Matthew 23

In Matthew 23, Jesus delivers a powerful and confrontational message, addressing the hypocrisy and pride of the scribes and Pharisees. He warns the people about the religious leaders' behavior, rebukes their legalistic practices, and laments their failure to lead others toward true godliness. The chapter includes a series of "woes" or judgments against the religious leaders, exposing their inconsistencies and misguided priorities. Jesus's words in this chapter serve as both a warning to spiritual leaders and a call to genuine humility and righteousness.

Matthew 23:1-4 (NKJV)
1 Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples,
2 saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat.
3 Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do.
4 For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.

Jesus begins by acknowledging the authority of the scribes and Pharisees, who teach the Law of Moses. He instructs the people to respect the teachings of the law itself but to avoid imitating the leaders’ actions. These leaders impose strict, burdensome rules on others but fail to help them or live by the same standards. Jesus’s criticism highlights their hypocrisy and lack of compassion.

Matthew 23:5-7 (NKJV)
5 But all their works they do to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders of their garments.
6 They love the best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues,
7 greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, ‘Rabbi, Rabbi.’

Jesus exposes the Pharisees’ motives as driven by a desire for public admiration. By making their religious symbols more noticeable and seeking prestigious positions and titles, they demonstrate a focus on outward appearances rather than inner faithfulness. Jesus warns against such pride and vanity, emphasizing that true spirituality is not about seeking attention.

Matthew 23:8-10 (NKJV)
8 But you, do not be called ‘Rabbi’; for One is your Teacher, the Christ, and you are all brethren.
9 Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven.
10 And do not be called teachers; for One is your Teacher, the Christ.

Jesus instructs His disciples and the crowd to avoid adopting or bestowing honorific titles like "Rabbi," "Father," or "Teacher" in a spiritual context. He emphasizes humility, equality, and the acknowledgment of God and Christ as the ultimate authorities. In verse 8, the term "Rabbi" (Ῥαββί) signifies a respected teacher or master, but Jesus warns against seeking such titles to elevate oneself above others. Instead, all His followers are to see themselves as equals, with Jesus as their only true Teacher (διδάσκαλος). In verse 9, Jesus states, "Do not call anyone on earth your father," referring to spiritual authority rather than familial relationships. This does not prohibit calling one's biological parent "father," as Scripture elsewhere commands honoring parents. The focus here is on avoiding misplaced spiritual allegiance that detracts from God, the ultimate Father in heaven. Verse 10 further addresses the term "Teacher" (καθηγητής), which conveys the idea of a guide or leader in learning. Jesus insists that such roles must always point to Him as the Christ, the supreme Master and Guide.

These teachings do not condemn the act of teaching or guiding others, as the New Testament affirms teaching as a gift given to build up the body of Christ (Ephesians 4:11). However, Jesus warns against pride, hierarchy, and the misuse of titles that create a sense of superiority or dependency on human leaders rather than on God. The message of these verses is a call to humility, service, and the recognition that all spiritual authority and guidance ultimately come from God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. This reflects the core values of the kingdom of heaven: equality, humility, and the glorification of God above all else.

Matthew 23:11-12 (NKJV)
11 But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant.
12 And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.

Jesus reverses conventional ideas of greatness by teaching that true honor comes through service. Those who lift themselves up in pride will eventually be brought low, while those who humbly serve others will be elevated. This principle emphasizes the importance of humility and selflessness in God’s kingdom.

Matthew 23:13-15 (NKJV)
13 But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.
14 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation.
15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.

Jesus condemns the Pharisees’ hypocritical actions, particularly their interference in others’ spiritual lives. By burdening people with complex rules and taking advantage of the vulnerable, such as widows, they hinder genuine faith. Their efforts to convert others often lead people astray, as they impose their misguided beliefs, leading converts into a similar hypocrisy.

Matthew 23:16-22 (NKJV)
16 Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is obliged to perform it.’
17 Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifies the gold?
18 And, ‘Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gift that is on it, he is obliged to perform it.’
19 Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifies the gift?
20 Therefore he who swears by the altar, swears by it and by all things on it.
21 He who swears by the temple, swears by it and by Him who dwells in it.
22 And he who swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God and by Him who sits on it.

Here, Jesus criticizes the Pharisees for their misplaced priorities and legalistic approach to oaths. They focus on the material aspects of worship, like gold, rather than the sanctity of the temple itself. Jesus exposes their shallow reasoning, showing that true reverence is directed toward God and not physical objects. This misguided focus reveals their spiritual blindness.

Matthew 23:23-24 (NKJV)
23 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.
24 Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!

Jesus condemns the Pharisees for their hypocritical focus on outward, ritualistic acts of piety while neglecting the more significant and essential aspects of God's law. He rebukes them for meticulously tithing even the smallest herbs—like mint, anise, and cumin—as a demonstration of their religious zeal, yet they overlook the weightier matters: justice, mercy, and faith. Jesus emphasizes that these are the more important aspects of the law, which they should have practiced without neglecting the smaller details. The statement about "straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel" illustrates this absurd contradiction. The Pharisees would go to great lengths to avoid swallowing a tiny, unclean insect (a gnat) by straining their drinks or food, but they were willing to "swallow a camel," which represented a much larger violation of the law. The gnat represents the trivial, external matters they obsessed over, while the camel represents the significant moral and spiritual failures they ignored. Jesus calls them "blind guides" because, despite their meticulous observance of the law’s minutiae, they fail to understand and live out the deeper, more meaningful principles of God's will. Through this rebuke, Jesus highlights the importance of focusing on justice, mercy, and faith—qualities that reflect God's heart—while not neglecting the smaller aspects of the law.

Matthew 23:25-26 (NKJV)
25 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence.
26 Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also.

The Pharisees focus on appearing righteous outwardly, yet their inner lives are corrupt and selfish. Jesus uses the metaphor of a cup to show that true cleanliness must start within. This highlights the need for inner transformation rather than mere outward conformity to religious practices.

Matthew 23:27-28 (NKJV)
27 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness.
28 Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

Jesus compares the Pharisees to whitewashed tombs—outwardly attractive but inwardly dead. This powerful imagery exposes their facade of holiness, which hides a reality of spiritual decay. Jesus warns that genuine faith requires integrity, not just the appearance of righteousness.

Matthew 23:29-36 (NKJV)
29 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous,
30 and say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.’
31 Therefore you are witnesses against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets.
32 Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers’ guilt.
33 Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell?
34 Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men, and scribes: some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city,
35 that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.
36 Assuredly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.

The Pharisees honor the prophets’ tombs yet reject their teachings. By doing so, they perpetuate their ancestors’ sins. Jesus condemns them as snakes, warning of impending judgment. Their actions—persecuting God’s messengers—make them accountable for past bloodshed.

Matthew 23:37-39 (NKJV)
37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!
38 See! Your house is left to you desolate;
39 for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’”

Jesus expresses profound sorrow over Jerusalem, symbolizing the city's rejection of Him and God's messengers throughout history. He compares Himself to a mother hen wanting to gather her chicks under her wings, highlighting His deep desire to protect and care for the people of Jerusalem, but they repeatedly rejected Him. In verse 38, Jesus prophesies that their "house" (representing the temple and the spiritual state of the city) will be left desolate, a reference to the coming judgment and the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. Despite this, Jesus offers hope for the future in verse 39, predicting that the people will one day recognize Him as the Messiah when He returns, marking a time of repentance and restoration.