His Word Today

“But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!” (Matthew 23:13 (ESV)

It is easy to criticize and condemn the scribes and the Pharisees, as Jesus did (Matt. 23:13-36). However, it would also be wrong and hypocritical. Why? It is because by exposing their inconsistency in biblical righteousness, we expose our own. By concentrating on the sin in others’ lives, we ignore the greater sins within our own (Matt. 7:1-5). We must first confess and repent of our own sin prior to confronting others regarding theirs.

The following are some introductory and concluding remarks from biblical commentators with respect to the Seven Woes. Perhaps their perspectives from the biblical text will assist us in applying the lessons in our pursuit of biblical righteousness and the rejection of religious hypocrisy.

“In warning the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees of their ultimate destruction if they continued in their present path, Jesus pronounced seven denunciations, each beginning with Woe to you. “Those woes, in contrast to the Beatitudes, denounce false religion as utterly abhorrent to God and worthy of severe condemnation” (Walvoord, Matthew: Thy Kingdom Come, p. 171). In six of the seven, Jesus called the leaders you hypocrites,” states Dr. Louis A. Barbieri in The Bible Knowledge Commentary.  

“In one of the most scathing indictments imaginable, Jesus cataloged the faults of the Pharisees—faults of which all of us must be wary; particularly those who stand in places of spiritual leadership. What was wrong with Phariseeism,” asks commentator Lawrence O. Richards in The Teachers Commentary?

• They preached, but did not practice (v. 3).
• They acted only to be seen and admired by others, not to please God (v. 5).
• They were proud, seeking to be prominent and exalted over others (vv. 6–9). Because they rejected servanthood and humility, they were themselves rejected by God (vv. 10–12).
• They were hypocrites who neither responded to God nor let others respond (vv. 13–15).
• They were blind guides who played with man-made rules and missed the great realities of faith (vv. 16–22).
• They were hypocrites who made a great to-do over strict tithing of the leaves of tiny herbs like mint and dill, but who neglected great matters like justice and mercy (vv. 23–24).
• They were hypocrites who focused on outward appearances, when within they were filled with greed and pride (vv. 25–27).

“The gospel has its woes as well as the law, and gospel curses are of all curses the heaviest. These woes are the more remarkable, not only because of the authority, but because of the meekness and gentleness, of him that denounced them. He came to bless, and loved to bless; but, if his wrath be kindled, there is surely cause for it: and who shall entreat for him that the great Intercessor pleads against? A woe from Christ is a remediless woe,” explains Puritan Matthew Henry.

We look upon evil every day. We must always biblically confront it, never ignoring the greater evil of our own. May each of us have a God honoring day today.

Soli deo Gloria!

³⁷ “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! ³⁸ See, 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.’ ” (Matthew 23:37–39 (ESV)

 The Bible contains various genres of literature. The four New Testament Gospels are ancient biographies of Jesus Christ. Each of the four contain a predominant theme concerning Jesus’ person and work. The Gospel of John contains the theme of Jesus’ deity. The Gospel of Luke contains the theme of Jesus’ humanity. The Gospel of Mark has the theme of Jesus’ ministry of servanthood. The Gospel of Matthew has the theme of Jesus’ kingly majesty.

However, the Gospels also contain elements of other biblical genres. One such genre is Hebrew poetry. The largest collection of biblical Hebrew poetry are the Psalms. These 150 separate songs express various styles, emotions, perspectives or points of view. There are Messianic Psalms, Thanksgiving Psalms, and even Wisdom Psalms. Today’s text from Matthew contains the emotional tone of a Lament Psalm. A Lament Psalm is a song or expression of grief.

Jesus’ expressed grief and sorrow over Jerusalem. This tone is displayed by His words “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem.” Within this context, the repetition conveys deep sorrow by our Lord for the city of peace. Why? It is because the city represented the people God chose to be His children. However, instead of receiving God’s self-disclosure by His prophets the people of God killed the prophets of God and rejected the Word of God. In so doing, they rejected God.

“This outpouring of grief is addressed to “Jerusalem” because this city, being the capital, Israel’s very heart and center, symbolizes the spirit or attitude of the nation as a whole. Intense emotion, unfathomable pathos, finds its expression in the repetition of the word Jerusalem. Cf. “altar, altar” (1 Kings 13:2), “Martha, Martha” (Luke 10:41), “Simon, Simon” (Luke 22:31), and such multiple repetitions as “O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! If only I had died for you, O Absalom, my son, my son!” (2 Sam. 18:33); and “Land, land, land, hear the word of the Lord” (Jer. 22:29; cf. 7:4),” states Dr. William Hendriksen.

