They don’t practice what they preach.

IN vs 5 Jesus again points out their heart condition- saying what is on the outside is all for show-

Jesus is not saying something new or profound here- go back and read the Sermon on the Mount- it was all about the heart condition and that what matters is on the inside-

in vs. 7-10 he tells them not to call people rabbi, father or teacher.

Jesus is not saying never give a title to anyone- in fact, throughout the NT we see titles of teacher or elder given by God-

Remember- Jesus is talking about the heart condition- if the title is used in a way to elevate yourself as more superior than someone else, or to let them know you are somehow better than they are then do not use the title.

A teacher or pastor is not somehow a better, more superior human to everyone else.

Jesus here is calling out those who use their position to elevate themselves above others.

Now, maybe in your head just went and started thinking about people who do this- I’m sure we can all think of a leader who has used their position to make themselves appear superior to others.

But did you notice in vs. 8- there was a change in pronoun usage- Jesus was no longer talking about the Pharisees- he was talking directly to the crowd and his disciples. Saying YOU are not to be called....YOU have one Father...

Is there a title or position that you have been given that you use to elevate yourself above others.

Do you proudly announce a title with the intent of letting others know you are better than they are.

Maybe someone is talking and you cant wait to tell them what “degree” or “experience, or “training” you have to let them know....you know…and they should listen to you...

I confess to you I have done this, many times. In fact, I’ve caught myself changing my title to what I think might sound the most impressive.

Sometimes I am “a mom.....of 3”- cuz I know...

sometimes I spout off my college degree

sometimes I am a Bible teacher

not every time I share one of these titles am I doing it in pride- in fact, sometimes I dont tell people I am a bible teacher because honestly I am afraid they will reject me.

It’s all about the heart motive.

I can tell one person I am a Bible teacher because God is challenging me not to be ashamed of Him and in the next breath tell someone I am a Bible teacher in pride to elevate myself.

it’s all about what is on the inside- check your heart.

Jesus is warning them here saying that thinking you are better than someone else is prideful...it’s dangerous- and when WE assert superiority over others we in turn usurp Christ’s superiority over all

and then in vs 12 we have a familiar phrase: “For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

Jesus is again calling us to pursue humility- through our service- calling us to be a servant

When you attempt to exalt yourself above others- even in your own mind- you are living in pride.

But, when you put our pride aside and live knowing you are fully accepted and loved by God and are content with God’s approval of us as then you don’t need others praise, approval, or a specific title to make you feel better about yourself.

Is Jesus enough for you? When you live knowing Jesus is enough, only then can you walk in humility because the praise and approval of man no longer matters.

23:13-36 Warning against Pride-> 7 Woes

As we move into our next section in verses 13-36... we see Jesus fired up..This is the last interaction He will have before his trial with the Sanhedrin in just a few days.

He turns his attention back to the the pharisees b/c they were not only misguided but they were pulling other people along with them and Jesus has something to say about it in the form of 7 woes

So a woe is NOT a curse- Jesus is not cursing them here and pronouncing a death sentence- but a woe is better described as a warning

Woe’s are seen in the OT by the prophets when they would come to give a warning from God to the people…

Woes were also typically given in conjunction with blessings..

In other words if you do ____ you will be blessed, but woe to you who do the opposite..

In Matthew chapter 5, Jesus gave the blessings and here he is delivering the woes, or warnings in contrast with each of those blessings. We don’t have time to read them together, but I would encourage you to do that this week on your own...

We also see that Jesus repeatedly calls them hypocrites…today a hypocrite is defined as someone who acts contradictory to their beliefs…but lets look at what it would have meant in Jesus’ time.

The word hypocrite comes from the greek word->hypokrites

in ancient Greek theater- the actors would wear large masks to signify which character they were playing

When they would hear hypocrite, they would think of a person wearing a figurative mask and pretending to be someone or something they were not.

their belief had nothing to do with it- in fact, the person might genuinely believe in what they are saying or doing.

we love to hate on the Pharisees- but know that these men were devout sincere religious leaders. They truly believed in what they were doing- that what they were doing was the right thing and everyone else also believed that about them-

When Jesus calls them a hypocrite here- he is saying- you are just acting b/c your heart is not lined up with mine. You say and believe what you are doing is right, but in fact it’s not. This should be a warning and a caution to us as we read- we can be sincere, but very wrong and misguided.

Jesus uses strong language in these verses: hypocrites, child of hell, blind guides, fools, robbers, self-indulgent, whitewashed tombs, snakes, brood of vipers, persecutors, and murderers.

You might hear that list and think- man, those men must have been really awful.

But you shouldn’t be so prideful to think “that is definitely not me.”

As you read each of these woes- is there a warning for you- an area of pride God is warning you of in your own heart?

