Matthew Chapter 23

Updated: September 14, 2025

Woes to Scribes and Pharisees

(Luke 11:37-54)

1Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples, 2Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat: 3All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not. 4For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. 5But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments, 6And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, 7And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi. 8But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren. 9And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. 10Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ. 11But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. 12And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.

13But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in. 14Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.

15Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.

16Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor! 17Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold? 18And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty. 19Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift? 20Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon. 21And whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein. 22And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon.

23Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. 24Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.

25Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. 26Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.

27Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. 28Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

29Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous, 30And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. 31Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets. 32Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers. 33Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?

34Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city: 35That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. 36Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.

Lament over Jerusalem

(Luke 13:31-35)

37O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! 38Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. 39For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.

King James Bible

Text courtesy of BibleProtector.com.

Woes to Scribes and Pharisees
(Luke 11:37–54)

1 Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to his disciples, 2 saying, “The scribes and the Pharisees sat on Moses’ seat. 3 All things therefore whatever they tell you to observe, observe and do, but don’t do their works; for they say, and don’t do. 4 For they bind heavy burdens that are grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not lift a finger to help them. 5 But all their works they do to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad, enlarge the fringes of their garments, 6 and love the place of honor at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, 7 the salutations in the marketplaces, and to be called ‘Rabbi, Rabbi’ by men. 8 But don’t you be called ‘Rabbi,’ for one is your teacher, the Christ, and all of you are brothers. 9 Call no man on the earth your father, for one is your Father, he who is in heaven. 10 Neither be called masters, for one is your master, the Christ. 11 But he who is greatest among you will be your servant. 12 Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

13 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses, and as a pretense you make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation. 14 “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against men; for you don’t enter in yourselves, neither do you allow those who are entering in to enter.

15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel around by sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much of a son of Gehenna as yourselves.

16 “Woe to you, you blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is obligated.’ 17 You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifies the gold? 18 ‘Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gift that is on it, he is obligated?’ 19 You blind fools! For which is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifies the gift? 20 He therefore who swears by the altar, swears by it, and by everything on it. 21 He who swears by the temple, swears by it, and by him who was living in it. 22 He who swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God, and by him who sits on it.

23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint, dill, and cumin, and have left undone the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faith. But you ought to have done these, and not to have left the other undone. 24 You blind guides, who strain out a gnat, and swallow a camel!

25 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and unrighteousness. 26 You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the platter, that its outside may become clean also.

27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitened tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but inwardly are full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness. 28 Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

29 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets, and decorate the tombs of the righteous, 30 and say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we wouldn’t have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.’ 31 Therefore you testify to yourselves that you are children of those who killed the prophets. 32 Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers. 33 You serpents, you offspring of vipers, how will you escape the judgment of Gehenna?

34 Therefore, behold, I send to 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 Zachariah son of Barachiah, whom you killed between the sanctuary and the altar. 36 Most certainly I tell you, all these things will come upon this generation.

Lament over Jerusalem
(Luke 13:31–35)

37 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets, and stones those who are sent to her! How often I would have gathered your children together, even as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you would not! 38 Behold, your house is left to you desolate. 39 For I tell you, you will not see me from now on, until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’”

Woes to Scribes and Pharisees
(Luke 11:37–54)

1 Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples: 2 “The scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. 3 So practice and observe everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. 4 They tie up heavy, burdensome loads a and lay them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.

5 All their deeds are done for men to see. They broaden their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels. 6 They love the places of honor at banquets, the chief seats in the synagogues, 7 the greetings in the marketplaces, and the title of ‘Rabbi’ by which they are addressed. b

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 your father, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. 10 Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Christ. 11 The greatest among you shall be your servant. 12 For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

13 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let in those who wish to enter. c

15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You traverse land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell d as you are.

16 Woe to you, blind guides! You say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’ 17 You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes it sacred? 18 And you say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gift on it, he is bound by his oath.’ 19 You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes it sacred? 20 So then, he who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. 21 And he who swears by the temple swears by it and by the One who dwells in it. 22 And he who swears by heaven swears by God’s throne and by the One who sits on it.

23 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You pay tithes of mint, dill, and cumin. But you have disregarded the weightier 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. e

25 Woe to you, scribes 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, f so that the outside may become clean as well.

27 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside, but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and every kind of impurity. 28 In the same way, on the outside you appear to be righteous, but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.

29 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous. 30 And you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partners with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ 31 So you testify against yourselves that you are the sons of those who murdered the prophets. 32 Fill up, then, g the measure of the sin of your fathers. 33 You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape the sentence of hell?

34 Because of this, I am sending you prophets and wise men and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify, and others you will flog in your synagogues and persecute in town after town. 35 And so upon you will come all the righteous blood shed on 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 Truly I tell you, all these things will come upon this generation.

