Pharisaism Exposed
1 Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples, 2 saying: "The scribes and Pharisees have seated themselves in Moses' chair [of authority as teachers of the Law]; 3 so practice and observe everything they tell you, but do not do as they do; for they preach [things], but do not practice them.
Jesus told the disciples and the crowds to follow the Pharisees' teaching because they taught God's truth. The Pharisees' traditions and their interpretations and applications of God's laws, however, had become as important to them as God's law itself. The laws they added were not all bad—some were beneficial. But problems arose when the religious leaders (1) held that human-made rules had the same authority as God's laws, (2) told the people to obey these rules but did not do so themselves, (3) used the rules to unnecessarily burden the people, or (4) obeyed the rules not to honor God but to make themselves look good. Jesus condemned the Pharisees not for teaching truth but for being hypocrites.
Things people say, but are not biblical A. The family that prays together stays together B. Happy wife, happy life C. "God helps those who help themselves." D. "Cleanliness is next to godliness." E. "Hate the sin, love the sinner." F. "Money is the root of all evil." G. "This too shall pass."
4 The scribes and Pharisees tie up heavy loads [that are hard to bear] and place them on men's shoulders, but they themselves will not lift a finger [to make them lighter]. 5 They do all their deeds to be seen by men; for they make their phylacteries (tefillin) wide [to make them more conspicuous] and make their tassels long.
These "prayer boxes" were little leather boxes containing the words of Scripture. Very religious people would wear these boxes on their foreheads and arms as a strictly literal interpretation of Deuteronomy 6:8 and Exodus 13:9, 16. But the prayer boxes had become more important for the status they gave than for the truth they contained. Similarly, symbolic things like bumper stickers and religious jewelry, while serving as reminders of the life God wants us to live, cannot take the place of truly loving God and helping others.
6 They love the place of distinction and honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues [those on the platform near the scrolls of the Law, facing the congregation], 7 and to be greeted [with respect] in the market places and public forums, and to have people call them Rabbi.
Jesus again exposed the hypocritical attitudes of the religious leaders. They knew the Scriptures but did not live by them. They didn't care about being devout—just looking devout in order to receive people's admiration and praise. Today, like the Pharisees, many people talk about the Bible but don't let its truths transform them. They say they follow Jesus, but they don't live by his standards of love. We must make sure that our actions match our beliefs.
People desire positions of leadership not only in business but also in the church. God wants us to exercise our leadership gifts, but when love for position grows stronger than loyalty to God, we are abusing the gifts God has given us. This is what happened to the Pharisees and teachers of religious law. Jesus condemned leaders who serve themselves rather than others.
8 But do not be called Rabbi (Teacher); for One is your Teacher, and you are all [equally] brothers. 9 Do not call anyone on earth [who guides you spiritually] your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. 10 Do not let yourselves be called leaders or teachers; for One is your Leader (Teacher), the Christ.
Jesus was not forbidding the use of titles. Rather, he was saying that Christians are united as equals under the authority of God, like a family. We are not to distinguish a hierarchy of importance in terms of people's relationships with God. Also, Jesus did not mean that we cannot call people "Father." Again, Jesus was speaking in the context of the relationship between the rabbi and a disciple and the inherent hierarchy involved. The disciples were not to revere or give authority to any rabbi or teacher above God or put such a person on a pedestal. Similarly, they were not to allow others to elevate them above others. The same principle applies to all Christian leaders and teachers today.
11 But the greatest among you will be your servant. 12 Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be raised to honor.
Jesus challenged the prevailing notions of how to get ahead. To him, greatness comes from serving God and helping people without regard for personal benefit or advancement. Service keeps us aware of others' needs, and it stops us from focusing only on ourselves. Jesus came as a servant. If you want to be a servant to others, what do you need to change?
Eight Woes
13 "But woe (judgment is coming) to you, [self-righteous] scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut off the kingdom of heaven in front of people; for you do not enter yourselves, nor do you allow those who are [in the process of] entering to do so.
Jesus accused the religious leaders of shutting the door to the Kingdom of Heaven. God meant to free people as he did the Israelites in the Exodus. Israel's history, culture, and daily life were meant to be centered around the people's relationship with God. The religious leaders were the best known, most powerful, and most respected of all leaders. Jesus made these stinging accusations because the leaders' hunger for more power, money, and status had made them lose sight of God, and their blindness was spreading to the whole nation, preventing people from entering the Kingdom of Heaven. Teachers and leaders today shut the door to God's Kingdom when they elevate their own desires, traditions, or ideas above the truths of God's Word. It's important to discern if your teachers and spiritual leaders are welcoming you through God's open door to his Kingdom or shutting the door and making it difficult to enter.
14 [Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you swallow up widows' houses, and to cover it up you make long prayers; therefore you will receive the greater condemnation.]
15 "Woe to you, [self-righteous] scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you travel over sea and land to make a single proselyte (convert to Judaism), and when he becomes a convert, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are.
The Pharisees were converting people to their religion, not to God. By emphasizing the details of their additional laws and regulations, they completely missed the God of love to whom the laws pointed. A religion of works puts pressure on people to surpass others in what they know and do. Thus, a hypocritical teacher was likely to produce students who were even more hypocritical. We must make sure we are not creating Pharisees by emphasizing outward adherence to tasks or ideas at the expense of inner renewal and servant love.