We should also not read this and think- man Jesus was a jerk. These harsh words Jesus spoke came out of a place of compassion and love for his people...

Our Western world defines love as speaking tenderly and telling people what they want to hear.

John Piper “What we meet in the biting language of Christ is a form of love that corresponds with the real world of corruption and the dullness of our hearts and the magnitude of what is at stake in our choices. If there were no great evils and no deaf hearts and no eternal consequences, perhaps the only fitting forms of love would be a soft touch and tender words. But such a world does not kill the Son of God and hate his disciples. There is no such world.”

Our culture loves to tell us what is loving and kind- warping the meaning of those words.

What is considered loving and kind in our culture is not always in line with what God would consider loving and kind.

We see Jesus boldly deliver truth here out of love- because if they don’t heed his warning then they will be destroyed..

If you don’t head Jesus’ warning you will be destroyed

Remember, the Pharisees were leading people AWAY from Jesus to eternal punishment. This got Jesus fired up because he knew what was coming- Jesus is saying- STOP. WAKE UP. TIME IS RUNNING OUT.

WOES

alright- lets dive into the woes-

Looking at the 1st 2 woes together in vs. 13-15- Here the Pharisees were hindering people’s salvation

They were rejecting Jesus as the Messiah which means that those under them would also be rejecting Jesus

But remember, I said earlier that they were sincere, in vs 15 Jesus acknowledges that they are going to great lengths to bring in converts- but then sharply points out that they are leading them to hell-to destruction.

They were creating disciples of themselves and not disciples of God.

That leads us straight into the 3rd and 4th woe’s in vs.’s 16-24- where Jesus 4x’s calls them blind… in vs 16-18 Jesus points out that they were focusing on very minute details of the law instead of what actually mattered.

in vs 23 Jesus points out that they have neglected the more important matters of the law- justice, mercy, and faithfulness. They prided themselves in following convenient, lighter laws, but neglected the weightier matters of the law, such as justice, mercy and faithfulness.

Where are you priding yourself on the laws you follow?

Maybe you have chosen to live a certain lifestyle and you pridefully judge those who live differently. Seeing yourself as better because you are living in a lowlier state.

Maybe you

Do you find yourself doing the bare minimum to check the box?

Remember the greatest command Jesus just pointed out- love the Lord your God w/ all your heart, soul, and mind…and love your neighbor as yourself.

He’s not saying those small convenient laws aren’t important, but don’t be so quick to pat yourself on the back.

If I’m honest, dumping my excess clothes at the donation center for the needy isn’t really costly for me. It’s pretty convenient actually. I get to give to someone and my closet is less cluttered. Doesn’t make it bad or wrong- in fact, the law says we should give to others. Jesus isn’t saying don’t do those things. He is saying don’t take pride in the laws you DO follow and at the same time completely ignore the others.

Often, the ones we ignore are the ones that cost us the most. How often do we neglect to love our neighbor because it means we have to get our hands dirty- to get uncomfortable- to give up “me” time and our excessive wordly comforts?

Jesus is our ultimate example of love and his love for us was costly- it cost him his life… but in it Jesus showed us how to love others- he showed us how to follow ALL parts of the law.

Moving to the 5th and 6 woes in vs 25-28

These 2 woes call out the Pharisees for focusing on the outward appearance while again neglecting their inward purity- neglecting the matters of the heart. They appeared clean on the outside, but their was no life inside of them.

Again, Jesus is not saying anything new here!

He is saying check your heart- is there life inside of you? Or are you a whitewashed tomb- a tomb that looks clean on the outside but has a dead body on the inside.

The last woe in vs’s 29-32 is sort of the climax of all the woes...

The religious leaders had put up lots of monuments in memory of Israel’s prophets

When the prophets came the religious leaders of the time had murdered them....

The Pharisees pridefully said: “We would never do that”

Jesus says- not so fast-Don’t act like you are better than the generation before you, like they got it all wrong and you got it all right.

You are no better than they are…in fact, in verses 33-36 Jesus says not only are you not better, but you are going to do it again!

Every generation loves to rag on the generation before them. There is nothing wrong with learning from past mistakes of generations before us- but when we start to act as if we are better or somehow immune to sin because of it then we are walking in pride and Jesus here calls it out.

Why? Because pride is dangerous…their pride in thinking they were better than those before them led them to reject Jesus as the Messiah.

23:37-39 The call to humility

In the final 2 verses of chp. 23- Jesus pronounces judgement over Jerusalem.

Hear Jesus’ words to them: “Jerusalem, Jerusalem......how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings…and you were not willing..."

this visual of a hen gathering her chicks was the same visual Moses used to describe God’s rescue of his people out of the hands of the Egyptians...it was a picture of love, tender care, and a willingness to die to protect others.

