Matthew 23:25-39
Hidden in plain sight… So many times I have read Jesus’ chastisements, Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites…, and His continuing comments on their behaviors, but for some reason I always imagined that He was speaking to the crowd. But not true! He was speaking directly to the scribes and Pharisees! In fact Jesus speaks the word “you” 35 times in these 24 “woe” verses (13-36). On other occasions Jesus is speaking to the crowds or to His followers about the scribes and Pharisees and their hypocrisy (e.g., Matthew 6:5, Luke 12:2), but here He is speaking directly to them. Yes, their anger against Him must certainly be growing!!
I mentioned in my second comment below a chronological issue concerning Jesus’ lament over Jerusalem. But even then I hadn’t realized that He very likely had spoken these words earlier. Luke has Him speaking these words during His Galilean journey toward Jerusalem (Luke 13:34-35). Luke also has Him weeping over Jerusalem as He approached the city during His Palm Sunday procession (Luke 19:41).
I continue to be challenged by Jesus’ call to humility and His chastisement of hypocrisy.
See also: September 23 / Matt. 23:25-36; September 24 / Matt. 23:37-39
Woes to the scribes and Pharisees! Teaching about the law but not following it, focusing on little details and not the main point (love God, love neighbor), loving honor and not serving humbly. So many ouches in there for me and, I suspect, others.
I noted that Jesus said don’t call anyone father, teacher, or instructor except the Father. Like Fred said, how did we start calling priests father and get such a hierarchy in the church?
I suspect that He sorrowed over Jerusalem and the people, with the hen and chicks analogy, many times, especially getting closer to His death.
It is interesting to compare Jesus’ interactions with different groups over the last few weeks.
There are the “true believers” (for example – the apostles, Mary and Martha, Lazarus, the Virgin Mary). They believe that Jesus is the Messiah, but most (maybe all) do not fully understand what that is going to mean. Jesus treats this group with love, respect, and patience. (See “Peter” for a patience example.)
There are those who seem to have faith that Jesus is a healer but may not know enough about the Law and Prophets to have an opinion about whether Jesus is the Jewish Messiah (for example, the Centurion and the Canaanite Woman). Jesus treats the Centurion and the Canaanite Woman with compassion and grants their requests for healing. Jesus credits their faith for the healings, but I think it may only be the faith in His healing abilities without much more. Their faith may ripen later.
And then there are the scribes, Pharisees, and the sad Sadducees that Jesus rails against. Of all the Jews, these are the people who know the Law and the Prophets the best. They test Jesus’ assertion of who He is through reference to the Law and Prophets, and Jesus embarrasses them with the clarity and truth in His answers. Jesus rails against them – hypocrites, vipers, etc. (As the Canaanite Woman shows, Jesus does not mind a good faith argument – crumbs under the table – I think it is the disingenuousness of the argument by these Leaders that brings out Jesus’ reaction.) It seems like these are the people who know that Jesus is the real deal, but they intentionally choose their own position, power, careers, over Jesus’ Truth. I think they know that they are putting their own wills and desires above God’s will. Not a good place to be – luckily for them, there is potential for forgiveness coming soon.
I know which group I want to be in.
Thanks, Lou, for that nice analysis of the different groups, Jesus’ interactions with them, and their responses. Good food for thought.
Interesting set of thoughts on all of this, y’all. I too am chastised by the ways I see myself in what Jesus said to the religious leaders…
One thing that strikes me every time I read “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees,” is that Jesus is confrontational and blunt. There is an edge to his words. He’s telling them they have been living a lie.
Yes. And having in my own life at times knowingly supplanted God’s will with my own, just like these scribes et al., it is sobering to think what my friend Jesus must have thought of me then. Lord, have mercy.