God's Judgment: 7 Woes
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Seven Woes toward the Religious Leaders
Seven Woes toward the Religious Leaders
Good morning...
Hope you are well today my friends, we’ve had a good week!
We are alive, fed, clothed, sheltered and saved....we are blessed my friends. We have a great God who takes care of our lives!
We are just a week away from Easter! So as you walk through each day this week please try to let the cross be your focus for the week.
Remember His arrest, the night of his abuse and beating and crucifixion as Friday morning comes, but don’t forget Sunday’s coming and with the coming of the third day Jesus rose from the dead.
Thinking about his resurrection will get you a Rick Flair .... Woow!
Today we are going to focus on Matthew chapter 23, yes, the whole chapter since our theme for today covers the majority of the chapter.
it is here that Jesus pronounces Judgement against Israel and the religious leaders, it is here that he mourns for them
Now I will say this, we may not make it through the whole chapter today, we will see how our time runs, I do not to keep you here a long time. The mind takes in only as long as the bottom endures…
So this morning lets look at Chapter 23, and we will start with the first 12 verses
1 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, 2 “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat, 3 so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice. 4 They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. 5 They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, 6 and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues 7 and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others. 8 But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers. 9 And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. 10 Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ. 11 The greatest among you shall be your servant. 12 Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
So there we have the passage. Jesus says a lot right here, we will break all this and more down. Remember we are still in the last few days of His life, a lot has been told about those days as His time draws near.
In this passage, instead of the religious leaders approaching Jesus and asking request after request, they seem to have withdrawn from Him and Jesus speaks to the crowds, there may have been some still present but the crowds and disciples are there in the Temple area and Jesus warns of the evil and wicked hearts of the religious leaders
With this in mind, lets consider this first point my friends...
1. Evil Hearts Illustrated....
As we open this passage, Jesus spoke to the crowds and His disciples. Several times now the religious leaders have tried their best to accuse Jesus, to trap him and trick him into some wording on the law…
But they have failed.
And here Jesus speaks to those around him, he warns them, and condemns the The religious leaders because of their treachery, their evil intentions. Now please let me interject here not all the religious leaders are evil, there are some like Nicodemus who followed Jesus whose hearts are right. Here the focus is on the jerusalem authorities in particular, those who condemned God’s Messiah; Jesus.
Jesus tells them why they cannot be trusted… So what does Jesus say? Well, Jesus says a lot.... 3 things Jesus mentions here....
A. They don’t practice what they preach....
The religious leaders preached, taught one thing and lived differently....
These leaders are important people, Jesus says they sit on the seat of Moses. Now the seat of Moses is a literal seat, the seat stood for the teaching authority of those who followed in Moses footsteps. The parallel to this in our modern day culture is the pulpit. So it is a place of authority in the synagogue.
Look again to Matthew 23:2-3
2 “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat, 3 so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice.
So Jesus is telling the people to be careful, observe and do that Moses taught, but these teachers are not practicing all they teach the people to do. Their behavior is not right and does not measure up to all that Moses laid before the people.
For the religious leaders, they built a fence around the law, the Torah. But then made guidelines to make it easier to keep the law. You have heard me say before they took the ten commandments and then began to debate those laws, what is permissible or not....
This is the oral interpretation, which is the called the Mishnah. These are then written into 12 volumes of works called the Talmuds.
For instance, on the Sabbath you couldnt work, which meant you couldn’t carry food. Food was anything what weighed as much as a fig. Water more than what could moisten the eye…etc, etc....
In this type of work, they violate the intent and scope of the law, it makes their hearts evil and wicked
Jesus tells the people, they do not practice what they preach.
We have to be careful my friends, we must measure all that is said and done according to the teaching of the Scriptures, not just man’s tradition. In 40 years of serving churches and people, I have seen a lot of things… Some not biblical but it looked good.
Looking good isn’t the answer, making you feel warm and fuzzy isn’t the answer, If it doesn’t measure up with the Word, then let it go..
B. They Are Sticklers of the Law...
What do I mean by this..The religious leaders enforced the law and made it a harsh experience for everyone. Look at what Jesus says in verse 4...
4 They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger.
The tying up of a heavy burdens and laying them upon people lives speaks to the unwillingness of the religious leaders to help the people as they lived and followed the teachings of Moses.
And at times the Pharisees were not very forgiving toward the ordinary people of the land. If you where like the shepherds, or maybe just a common laborer, you were treated differently than perhaps someone who were very close to the religious leaders, or those who had power… if you were important, you were their new best friend..
They wouldn’t raise a finger to help those in need.
In contrast, if we remember Jesus as he taught those in Matthew chapter 11… Jesus hated their attitude and invited people to follow Him
28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Walk correctly in front of everyone, putting God first and remember to show mercy and grace at every opportunity.
C. They Love an Audience...
Friends, I think you would agree with me, anything done for show, for the benefit of being seen, well it isn’t worth much.
This is the warning Jesus gave the crowds and his disciples. Be leery of the religious leaders who love to be seen… Look at verse 5.