Lament over Jerusalem
(Luke 13:31–35)

37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were unwilling! 38 Look, your house is left to you desolate. h 39 For I tell you that you will not see Me again until you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.’ i”

Woes to Scribes and Pharisees

(Luke 11:37-54)

1Then Jesus spake to the multitudes, and to his disciples, 2saying, 'On the seat of Moses sat down the scribes and the Pharisees; 3all, then, as much as they may say to you to observe, observe and do, but according to their works do not, for they say, and do not; 4for they bind together burdens heavy and grievous to be borne, and lay upon the shoulders of men, but with their finger they will not move them. 5'And all their works they do to be seen by men, and they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the fringes of their garments, 6they love also the chief couches in the supper, and the chief seats in the synagogues, 7and the salutations in the market-places, and to be called by men, Rabbi, Rabbi. 8'And ye -- ye may not be called Rabbi, for one is your director -- the Christ, and all ye are brethren; 9and ye may not call any your father on the earth, for one is your Father, who is in the heavens, 10nor may ye be called directors, for one is your director -- the Christ. 11And the greater of you shall be your ministrant, 12and whoever shall exalt himself shall be humbled, and whoever shall humble himself shall be exalted.

13'Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye shut up the reign of the heavens before men, for ye do not go in, nor those going in do ye suffer to enter. 14'Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye eat up the houses of the widows, and for a pretence make long prayers, because of this ye shall receive more abundant judgment.

15'Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye go round the sea and the dry land to make one proselyte, and whenever it may happen -- ye make him a son of gehenna twofold more than yourselves.

16'Woe to you, blind guides, who are saying, Whoever may swear by the sanctuary, it is nothing, but whoever may swear by the gold of the sanctuary -- is debtor! 17Fools and blind! for which is greater, the gold, or the sanctuary that is sanctifying the gold? 18'And, whoever may swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever may swear by the gift that is upon it -- is debtor! 19Fools and blind! for which is greater, the gift, or the altar that is sanctifying the gift? 20'He therefore who did swear by the altar, doth swear by it, and by all things on it; 21and he who did swear by the sanctuary, doth swear by it, and by Him who is dwelling in it; 22and he who did swear by the heaven, doth swear by the throne of God, and by Him who is sitting upon it.

23Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye give tithe of the mint, and the dill, and the cumin, and did neglect the weightier things of the Law -- the judgment, and the kindness, and the faith; these it behoved you to do, and those not to neglect. 24'Blind guides! who are straining out the gnat, and the camel are swallowing.

25'Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye make clean the outside of the cup and the plate, and within they are full of rapine and incontinence. 26'Blind Pharisee! cleanse first the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside of them also may become clean.

27'Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye are like to whitewashed sepulchres, which outwardly indeed do appear beautiful, and within are full of bones of dead men, and of all uncleanness; 28so also ye outwardly indeed do appear to men righteous, and within ye are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

29'Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, and adorn the tombs of the righteous, 30and say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. 31So that ye testify to yourselves, that ye are sons of them who did murder the prophets; 32and ye -- ye fill up the measure of your fathers. 33'Serpents! brood of vipers! how may ye escape from the judgment of the gehenna?

34'Because of this, lo, I send to you prophets, and wise men, and scribes, and of them ye will kill and crucify, and of them ye will scourge in your synagogues, and will pursue from city to city; 35that on you may come all the righteous blood being poured out on the earth from the blood of Abel the righteous, unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the sanctuary and the altar: 36verily I say to you, all these things shall come upon this generation.

Lament over Jerusalem

(Luke 13:31-35)

37'Jerusalem, Jerusalem, that art killing the prophets, and stoning those sent unto thee, how often did I will to gather thy children together, as a hen doth gather her own chickens under the wings, and ye did not will. 38Lo, left desolate to you is your house; 39for I say to you, ye may not see me henceforth, till ye may say, Blessed is he who is coming in the name of the Lord.'

Jesus Rebukes Religious Leaders

¹ Then Jesus turned to address both the crowds and His disciples, saying, ² "The teachers of religious law and the Pharisees now sit in Moses' seat, claiming his authority to interpret God's Law. ³ Therefore, practice and observe whatever they teach that aligns with Scripture. But don't follow their example, for they don't practice what they preach. ⁴ They crush people beneath impossible religious demands, piling heavy burdens on their shoulders without lifting a finger to help carry the load. ⁵ Everything they do is for show, to be seen and praised by others. They wear extra-large prayer boxes with Scripture verses inside, and extend the tassels on their garments to flaunt their supposed spirituality. ⁶ They love the seats of honor at banquets and the most prominent chairs in the synagogues." ⁷ And they absolutely delight in all the respectful greetings in public places and being called 'Rabbi!' They crave any title that elevates them above others."