Jesus here is grieved because he knows he is about to die for them…he was willing to die and yet “they were not willing” to live- to set their pride aside…to yield to His authority over their lives.

Jesus is addressing all of Jerusalem here, not just the scribes and Pharisees—>this warning of judgement was for everyone

The same is true for us today.

Judgement is coming. Jesus is coming back and on that day every knee will bow to him.

The truth of coming judgement is an incredibly unpopular topic in our culture. In fact, some would consider it unloving to even suggest that their is a God who would condemn them to punishment in a conscious state forever.

So, in pride, people continue in their sin- failing to see the holiness of God, His authority over them and failing to see their desperate need for Him- they continue to believe that they are good enough, that they are righteous all on their own.

But God, in his love and mercy is patient and warns people over and over of the coming judgement.

So what about you…what is your response to Jesus? Will you humbly submit to his authority over your life. Recognizing your sin, repenting, and letting the blood of Jesus wash over you? Or will continue walking in pride- thinking that you are good enough on your own- that you don’t need him?

In vs. 38- Jesus here predicts the destruction of the temple that would happen in A.D. 70…despite the warnings of coming judgement He knew that the people of Jerusalem would not change from their ways despite the warnings he had just given.

But Jesus ends here with a promise in vs 39.... “For I tell you, you will not see me again until YOU say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.”

Jesus is quoting Psalm 118:26- this was the same thing the people had said as he entered Jerusalem…one day, every knee will bow- Jesus is coming back- so will you see him as judge or King?

One day, every knee will bow- Jesus is coming back- so will you see him as judge or King?

Truth: Jesus confronts sinful pride to restore relationship with Him.

Applications

Conclusion

Jesus is the perfect example of humility.

Jesus set aside self- he puts aside his , he cWe are not humbled by sin but by grace.

Self-pity over sin is not humility- in fact, at the root of self pity is pride- it says “I’m better because I’m worse than you and i know it and you don’t.”

Pride is dangerous…

“True humility comes when before God we see ourselves as nothing, having put self aside, and let God be all. The soul that, I have lost myself in finding you... no longer compares itself with others, but looks upon every child of God, the most weak and unworthy, and honors him as a song of the King”

A humble person does not feel joy or envy. When someone is praised they rejoice with them because self is forgotten.

The most humble person to ever live was called arrogant, beaten and then hung on a cross. He did not elevate himself above others and he had every right to see himself as better than yet he chose the place of the most lowly.

self-pity is not humility

in fact at the root of self pity- is pride....I’m better- because i’m worse than you

oh this suffering I have been given- Jesus must think I’m better than you because I can handle it- that’s pride.

as if we can handle anything without him anyways.

there is an episode in a popular tv show where one of the characters challenges the another character to do something selfless that is not prideful and does not result in you feeling puffed up about yourself. There is nothing Christian about this show but at the end they basically agree that there is no selfless motive.

one of the characters lets a bee sting her as her selfless act- pointing out that she did it for the bee, only to be called a murdered by her friend for killing a bee. Her one selfless deed backfired.

it’s this back and forth

They were literally arguing and placing a huge emphasis over extremely minute details. The point of the temple was the presence of God! The gifts were to be brought to God- to worship him. But the Pharisees had made it more about the gift than the one the gift was about.

in 20-22 he says the details don’t matter as much as the person these things are pointing to. By focusing on the details, they missed God and they were leading others to also miss God b/c they were too busy focusing on the details.

Jesus is making is that it’s not about the gift- it’s about the one you are worshipping-the one the gift is for- it’s about God.

The Pharisees had placed emphasis on the gift-this was meant to be an act of worship- by focusing on the gift they had taken the glory and worship away from God- again- leading people not towards God, but away from Him.

Are you pridefully focusing on traditions or religious practices- seeing yourself as better than those that don’t- all while losing focus on why you should do them in the first place?

Spiritual disciplines and religious traditions are good things- you should read your Bible. You should pray. You should go to church and be apart of a church body- but the point of those things is to lead you into a closer and deeper relationship with God.

When we start to see ourselves as better than others for engaging in spiritual things we take the focus off of God and in turn place it back on ourselves. Elevating ourselves instead of elevating God.

We in turn start to worship ourselves and how good we think we are. But worship of ourselves is dangerous and leads to destruction and it brings others around us down with us. This is the warning of the 1st 3 woes.

Where is your pride blinding you from the truth.

said: “If anyone would like to acquire humility…the first step is to realize the one is proud.”

Humility is not something that we bring to God- it’s not some thing we conjure up on our own- it’s this idea of setting aside self and seeing God as everything.