5 They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long,
And Jesus points out a couple of ways they seek the attention of others… They made their phylacteries wide… this was the leather band they wrapped around their arm and around their forehead with prayer boxes, those small boxes contained their prayers. and their prayer shawls worn over their shoulders with large fringes, they would wrap around their fingers to remind them of their prayers. The items themselves are not wrong, bu they made them bigger to illustrate their piety to all.
I don’t need to pray for all to see, no the Scriptures tells us to go get in our prayer closet.
6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
Their motivation was wrong, They enjoyed the seats of honor, they loved their positions but they didn’t love God nor the people they were supposed to serve.
Their status became their prize and their hearts became evil....
Jesus takes the time to point out, their hearts are evil and the people needed to be careful to walk properly in front of man and God..
2. God’s Judgement 7 Woes...
One of the most fundamental truths from Scripture is the fact that God is merciful, full of grace and yet He is just.
He loves His children, He loves but He as a faithful father must discipline when His children wander away and go astray. I believe just like our fathers today, He takes no joy in disciplining His children, His desire is for us to be obedient, faithful followers.
Israel has struggle with obedience, and during the days of Jesus, we know yes there were good people. But the majority of the religious leaders lived otherwise as we have already seen.
Because of their sin, He pronounces judgment upon them. So in this chapter Jesus pronounces 7 woes against the religious leaders....
So lets look at the first woe… ( 7 or 8 ) depends on your translation is verse 14 is there…not in the oldest and best
Because of this, we are gonna stick with the 7 that verse 14 wasn’t originally in the Gospel of Matthew
So before we start… lets consider the word “WOE”. what does it mean?
The word “woe” is used in several ways. Most often it is a loud guttural outcry of pain, fear or anger (woe!), or a gentle expression of grief, despair or sorrow (woe is me).
Jesus’ use of it here is that of judgment mixed with regret. He uses it as a declaration of divine judgment pronounced against sinful men who will not turn from their evil ways.
Jesus, is heartbroken when people fail to turn from sin.
1st Woe
Let look at verses 13
13 “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in.
Jesus called them hypocrites, literally religious charlatans, that standing at the gate crying for people to come into the Kingdom of God, but literally shut the door in their faces when they try to come in...
What is happening, Well its terrible. The Scribes and the Pharisees, they lay aside the grace of God and make salvation dependent on keeping or fulfilling the law. Thus they make it a works based salvation.
Its the idea that if you are good enough, God will let you into heaven. Friends, we know that is false, it was then and continues today. Being good will not get you into heaven.
Our salvation is not dependent on us, ( if that was the case, Jesus did not need to die). But it is not, it is entirely dependent on God. Remember what Paul says in Ephesians chapter 2, verses 8-9.
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
Jesus says you will miss the kingdom of God and sadly will cause many others to miss God’s gloriously kingdom as well.
My friends, God calls us to be act right, do obedience, love others… all this are marks of our Christian life, but it must begin by recognizing I am nothing in myself, I need Jesus and by faith you call upon Him and him alone to save you.
Ok Lets move on....
2nd Woe...
Lets look at verse 15....
15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves.
What is Jesus saying… He condemns the Scribes and Pharisees for going to great lengths to convert the Gentiles… Now look here, why do we know it is gentiles? Jesus refers to them as ‘proselytes.” These are gentiles, pagan who believe and want to follow the one true God.
Their was even a court of the gentiles, it was for those who believed in the one true God of Israel and wanted to come to the temple.
So they are bringing converts into the house of God…, That in and of itself is not bad. Isaiah 49 tells us that the Gentiles were to be a “light to the gentiles”
So with their own zeal they led them into the false, into the wicked traditions they developed, again the works based salvation even calling them to take on those fleshly requirements like circumcision. Placing these Gentiles under the heavy burdens of their own requirements was their sin.
They made them sons of hell, death as well. Shame on them..
Listen, God will judge all who lead people spiritually astray.
Now, the 3rd woe.....
Look at verses 16 to 22
16 “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’ 17 You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that has made the gold sacred? 18 And you say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gift that is on the altar, he is bound by his oath.’ 19 You blind men! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred? 20 So whoever swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. 21 And whoever swears by the temple swears by it and by him who dwells in it. 22 And whoever swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by him who sits upon it.
Jesus rebukes them here for their careless nature of taking oaths. He calls the Scribes and Pharisees “blind guides” because they are ignorant of the truth.
They treated taking vows kinda of like children who promise something to a friend with the fingers crossed behind their back. Why do I say that? because they come up with this elaborate system of what was binding or not with their words.
In doing so, they sounds pious, they sounded religious, they could make all these promises and sadly they would never keep those promises… sounds like a politician ..lol
God consider taking vows important..
21 “If you make a vow to the Lord your God, you shall not delay fulfilling it, for the Lord your God will surely require it of you, and you will be guilty of sin.
Jesus says, every vow is binding regardless of what you swear it by.
In truth your word is all your truly have, what you say you should do, and if you promise help, if you promise to care… you better do it. If you don’t, well their are natural and physical consequences...
Stand by your word.... but it is always best to not take an oath at all.. Jesus says this in Matthew chapter 5 on the sermon on the mount.
