Jesus Christ is the very embodiment of divine love and grace. One way he showed that was to call out the falsehoods of his day. This meant condemning religious leaders who burdened the people with rules that even they did not follow.
Introduction
Questions
1. Did Jesus recognize that the scribes and the Pharisees had authority?
2. Why did Jesus tell his followers to call no man "father" and not to be called "masters"?
3. What is meant by "imprecatory declarations"?
4. What behavior does Jesus describe in the first woe?
5. Many Bibles omit verse 14 which appears in the King James Version (Authorized Version). For what behavior does Jesus condemn the scribes and Pharisees in verse 14 of the KJV?
6. What did Jesus say about the Pharisees' vigorous effort to convert Gentiles to their form of Judaism?
7. What actions did Jesus call attention to that indicate the hypocrisy of some of the religious leaders?
8. What analogy did Jesus use to describe the spiritual condition of the hypocritical scribes and Pharisees?
10. What final words of condemnation are found in this chapter? (vv. 34-39)
Answers
1. Yes. When Jesus said the scribes and Pharisees sit on "Moses' seat" (v. 2), he acknowledged that they held official authority to interpret and teach the Mosaic Law. But he commanded his followers not to emulate their actions because they did not practice what they preached.
2. Jesus told his followers not to call any man on earth "father" to emphasize that spiritual authority belongs to God the Father. All true authority comes from Him. Nor were his followers to be called "master" as the religious leaders demanded, because they were obsessed with titles of honor. Jesus' followers are to be humble, remembering that whoever exalts himself shall be humbled (v. 12).
3. Jesus used imprecatory language which exposes falsehood and invokes divine judgment. He words focused on divine justice rather than personal vengeance. Examples include pronouncing "woes" upon hypocritical religious leaders in Matthew 23 and in Luke 6:26 - "Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets." The Psalms contain many imprecatory prayers. Psalm 5:10 is an example: "Declare them guilty, O God! Let their intrigues be their downfall. Banish them for their many sins..."
4.The woes in Matthew 23 are strong judgments against the scribes and Pharisees for their hypocrisy, spiritual blindness, and corruption. The first woe condemns the leaders for blocking the way to the heavenly kingdom by not entering themselves and by keeping others from entering.
5. In the King James Version, Jesus declares, "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation." Jesus condemned the religious leaders who took advantage of legal or financial situations to rob widows of their homes or property through excessive fees or coerced donations.
6. First-century Pharisees were eager to make converts. They actively made proselytes by encouraging Gentiles to adopt Jewish customs, laws, and worship. This effort included voluntary circumcision of Gentile men and baptism, though during the Hasmonean era (141–37 BC) some forced conversions of Gentiles in Judea took place. Jesus said that the converts were more zealous than the Pharisees in pursuing a false piety. He described the converts as "twice as much a child of hell as yourselves".
7. Jesus said that the religious leaders were more concerned about ritual purity than about righteous living. He noted that they tithe but neglect justice, mercy and faith. They swear oaths without understanding the true nature of holy things. Gold is not holy, but the Temple is holy. The offerings on the altar are not holy, but the altar is holy.
8. Jesus described their spiritual condition as being like white-washed tombs full of dead people but attempting to appear righteous to the world.
9. Jesus said that the faithless religious leaders witness against themselves by claiming that they would not have killed the prophets as their fathers did in the past. Jesus reminds them that they are the sons of those who murdered the prophets.
10. The chapter ends with Jesus declaring that all the righteous blood shed on earth may come upon the false religious leaders. He yearned for them to come to him, but they rejected him and the result is that their house is forsaken and desolate. This is prophetic because in less than 40 years Jerusalem and the Temple were destroyed by the Romans.
If you are just now joining this study, you will find links to the previous lessons below. Join us next week as we continue our study of Matthew's Gospel.
Why the Name Jesus?
Matthew Chapter 1: A Closer Look
Matthew Chapter 2: The Magi Worship the Christ and Defy Herod
Matthew Chapter 3: Jesus and John Fulfill Righteousness
Matthew Chapter 4: Jesus Exposes the Devil's Tactics
Matthew Chapter 5: Jesus Teaches with Superior Authority
Matthew Chapter 6: True Kingdom Seekers
Matthew Chapter 7: Entering by the Narrow Gate
Matthew Chapter 8: The Uniqueness of Jesus
Matthew Chapter 9: Christ the Compassionate Lord
Matthew Chapter 10: The Apostles' High Calling
Matthew Chapter 11: The Messiah Brings Relief
Matthew Chapter 12: Greater Glory Resides in Jesus
Matthew Chapter 13: Perceive His Kingdom Coming
Matthew Chapter 14: Christ Rules Over Nature
Matthew Chapter 15: The Power of Persistent Faith
Matthew Chapter 16: Preparing for the End
Matthew Chapter 17: Behold the Glory of the Son of God!
Matthew Chapter 18: Living as a Child of God
Matthew Chapter 19: The Demands and Rewards of Righteousness
Matthew Chapter 20: The Parable of the Laborers
Matthew Chapter 21: The Corner Stone Rejected
Matthew Chapter 22: The Parable of the Wedding Feast
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