A Study of Matthew Chapter 23

 by Stan Feldsine (www.tojesusbeallglory.com)

Matthew 23 - Introduction

Jesus having rode in to Jerusalem on the day of Passover was set aside as the Passover Lamb to be tested and found without blemish. We read in Chapter 21 and 22 how Jesus was tested by the Pharisees, Sadducees and Herodians, and how Jesus answered all their question and was found blameless. He was the true Lamb of God.

Having been found blameless, we will read His denunciation of the religious leaders of Israel, the Pharisees, Sadducees and Herodians and others. He is not speaking against those that are following Him. The language of this denunciation is like that of the OT prophets, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and several of the minor prophets.

It was the leadership of Israel that led the nation astray, and it was the leadership of Israel that was instrumental in bringing destructive judgment on the nation. Those who rejected Jesus were instrumental in bringing judgment on the innocent. But even the innocent were not blameless, as they bore the responsibility for following their religious leadership and allowing Jesus's death. The people ultimately blindly followed their leaders.

Jesus first addresses the Disciples and multitudes in Mat 23:1-12, and tells them about the Pharisees and their hypocritical and self-righteous behavior. He will discuss 5 things about them.

Then Jesus will address the Pharisees and other religious leaders in Mat 23:13-36. He will accuse them of 7 woes, and pronounce judgment on them.

Matt 23:1-3 - Hypocrisy of Pharisaical Judaism

Mat 23:1-3 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: (2) "The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat. (3) So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.

The seat of Moses was an actual seat, where the elders would sit in the synagogue during the services and court proceedings. It was also known as "the throne of Torah". It is similar to what we find today in courtrooms where the judge or judges sit.

Exo 18:13-14 The next day Moses took his seat to serve as judge for the people, and they stood around him from morning till evening. (14) When his father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he said, "What is this you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit as judge, while all these people stand around you from morning till evening?"

The findings of court proceedings decided by case law were compulsory. This differs from having to obey the religious law of the Pharisees. Jesus countered the Mishnah (oral law) repeatedly and in their face as the interpretation of the law by the religious Pharisees was extra-biblical.

Matt 23:4 - Burdening Others

Mat 23:4 They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.

Binding (KJV) and loosing in scripture refers to permitting and forbidding. The Pharisees tied up the people with the onerous oral law, and they did nothing to alleviate the pressure this put on people. The Pharisees found ways around the oral law to make life easier for themselves.

Matt 23:5-6 - Self Righteousness

Mat 23:5-6 "Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; (6) they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; (7) they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and.....

Mar 12:38 As he taught, Jesus said, "Watch out for the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes, and be greeted with respect in the marketplaces,

Phylacteries are small boxes that Jews wore on their foreheads that contained three verses of scripture, Exo 13:3-16 (Feast of Unleavened Bread), Deu 6:5-9 (The Greatest Commandment) and Deu 11:13-21 (Faithfully Obey).

The Pharisees would make these boxes unusually large.

The Pharisees would also made the borders of their robes unusually large as well. These were the robes on which the tzitziot or fringes hung.

Num 15:38-41 "Speak to the Israelites and say to them: 'Throughout the generations to come you are to make tassels on the corners of your garments, with a blue cord on each tassel. (39) You will have these tassels to look at and so you will remember all the commands of the LORD, that you may obey them and not prostitute yourselves by chasing after the lusts of your own hearts and eyes. (40) Then you will remember to obey all my commands and will be consecrated to your God. (41) I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt to be your God. I am the LORD your God.'"

The fringes reminded the Jews of the multiple aspects of the Mosaic Law.

The Pharisees obeyed Mosaic Law with the wrong motives. They were attempting to make themselves great in the eyes of man, while the proper motive for keeping the law was to show their love for God. They were self righteous and seeking the praise of men.

They were always seeking recognition and respect in the marketplaces.

The Pharisees were always seeking out the most honorable seats in the house, next to dignitaries and important people, or next to the host, or in the temple in the seats next to the ark where the Torah scrolls are kept.

