Matthew 23 – Woe, Woe, Woe! – Part 1

In the past few weeks we have looked at a number of events and parables that shed light on how to better pray, “deliver us from evil,” but we have paid little attention to how these events and parables parallel sections of the Sermon on the Mount. Here are just a few brief comparisons:

• In Matthew 21:18-22 we saw Jesus curse a fig tree because it bore no fruit, and in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire” (Matt. 7:19)

• In Matthew 21:28-32 we read a parable about two sons, one of which told his father he would work but who did not actually follow through and do the father’s will, and in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to me ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 7:21).

• In Matthew 21:33-44 we read a parable about a vineyard whose tenants beat the master’s servants and killed the master’s son. The master then killed the tenants and gave the vineyard to others who would give the vineyard’s fruit to the master, and in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, “On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness’” (Matt. 7:22-23).

Now we read the following,

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.

Matthew 23:1-7

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits” (Matt. 7:15-20). The scribes and Pharisees held a position of spiritual leadership over the Jewish people, yet they did not practice what they preached. They were false prophets — thornbushes, thistles, and diseased trees — who bore bad fruit. Jesus said the words they spoke were to be heeded, but their actions were not worth following.

Before we go any further, we must stop and recognize the many evils present in this passage from which we need the Father’s protection. The first seems obvious: hypocrisy is evil; pretending to be a follower of Jesus is evil; actively pursuing actions inconsistent with our words is evil. All of us are prone to such evils and all of us need the Father’s hand to protect us from them. We might sing of God’s forgiveness on Sunday, but do we forgive those we find repugnant the rest of the week? We might preach patience, but are we patient with those drivers on the road who do exactly what we do? We might speak of love, but does love transform our actions, or is love merely another four-letter word? There are many other ways in which we fall into this sort of evil — far too many to mention — and for such evils, we need to pray for the Father’s hand of deliverance.

Jesus addresses another evil tendency in this passage. Even though the scribes and Pharisees were hypocrites, Jesus told the people to listen to them and do as they say. Most of us are hesitant to offer allegiance and respect to anyone we don’t think has earned our allegiance and respect. Jesus, however, exposes this as sin and evil. Even if I’ve not said it, I’ve often thought the words, “you have to earn my respect if you expect me to treat you respectfully,” but Jesus exposes this sin when he tells the people they must follow the words of the scribes and Pharisees because they “sit on Moses’s seat.” It is our pride that makes us believe we can only offer respect to those we think have earned it. The humility of Jesus, however, shows us that respect must be given to those in positions of authority even if we don’t like the person filling the position. Closely aligned with this sin is the belief that God’s message is invalidated because the scribes and Pharisees were hypocritical. Truth is measured against the truth, not against the hypocrites holding to and preaching the truth. Sadly, I’ve heard many people reject and denounce Christianity because of the hypocrisy of the Christians. Christians are full of sin, Christians are hypocrites, and many Christians are quite unlikeable, but none of that is powerful enough to negate the truth of God’s word. Both of these tendencies — disrespecting authority because we don’t believe they have earned it and dismissing the truth because of hypocrisy — are also evils from which we need the Father’s protection.

I would be remiss if we didn’t also take note of the evil pride of the scribes and Pharisees. They wanted others to see how religious they were, they reveled in their position and wealth, they prayed in public, and they made a big deal about how much money they were giving away. Jesus, on the other hand, was born in a stable and lived the life of a carpenter until he was a homeless itinerant teacher, he frequently requested anonymity after performing a miracle, and he escaped the crowds so he could pray in isolation. Jesus, the son of the Living God, was humble; the scribes and Pharisees were not. Our relationship with the Father, while of utmost value, is not to be on display for the world to see and praise. It was not only hypocrisy Jesus had in mind when he told the crowds to not follow the scribes and Pharisees; he was also thinking of humility. It was this humility Jesus had in mind when he told his disciples to practice their works of righteousness in secret, not in front of people so as to be seen by them (Matt. 6:1). The pride of the scribes and Pharisees, a pride into which we can easily fall, is yet another evil from which we need the Father’s protection.

Jesus continued to warn the crowds about the evil of pride when he said,

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.