Ok, we are half way there, lets look at the 4th vow....
The 4th vow.....
Look at verses 23 and 24
23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. 24 You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!
Now this woe follows the theme of the third one. They again are “blind guides” as he mentions in verse 24.
Why? They major on the minors… and vice versa....
Jesus points out they focus on “tithing” even down to the smallest matters. They make this the point they challenge people on when we are taught that all things are Gods to begin with...
30 “Every tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the trees, is the Lord’s; it is holy to the Lord.
Everything is His, then give back to Him…plain and simple… but Jesus says lets place that in its rightful place and focus on the most important topics of Justice, Mercy and Faithfulness...
the prophet Micah reminds us what God the Father truly desires from man, first and foremost
8 He has told you, O man, what is good;
and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
and to walk humbly with your God?
Listen if you love and walk with God correctly, if you walk in His ways the rest will come.... Focus on what it means to be a responsible member of the Kingdom of God.
Listen, friends here today what is our priority.. it is to know that first each person is saved, that you have invited Jesus Christ into your heart, that you have been forgiven of your sins and that heaven is your home. man that is our priority.
And if you are uncertain or haven’t then God is calling you today.
Once this matter is settled, friends the rest will come as we WALK with the Lord.
Now the 5th vow
Does the inside look as good as the outside.. Look with me at verses 25-26
25 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 26 You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean.
Here Jesus is cracking the whip on these old boys… He says they are blind, that must be… Jesus uses the analogy of cleaning the dishes… they make sure the outside looks good, but neglect the inside.
Well, would you drink from a cup that was dirty in the inside, even though the outside looks clean.
Jesus is mourning over their zeal for ritual purity is unsurpassed, but they neglect their inner man, their own heart. Instead, Jesus says focus on the heart, when its clean, the rest will be well.
Now moving forward,
The 6th Vow.....
27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness. 28 So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
Again Jesus continues on the there here of a right heart is needed above all. The outward appearance of mankind means nothing is the inside is full of death and misdeeds.
Jesus called them whitewashed tombs again, the outside is clean and bright up the inside the grave is nothing but a rotting corpse...
Friends, God will judge not the outward, but the inward. What’s in your heart today. If its wrong, if its sin, whatever it is, get rid of it.
And finally we come to the 7th vow
The 7th Vow....
29 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous, 30 saying, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ 31 Thus you witness against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. 32 Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers. 33 You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell? 34 Therefore I send you prophets and wise men and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues and persecute from town to town, 35 so that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah the son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar. 36 Truly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.
Wow....
Here is the climax to the woes… Jesus is rebuking them for in the same way their ancestors rebuked the prophets so they are turning away and rebuking the Messiah who is in their midst…
The religious leaders have disavowed the actions of their forefathers and they try to now honor their former prophets by building memorials to them…
Wow. that’s awesome right… does little for those who suffered bringing God’s word to the nation.
But they are acting the same way, they are rejecting the very Son of God, and look at verse 32.. Jesus challenges them to go ahead and complete their dirty work. Finish what your ancestors started maybe more literally.
Final judgment will come when they have reached their absolute peak of sinfulness.
They will lie, misrepresent the truth, beat, whip, flog and shed the blood of God’s Son in their sin…
The character of these scribes and Pharisees was already set. They would not listen and heed, they would persecute and kill. They would be guilty of killing the prophets just like their fathers.
When they fill up their work they will crucify Jesus, and they will continue to harm those disciples. All will bey martyred except John,
Stephen was stoned to death and Paul was scourged several times before being executed. Persecution by the scribes and Pharisees was a fact of life for the early Christians. By Acts 8 the church scatters from Jerusalem because of the heavy persecution.
All this only proved that the scribes and Pharisees were just like their fathers.
They stand judged because of their sin....
My friends, their sin is awful, their sin sands judged. there is the truth my friends, their sin, all sin, stands judged and will be punished but that is why Jesus came!
Now just one last thought as we close this message today..
3. Mournful Savior.... God’s heart is Broken...
The Temple Mount area where Jesus is speaking is really the center of the city, not geographically per say, but it was supposed to be the center of their lives, a picture of their devotion to God..
But for many, no one cared.
Listen to Jesus
37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! 38 See, your house is left to you desolate. 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 reminds them of their past sin, they killed and or stoned so many of those God sent to the people
How often the the Father sought to gather them up, love them protect them and keep them..
Think of the imagery there… how a mother hen sits and pushes out her feathers and babies can come and gather in under her, safe, protected. Any danger has to start with her and she’s not going easy...
This is how God wanted to bless the nation, but they rejected in the past and even today, the religious leaders rejected his Son.
Its nothing but heart breaking...
Like a parent of a wayward child, they mourn so God mourns for his children who have abandoned Him.
The last verse is a prophecy...
Verse 38… Jesus leaves their house, the temple area… it is empty, devoid of God and true leadership and so it is left desolate.
They will not see Jesus again until His second coming.
There is the truth we celebrate my friends, Jesus is coming again, Just as Jesus was crucified, died, buried and rose again...
Acts one he ascended back to heaven and He is coming again.. are you ready!