⁸ "But you must not be called 'Rabbi,' for you have only one Teacher, and you are all equal as brothers and sisters." ⁹ And don't address anyone here on earth as 'father' in a spiritual sense, for only One is your true spiritual Father – He Who is in heaven. ¹⁰ Don't let anyone call you 'leaders,' for you have one Leader, the Messiah." ¹¹ The greatest among you must be a servant, demonstrating true greatness through humble service. ¹² For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted – this is My Father's unchanging principle.

Woes to Religious Leaders

¹³ "What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and Pharisees – you hypocrites! You slam shut the Kingdom of Heaven in people's faces. You won't enter yourselves, and you stop those who are trying to enter."

¹⁴ "What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and Pharisees – you hypocrites! You devour widows' houses and make long prayers just for show. Your punishment will be the most severe." *

¹⁵ "What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and Pharisees – you hypocrites! You cross land and sea to make one convert, and then you turn that person into twice the child of hell you yourselves are!"

¹⁶ "What sorrow awaits you blind guides! You say, 'If someone swears by the Temple, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gold of the Temple, they are bound by that oath.'" ¹⁷ "Blind fools! Which is greater – the gold, or the Temple that makes the gold sacred?" ¹⁸ "You also say, 'If someone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gift on the altar is bound by that oath.'" ¹⁹ "How blind you are! Which is greater – the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred?" ²⁰ "When you swear by the altar, you're swearing by it and everything on it." ²¹ "And when you swear by the Temple, you're swearing by it and by the One Who dwells in it." ²² "And when you swear by heaven, you're swearing by God's throne and by Him Who sits on it."

²³ "What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and Pharisees – you hypocrites! You carefully tithe even the smallest herbs from your gardens, but you ignore the more important aspects of the law – justice, mercy, and faith. You should tithe, yes, but without neglecting the more important things." ²⁴ "Blind guides! You strain your drink so you won't accidentally swallow a gnat, but you swallow a camel! You're so focused on the minor details whilst missing enormous spiritual truths."

²⁵ "What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and Pharisees – you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, while inside you're full of plunder and self-indulgence." ²⁶ "Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside will become clean too."

²⁷ "What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and Pharisees – you hypocrites! You're like whitewashed tombs – beautiful on the outside but filled with dead bones and corruption inside." ²⁸ "Outwardly you appear to people as righteous, but inside you're full of hypocrisy and lawlessness."

²⁹ "What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and Pharisees – you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets your ancestors killed and decorate the monuments of the godly people they destroyed." ³⁰ "You say, 'If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would never have joined them in killing the prophets.'" ³¹ "But in saying this, you testify against yourselves that you are indeed the descendants of those who murdered the prophets – both physically and spiritually!" ³² "Go ahead, finish what your ancestors started! Fill up the measure of their guilt!" ³³ "Snakes! Sons of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell?"

³⁴ "Therefore, I am sending you prophets, wise men, and teachers. Some 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 shed on earth, from righteous Abel to Zechariah son of Berekiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar." ³⁶ "I tell you the truth, all this will come upon this generation."

Jesus Laments Over Jerusalem

³⁷ "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God's messengers! How often I have longed to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn't let Me." ³⁸ "And now, look! Your house is abandoned and desolate." ³⁹ "For I tell you, you will never see Me again until you say, 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of יהוה (Yahweh)!'"

Footnotes:

23:14: Some manuscripts omit this verse.

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The F.O.G Commentary

When Jesus Got Angry: The Day He Called Out Religious Hypocrisy

What’s Matthew 23 about?

This is Jesus at his most confrontational – systematically dismantling religious pretense with seven devastating “woes” against the Pharisees and teachers of the law. It’s uncomfortable, necessary, and reveals what really makes the heart of God burn with righteous anger.

The Full Context

Picture this: it’s Tuesday of Passion Week, just days before Jesus will hang on a cross. He’s standing in the temple courts, surrounded by crowds who’ve been listening to his debates with religious leaders all week. The Pharisees have been trying to trap him with trick questions about taxes, resurrection, and the greatest commandment. Now it’s Jesus’ turn to speak – and he doesn’t hold back.

This isn’t a private conversation or a gentle teaching moment by the Sea of Galilee. This is Jesus’ final public address before his arrest, delivered in the very heart of Jewish religious life. Matthew 21-25 forms a unified section covering Jesus’ final week, and chapter 23 serves as the climactic confrontation with the religious establishment. The chapter reveals the stark contrast between authentic faith and performative religion, setting up the temple’s destruction prophecy that follows in Matthew 24. For Matthew’s Jewish-Christian audience, still navigating their relationship with synagogue Judaism, these words carried enormous weight about what it means to truly follow God.

