16 “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’ 17 You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that has made the gold sacred? 18 And you say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gift that is on the altar, he is bound by his oath.’ 19 You blind men! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred? 20 So whoever swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. 21 And whoever swears by the temple swears by it and by him who dwells in it. 22 And whoever swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by him who sits upon it.” (Matthew 23:16-22 ESV)
In the context of Matthew 23:13-36, Jesus heralded seven woes against the scribes and Pharisees. Luke 11:37-54 records an earlier lamentation of six woes. Rather than an oracle from a prophet of God, these woes are an oracle from the God of the prophets; Jesus Christ.
“Jesus declares seven woes upon the scribes and Pharisees in Matthew 23:13–36, which is a significant number. Scripture often uses the number seven to denote completeness. For example, God rested on the seventh day when He had finished creating the heavens and the earth (Gen. 2:1–3). Considering the association of wholeness with the number seven, Christ’s use of seven woes to denounce scribal and Pharisaic transgressions likely indicates the thoroughgoing wickedness of many people in these groups,” states Dr. R. C. Sproul.
Twice within today’s text, Jesus Christ identified the scribes and Pharisees as blind guides, blind fools and blind men. To be blind (τυφλοὶ; typhloi) means to not only be unable to physically see but in this context to be unable to spiritually understand God and His Word. These religious leaders not only were lacking the ability to comprehend the Scriptures, they hated, as evidenced by their treatment of Jesus, the One, True God of the Word (I Cor. 2:14; John 1:1-3, 14).
Fools (μωροὶ; moroi) are those who are stupid and nonsensical. They are not unintelligent but rather their thoughts lack understanding (1Co 1:25, 27; 2Ti 2:23; Tit 3:9). We derive our English word “moron” from this Greek word.
Ironically, the scribes and the Pharisees were supposedly religious guides for the people of Israel. The word guides (ὁδηγοὶ; hodegoi) means to be a leader. Literally, it means to take someone by the hand and lead them where they need to go. This is what shepherds, religious or otherwise, were supposed to do. This is what God does (Psalm 23; John 10:11-16). However, these men needed someone to guide them unto salvation. They were blind men leading other blind men. Therefore, they required someone to heal them of their blindness.
“There are none so blind as those who refuse to see. Some people are born blind and know they are blind (John 9). Jesus is quite willing to open the eyes of these individuals, not merely physically, but spiritually, so that they may see and believe. The man born blind represents these individuals. Others, however, think that they can see, not only physically but spiritually. The Pharisees, who are actually blind to the things of God, represent this second group,” explains Dr. Sproul.
“Jesus came into the world for judgment, to give sight to the blind and to show how blind those who trust in themselves spiritually are. This is not at odds with His purpose to bring salvation (3:17) but is its secondary and necessary result. Condemnation attends salvation—those who reject the dazzling light of Jesus as He is offered in the gospel are blinded to the things of God by His glory.”
John Calvin comments, “Since Christ is, by his own nature, the light of the world (John 8:12), it is an accidental result, that some are made blind by his coming.”
God is under no obligation to save anyone. Those who harden their blind hearts have no claim to His grace. Each individual must not reject the true light of the Gospel, lest they are blind to His glory and remain condemned in their sin.
“None who Jesus Christ saves will finally blind themselves to Him, but we prove that He has opened our eyes by continually turning to His light and seeking to be guided by it,” concludes Dr. Sproul.
Soli deo Gloria!
His Word Today 