Matthew 23:8-11

If we read this out of context, we would conclude that we should never call another person “teacher,” “father,” or “instructor,” but such a conclusion would be nonsensical. These warnings have nothing to do with actual titles, rather they are warnings against the sort of pride that comes as a result of one’s role in the church, the body of Christ. Many people have advanced degrees in Biblical Studies or have been preaching from a pulpit for many years, many men have children, and many instruct others in schools, colleges, seminaries, and churches, and it is right that we call them teachers, fathers, or instructors, but we, their students and children, must never forget that our true teacher and true Father resides in heaven and he alone is worthy of our utmost adulation. On the other side of things are those who do have such roles. They must never think of themselves as The teacher, The father, or The instructor; they must never give in to the pride that stands at the door awaiting them. The one in the pulpit, the one in the lectern, the one changing the diapers is no greater than those they serve. We are all brothers and are all subject to Jesus’s teaching, the Father’s authority, and the Spirit’s instruction. Regardless of our role in the church, we would do well to daily pay close attention to the words Jesus has said many times before: those who wish to become great in the kingdom must be a servant; the first will be last, and the last will be first; the proud will be humbled, and the humbled will be exalted: to do otherwise is evil.

If we read this narration closely we will find that when Jesus began speaking about how the Pharisees held the seat of Moses, he was talking directly to the crowds. I think it is highly likely that he even had his back turned to the scribes and Pharisees while he was facing the masses. However, when Jesus spoke these next words, I picture Jesus turning around and facing the scribes and Pharisees,

12 Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

Matthew 23:12

The Pharisees certainly hadn’t liked what they had been hearing. Before Jesus turned around, they probably had been looking past Jesus and were peering into the eyes of those over whom they had power. They loved their position and demanded to be exalted, but the longer Jesus spoke they saw the sand of their power slip through their fingers, and, when Jesus finally faced them, the crowd’s emboldened faces gave way to Jesus’s authoritative glare. Their fists probably clenched tighter and tighter while their hearts seethed with rage. I imagine Jesus may have taken a short pause after saying “whoever humbles himself will be exalted” so he could let his words to the crowd sink in before he shifted his focus and began speaking directly to the scribes and Pharisees. He said,

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.

Matthew 23:13

I can think of no more damning accusation than to tell the scribes and Pharisees they were responsible for keeping people out of the kingdom of heaven. They were the ones charged with bringing others into a right relationship with the Father, yet they had become a barrier to such a renewed holy relationship. They were not only keeping others out, but they were not entering the kingdom themselves. Their words and actions shut the door to the kingdom of heaven. Jesus could have probably stopped after this first pronouncement of woe — it exposed the most fatal of flaws — but he didn’t. Jesus added,

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.

Matthew 23:15

The scribes and Pharisees made disciples who became worse than their leaders. Seeking to make a name for themselves, their disciples appear to have followed in the footsteps of Rehoboam, Solomon’s son, who said, “My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke. My father disciplined you with whips, but I will disciple you with scorpions” (I Kings 12:14). Solomon did not seek to turn his son into such an evil leader, but the scribes and Pharisees molded their disciples in such a way that they became more vile and evil versions of themselves. Not only did the scribes and Pharisees keep others out of the kingdom, but they also trained others to do the same thing; this also is evil.

Jesus continued pronouncing woe and sorrow upon the scribes and Pharisees, but our study of them will have to wait until next week. I hope, however, at this point it is becoming clear how Jesus’s words to the crowds and the scribes and Pharisees help us better understand why we must pray, “but deliver us from evil.” Not only should we pray that the Father would protect us from false prophets and hypocrites, but we should pray that the Father protects us from becoming one ourselves. We need the Father’s hand to guide us toward humility and authenticity, keeping us from the evils of pride and hypocrisy, so that our lives will help others find the door leading to the kingdom of heaven open.

• Click HERE to go to the page containing all the posts for this study on The Lord’s Prayer and Matthew’s Gospel

If you are wondering where Matthew 23:14 is, good for you! Some manuscripts do not include the words of Matthew 23:14 which means some translations do not include them either: the ESV is one such translation. The “missing” verse reads as follows: “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! You shamelessly cheat widows out of their property and then pretend to be pious by making long prayers in public. Because of this, you will be severely punished.“