Matt 23:7-12 - Man Exalting Titles

Mat 23:7-12 ... and to be 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 do not call anyone on earth 'father,' for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. (10) Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Messiah. (11) The greatest among you will be your servant. (12) For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.

Pharisees loved to be called "Rabbi", "teacher", "father" and "master". "Rabbi", an unofficial term that denoted a learned educated person who was an expert in Torah. It literally means "my master" or "one who is greater than myself". Anyone could be called Rabbi who fit the term.

Pharisees coveted these titles for the extreme authority and status it gave them over the people. Rabbis were considered the most important people in a person life, even more so than a father.

Mark 12:40 - Covetousness

Mar 12:40 They devour widows' houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will be punished most severely."

Pharisees used their power to acquire wealth. One example is in the taking of widow's houses.

This is made worse when we see they covered up their theft by making a show of praying about it first, then claiming God permitted them to take the widows property. Such injustice will be severely penalized.

Matt 23:13-36 - The 7 Woes to the Pharisees

Having addressed the disciples and multitudes and told them about 5 of the characteristics of Pharisees and religious leaders, Jesus now address the Pharisees and religious leaders themselves. He proclaims 7 "woes", or condemnations on them.

Matt 23:13 - Woe 1

Mat 23:13 "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people's faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to.

The Pharisees where condemned because they did not enter the Kingdom, they rejected it. And they shut the door to it so that the lost sheep could not enter either.

The later and better translations do not contain the statement in Mat 23:14. It was perhaps added later on by someone who thought that since Luk 20:27 and Mar 12:20 had it, they should add it.

Mat 23:14 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.

Matt 23:15 - Woe 2

Mat 23:15 "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when you have succeeded, you make them twice as much a child of hell as you are.

The Pharisees were condemned for converting people to their form of Rabbinic Judaism, which included the errors of the oral law. Gentile were attracted to the moral nature of Judaism in contrast to the rank immorality of the times.

Often the Gentiles who joined with the Pharisees were twice the zealous legalists than the Pharisees were.

Matt 23:16-22 - Woe 3

Mat 23:16-22 "Woe to you, blind guides! You say, 'If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gold of the temple is bound by that oath.' (17) You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred? (18) You also say, 'If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gift on the altar is bound by that oath.' (19) You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred? (20) Therefore, anyone who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. (21) And anyone who swears by the temple swears by it and by the one who dwells in it. (22) And anyone who swears by heaven swears by God's throne and by the one who sits on it.

Jesus now condemns the Pharisees because their focus is on the temple, not the owner of the temple.

First, the Pharisees claimed that swearing an oath on the basis of the temple did not obligate a person to keep that oath, but if they swore an oath on the gold in the temple they were obligated to keep it.

Gold was of the same value anywhere in the world, so what made this gold valuable was it's location in the temple. The temple sanctified the gold, (set apart for God's use), the gold did not sanctify the temple. This made the temple the higher priority, yet they were swearing on the gold.

Second, the Pharisees claimed that swearing on the basis of an altar did not obligate a person to keep the oath, but swearing on the basis of a sacrifice on the altar did obligate one to keep the oath.

The dead body of the animal was no different than any other dead bodies, what made it special was it's location in the temple on the altar. This made the altar the higher priority, yet they were swearing on the dead body on the altar.

Doing this was the equivalent of swearing by what was set apart, rather than the one whom it was set apart to. The temple is higher than the gold in it, the altar is higher than the sacrifice on it.

Earlier, Jesus instructed His followers not to swear oaths at all. He was preparing them for the coming of the Messianic Kingdom. Jesus's conversation with the Pharisees was in regard to a regulation in the law, as the Law was still in place at this point.

Mat 5:33-37 "Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.' (34) But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God's throne; (35) or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. (36) And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. (37) All you need to say is simply 'Yes' or 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.

Matt 23:23-24 - Woe 4

Mat 23:23-24 "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices--mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law--justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. (24) You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.

