Written ~ 01-31-2024
Read Matthew Chapter Twenty-Three
Matthew 23
Since we started reading the Book of Matthew we have seen the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees mentioned quite often. John the Baptist had trouble with them, Jesus had a lot of trouble with them and as we continue in the New Testament we will see the disciples continue to have trouble with them. In chapter 23 we are given the reasons why these men are so treacherous. Jesus is criticizing them and if you have ever wondered why these men were called hypocrites, you will understand after reading this chapter.
In the dictionary the word “hypocrite” is defined this way: a person who puts on a false appearance of virtue or religion, or a person who acts in contradiction to his or her stated beliefs or feelings.
When Jesus is addressing the crowd and the disciples, He is giving them a very specific warning about these hypocritical religious men. At first when you read verses 23:2-3a, they don’t sound all that bad, they are teachers and interpreters of the law of Moses and Jesus said to “practice and obey whatever they tell you.” Then we have that word “but,” and the rest of the description of these religious teachers is followed behind that “but.”
- Don’t follow their example
- They do not practice what they teach
- They crush people with unbearable religious demands
- They never lift a finger to ease the burden
- They do everything for show (vss. 23:5-7)
- They shut the door of the Kingdom of Heaven in people’s faces
- They won’t go in themselves and they won’t let others enter either
- They turn converts into twice the “child of hell” that they are
- They are called blind guides
- They swear by everything that is not binding (vss. 23:16-22)
- They ignore the more important aspects of the law
- They are filthy on the inside – full of greed and self-indulgence
- They are like white-washed tombs – beautiful on the outside – dead bones on the inside
- They are filled with all sorts of impurity
- They are murderers of godly people, prophets, wise men and teachers
- They are blind fools, hypocrites, snakes, sons of vipers
Jesus came to show them the way to Salvation and to point them to the truth of Heaven, but they wanted absolutely nothing to do with Him.
In verses 23:37-39 we see Jesus grieving over Jerusalem…
37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God’s messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let Me. 38 And now, look, your house is abandoned and desolate. 39 For I tell you this, you will never see Me again until you say, ‘Blessings on the One who comes in the Name of the Lord!’”
Can you feel the sorrow in these words? Jesus came to save the people of Jerusalem and they turned against Him, they didn’t want Him to be the Messiah. Instead they followed the corruption of the religious leaders.
So, let’s think about ourselves, today. As believers and followers of Jesus Christ, reading and studying the Scriptures is our lifeline. We have such a wealth of information, instruction and guidance within the covers of our Bibles, they should never leave our sides! When our focus is solely on the Word of God we are less likely to fall into the trap of those who want to steer us away from the truth, like what the religious leaders were doing to their own people. When Jesus was giving the description of these corrupt men, seven times it says (in the New Living Translation) “…what sorrow awaits you…” This gives us a stern warning that if we follow in the footsteps of those who are not living by the Word of God, we too will have sorrow awaiting us. Also in this chapter Jesus calls these men “hypocrites” six times and the description as “blind or blind guides or blind fools” is mentioned five times. So anything that we put ahead of the Word of God can and will lead us astray.
I have heard many times non-believers and even some believers are turned off from going to church because of the hypocrites they see going there. I guess what my question is… who are you to judge? We are all sinners, we all make mistakes and we all will let each other down at one point or another. But Jesus knows the hearts of each and every one of us. The Almighty God is the only one who can rightly judge a person and call them a hypocrite. So be careful calling someone a hypocrite, it might just be that you are being led astray by your own judging heart.
Father God, I pray that You will guard my heart when I seek the truth from Your Word, please help me to stay focused on Your Word and not be led astray. I do not want to get caught up with things that look good on the outside, but are corrupt on the inside. I want the purity of the Scriptures to be my guide.
~AMEN~