What the Ancient Words Tell Us

The word Jesus uses most in this chapter is ouai – “woe” – and it’s not just strong language, it’s funeral language. When someone said “woe” in ancient Israel, they were essentially pronouncing a death sentence or declaring that something was already dead. Jesus uses it seven times, creating what scholars call the “seven woes” – a complete condemnation that mirrors the seven blessings of the Beatitudes.

But here’s what’s fascinating: the Greek word for “hypocrite” (hypokrites) originally meant “actor” or “one who wears a mask.” In Jesus’ day, Greek theater was hugely popular, and actors would hold up different masks to portray different characters. When Jesus calls the Pharisees hypocrites, he’s essentially saying, “You’re just playing a role. You’re performers putting on a religious show.”

Grammar Geeks

The phrase “strain out a gnat and swallow a camel” in verse 24 uses two Greek words that create wordplay – both kamelos (camel) and the Aramaic word for gnat sound similar. Jesus is making a pun while making his point about majoring in minors.

The structure itself is telling. Jesus begins by acknowledging the Pharisees’ authority (Matthew 23:2-3) – they “sit in Moses’ seat” – but immediately pivots to their failure to live what they teach. The contrast between “they say” and “they do not do” appears repeatedly, hammering home the gap between profession and practice.

What Would the Original Audience Have Heard?

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To Jesus’ audience, this was shocking. The Pharisees were the most respected religious figures of their day – the ones who had preserved Jewish faith through centuries of foreign occupation, who memorized Scripture, who tithed meticulously, who prayed regularly. They were the “good guys” in popular opinion.

Imagine a respected pastor, priest, or rabbi being publicly called out in exactly this way today – that’s the social earthquake Jesus created. But his audience would have also recognized specific behaviors they’d witnessed: religious leaders who loved the best seats at banquets, who wore extra-long prayer shawls (phylacteries) to appear more pious, who insisted on honorific titles like “Rabbi” or “Father.”

Did You Know?

The “heavy burdens” Jesus mentions in verse 4 referred to the 613 additional laws the Pharisees had added to the original Torah. These weren’t biblical commands but human traditions that made following God unnecessarily complicated.

The metaphor of “whitewashed tombs” in verse 27 would have hit especially hard. Jews regularly whitewashed tombs before Passover so people wouldn’t accidentally touch them and become ceremonially unclean. Jesus is saying the Pharisees look spiritually clean on the outside but are full of spiritual death inside.

Wrestling with the Text

Here’s what makes this passage difficult for many modern readers: we’ve been taught that Jesus was always gentle, always kind, always speaking with a soft voice. But authentic love sometimes requires confrontation. Jesus isn’t being mean – he’s being truthful about the deadly danger of religious hypocrisy.

Notice that Jesus doesn’t attack their theology or their knowledge of Scripture. His criticism is entirely about the gap between what they know and how they live, between their public persona and their private reality. This isn’t about doctrinal differences – it’s about integrity.

The progression is also important. Jesus moves from external behaviors (seeking honor, wearing religious symbols) to internal attitudes (pride, greed, lack of mercy) to the ultimate consequence (spiritual death). He’s diagnosing a spiritual disease that starts with performance and ends with perdition.

Wait, That’s Strange…

Why does Jesus tell people to follow the Pharisees’ teaching but not their example (verse 3)? Because they accurately taught God’s law from Moses’ seat – their problem wasn’t wrong doctrine but wrong living. Truth doesn’t become untrue because hypocrites teach it.

How This Changes Everything

This passage revolutionizes how we think about religious authority and authentic faith. Jesus isn’t anti-religion – he’s anti-hypocrisy. He’s not attacking the institution of religious leadership – he’s attacking the abuse of that institution.

The seven woes reveal what God actually cares about: mercy over ritual (Matthew 23:23), internal transformation over external compliance, humility over honor-seeking, and authentic relationship over religious performance.

But perhaps most significantly, Jesus ends with verses 37-39 – one of the most tender passages in all of Scripture. After all this confrontation, he weeps over Jerusalem like a mother hen wanting to gather her chicks. The anger comes from love, not hatred. The judgment comes from a broken heart, not a cold spirit.

“This isn’t Jesus losing his temper – this is Jesus loving people enough to tell them the truth that could save their souls.”

Key Takeaway

Authentic faith is measured not by how religious you appear to others, but by how much your private life reflects God’s heart of mercy, justice, and humility. The greatest spiritual danger isn’t being irreligious – it’s being religious for the wrong reasons.

Matthew Chapter 23

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