Next Jesus calls out the Pharisees for focusing on the little things and ignoring the big things. Mint, dill and cumin seeds were among the smallest seeds know in Israel at the time, and these religious leaders were careful to tithe down to the smallest things. But they neglected the really important matters, law, justice and faithfulness.

Matt 23:25-26 - Woe 5

Mat 23:25-26 "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. (26) Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.

Now Jesus focuses on how the Pharisees are more focused on the external demands of the law than the internal.

Here Jesus condemns the Pharisees for their focus on external rather than the internal demands of the law. Imagine after eating, the dishwasher cleans the out side of the bowls and cups but leaves the food trash inside. That is the equivalent to what the Pharisees are doing spiritually.

Matt 23:27-28 - Woe 6

Mat 23:27-28 "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. (28) In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.

Jesus again focuses on the hypocrisy of the Pharisees with their incorrect focus on externals rather than internals.

In Israel, once a year tombstones are painted white. Outside they look all clean and whitewashed, but inside nothing has changed. Obedience to church rules make one look nice and clean on the outside, but inside there is still just corrupt dead man's bones.

Matt 23:29-36 - Woe 7

Mat 23:29-36 "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous. (30) And you say, 'If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have taken part with 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) Go ahead, then, and complete what your ancestors started! (33) "You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell? (34) Therefore I am sending you prophets and sages and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify; others you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town. (35) And so upon you will come all the righteous blood that has been shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berekiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. (36) Truly I tell you, all this will come on this generation.

The seventh woe elaborates the first woe, and is condemning the Pharisees for rejecting all that the prophets had to say in foretelling the coming of Jesus as their Messianic King. This generation of Israel would be held responsible for the blood of all the OT prophets.

The Pharisees identified themselves with their ancestors who had killed the prophets in the past, and they were continuing that practice. Jesus tells them to continue what their ancestors started, and they will as they will continue to kill those whom Jesus sends to them.

Jesus again calls the blood of the prophets against the Pharisees, all the prophets from Abel to Zachariah, or from the first to the last martyrs of the Hebrew Bible, and judgment would fall on this generation of Israel.

Matt 23:37-39 - Lament Over Jerusalem

Mat 23:37-39 "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing. (38) Look, 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 finishes His scathing rebuke of the Pharisees with a lament for the future of Israel and His people. This marks the official closing of Jesus's ministry. He starts with a broad summary of His ministry, that He longed to bring His people together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings. But the Jews would not have Him, and rejected Him soundly.

Israel's "house" was the temple, and Jesus foretold that it would lie desolate, a waste of desert wilderness. The temple was destroyed 40 years later in 70AD.

Jesus issues a prophetic statement, declaring that Israel would not see Him again, following His Ascension, until they asked Him to come back. The conditions for the second return of Christ is that the leadership of Israel guiding the people to repentance and a cry for His return.

The cry for the return of Jesus is heartfelt, a recognition of Jesus's deity, and a heart of worship of the King. Israel will be led to cry out "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord", a quote from Psa 118:26. This Psalm was written to follow a time of defeat, after which they turned back to the Lord.

Psa 118:20-29 This is the gate of the LORD through which the righteous may enter. (21) I will give you thanks, for you answered me; you have become my salvation. (22) The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; (23) the LORD has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes. (24) The LORD has done it this very day; let us rejoice today and be glad. (25) LORD, save us! LORD, grant us success! (26) Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD. From the house of the LORD we bless you. (27) The LORD is God, and he has made his light shine on us. With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession up to the horns of the altar. (28) You are my God, and I will praise you; you are my God, and I will exalt you. (29) Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.

Just as the leadership of Israel led the common people to reject Jesus, so it will be that the leadership of Israel will lead the people to come to accept Him. When Israel comes to the point of believing and accepting Jesus as Messiah, then Jesus will return.

The disciples, who were with Jesus at this time, had several questions for Jesus, some with regards to this lament. These questions will be asked and answered in Chapters 24 and 25.