16 "Woe to you, blind guides, who say, 'Whoever swears [an oath] by the sanctuary of the temple, that is nothing (non-binding); but whoever swears [an oath] by the gold of the temple is obligated [as a debtor to fulfill his vow and keep his promise].' 17 You fools and blind men! Which is more important, the gold or the sanctuary of the temple that sanctified the gold? 18 And [you scribes and Pharisees say], 'Whoever swears [an oath] by the altar, that is nothing (non-binding), but whoever swears [an oath] by the offering on it, he is obligated [as a debtor to fulfill his vow and keep his promise].' 19 You [spiritually] blind men, which is more important, the offering, or the altar that sanctifies the offering? 20 Therefore, whoever swears [an oath] by the altar, swears both by it and by everything [offered] on it. 21 And whoever swears [an oath] by the sanctuary of the temple, swears by it and by Him who dwells within it. 22 And whoever swears [an oath] by heaven, swears both by the throne of God and by Him who sits upon it.
23 "Woe to you, [self-righteous] scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you give a tenth (tithe) of your mint and dill and cumin [focusing on minor matters], and have neglected the weightier [more important moral and spiritual] provisions of the Law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the [primary] things you ought to have done without neglecting the others. 24 You [spiritually] blind guides, who strain out a gnat [consuming yourselves with miniscule matters] and swallow a camel [ignoring and violating God's precepts]!
We can obey the details of God's laws but still be disobedient in our general behavior. For example, we might be very precise and faithful about giving 10 percent of our money to God but refuse to give up one minute of our time to help others. Tithing is important, but giving a tithe does not exempt us from fulfilling God's other directives.
The Pharisees strained their water so they wouldn't accidentally swallow a gnat—an unclean insect according to the law. Camels were also considered unclean. Meticulous in teaching about ceremonial cleanliness, the Pharisees would strain out a small impurity but swallow a huge false teaching. They were ceremonially clean on the outside but had corrupt hearts.
25 "Woe to you, [self-righteous] scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the plate, but inside they are full of extortion and robbery and self-indulgence (unrestrained greed). 26 You [spiritually] blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the plate [examine and change your inner self to conform to God's precepts], so that the outside [your public life and deeds] may be clean also.
27 "Woe to you, [self-righteous] scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which look beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean. 28 So you, also, outwardly seem to be just and upright to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
Jesus condemned the Pharisees and religious leaders for outwardly appearing upright and free of sin but inwardly remaining full of corruption and greed. Living out our faith merely to impress others is like washing only the outside of a cup. When God cleans us on the inside, our cleanliness on the outside won't be a sham.
29 "Woe to you, [self-righteous] scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build tombs for the prophets and decorate and adorn the monuments of the righteous, 30 and you say, 'If we had been living in the days of our fathers, we would not have joined them in shedding the blood of the prophets.' 31 So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets. 32 Fill up, then, the [allotted] measure of the guilt of your fathers' sins. 33 You serpents, you spawn of vipers, how can you escape the penalty of hell?
34 "Therefore, take notice, I am sending you prophets and wise men [interpreters, teachers] and scribes [men educated in the Mosaic Law and the writings of the prophets]; some of them you will kill and even crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues, and pursue and persecute from city to city, 35 so that on you will come the guilt of all the blood of the righteous shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah [the priest], the son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.
Jesus summarized the history of Old Testament martyrdom. Abel was the first martyr (Genesis 4); Zechariah was the last mentioned in the Hebrew Bible, which ended with 2 Chronicles. Zechariah is a classic example of a man of God who was killed by those who claimed to be God's people (see 2 Chronicles 24:20-21).
36 I assure you and most solemnly say to you, [the judgment for] all these things [these vile and murderous deeds] will come on this generation.
These prophets, wise men, and teachers were the disciples and leaders in the early church who would be persecuted, scourged, and killed as Jesus predicted. The people of Jesus' generation said they would not act as their fathers did in killing the prophets whom God had sent to them (23:30), but they were about to kill the Messiah himself and his faithful followers. Thus, they would share the guilt of murdering God's prophets throughout the centuries.
Lament over Jerusalem
37 "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who murders the prophets and stones [to death] those [messengers] who are sent to her [by God]! How often I wanted to gather your children together [around Me], as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling.
Jesus wanted to gather his people together as a hen protects her chicks under her wings, but they wouldn't let him. Jesus also wants to protect us if we will let him. Many times we feel wounded, outcast, lonely, or afraid and don't know where to turn. We reject Jesus' help because we're not sure he can give us what we need. But who knows our needs better than our creator? Those who turn to Jesus will find that he helps and comforts as no one else can.
Jerusalem was the capital city of God's chosen people, the ancestral home of David, Israel's greatest king, and the location of the Temple, the earthly dwelling place of God. It was intended to be the center of worship of the true God and a symbol of justice to all people. But Jerusalem's leaders had become blind to God and insensitive to human need. Here we see the depth of Jesus' feelings for lost people and for his beloved city, which would soon be destroyed in AD 70.
38 Listen carefully: your house is being left to you desolate [completely abandoned by God and destitute of His protection]! 39 For I say to you, you will not see Me again [ministering to you publicly] until you say, 'Blessed [to be celebrated with praise] is He who comes in the name of the Lord!'"
Jesus had strong words for the religious leaders. Here he called them snakes and vipers (23:33). As we read all these indictments, we should realize that we are all similar to the Pharisees and teachers of religious law. At times we don't practice what we preach. We look for loopholes around God's demands, we seek unwarranted approval, and we do things for show. Take Jesus' words to heart. What do you need to change so that Jesus' words don't apply to you?