“That the nation was indeed guilty of killing and stoning God’s official ambassadors has already been established; see Matt. 5:12. Proof for “How often would I have gathered your children to myself” is found first of all in the Gospel according to John (2:14; 5:14; 7:14, 28; [8:2]; 10:22, 23). Incidentally, this statement of Jesus also shows that even the Synoptics, though stressing Christ’s work in and around Galilee, do bear testimony to the extensive labor which Jesus had performed in Jerusalem and vicinity. Bearing in mind, however, that Jerusalem represented the nation, it should be pointed out that Christ’s sympathy and yearning love had by no means been confined to the inhabitants of this city or even of Judea. It had been abundantly evident also in the northern regions. See Matt. 9:36; 11:25–30; 15:32; Luke 15; etc.).”

Jesus tenderly compared His love for Jerusalem to a hen and her chicks. “How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!”

“The simile Jesus uses is unforgettable. A chicken hawk suddenly appears, its wings folded, its eyes concentrated on the farmyard, its ominous claws ready to grasp a chick.Or, to change the figure, a storm is approaching. Lightning flashes become more frequent, the rumbling of the thunder grows louder and follows the electrical discharges more and more closely. Raindrops develop into a shower, the shower into a cloudburst. In either case what happens is that with an anxious and commanding “cluck, cluck, cluck!” the hen calls her chicks, conceals them under her protecting wings, and rushes off to a place of shelter. “How frequently,” says Jesus, “I have similarly yearned to gather you. But you refused to come,” explains Dr. Hendriksen.

Did Israel really think that the Lord’s threats were empty, and His predictions of approaching woe ridiculous? The result of such obstinence is desolation. To be desolate (ἔρημος; eremos) means to be lonely, deserted and forsaken. This prophecy would be historically fulfilled in 70 A.D.

Jesus concluded His lament with the words, “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.’ ” This statement did not refer to Jesu recent entrance into Jerusalem (Matt. 21:1-11). Rather, Jesus referred to His Second Coming.

“The meaning is that after this week of the passion Jesus will not again publicly reveal himself to the Jews until the day of his second coming. Except for a brief transition period (Acts 13:46), the day of special opportunity for the Jews is past. At Christ’s return upon the clouds of glory “every eye shall see him” (Rev. 1:7). “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord” (see Matt. 21:9; Luke 19:38) will then be on every lip. Those who will have repented before they died will then, at that glorious coming, proclaim Christ joyfully; the others ruefully, remorsefully, not penitently. But so majestic and radiant will be Christ’s glory that all will feel impelled to render homage to him. Cf. Isa. 45:23; Rom. 14:11; Phil. 2:10, 11,” concludes Dr. Hendriksen.

Jesus Christ is returning soon. Are you ready?

Soli deo Gloria!

³⁴ “Therefore I send you prophets and wise men and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues and persecute from town to town, ³⁵ so that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah the son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar. ³⁶ Truly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.” (Matthew 23:34–36 (ESV)

In the context of Matthew 23:13-36, Jesus heralded seven woes against the scribes and the 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.

Today’s text is not necessarily a word of woe but rather a word of warning. Jesus warned the scribes and the Pharisees judgment was inevitable and imminent. This concluding pronouncement summarized the impending doom facing these religious hypocrites.

“For centuries the Jews had awaited the arrival of their Messiah. The abiding hope in the heart of the Jew was that the day would soon come when the Messiah’s arrival and establishment of His kingdom would usher in the enduring age of promised blessing for God’s people. Every Jewish woman longed to be the mother of that Messiah, and every Jewish man thought of rising to that place of prominence, honor and service,” states Dr. John MacArthur.

“Yet when the Messiah did come and did offer His kingdom and did promise blessing, hope and salvation, instead of receiving Him in faith and love His people rejected Him in unbelief and abhorrence. They so despised Him that they murdered Him and persecuted and often murdered His followers.”

Today’s text is an overall conclusion to this extended discourse. Jesus declared He would presently and actively dispatch prophets, wise men and scribes to the Jewish religious leaders. Prophets (προφήτας; prophetas) were men who spoke forth the Word of the Lord. Wise men (σοφοὺς; sophous) were godly men clever and skilled in the affairs of life and learning. Finally, scribes (γραμματεῖς; grammateis) would be true biblical scholars and teachers of God’s Word. These would become apostles, prophets, evangelists and pastor/teachers (Eph. 4:11).

Even though God sent these three people groups, the Jewish scribes and Pharisees would flog them in their synagogues and persecute them from town to town.  This abhorrent behavior is recorded in the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 4-9; 13-16; 19-28).

Jesus referenced Abel and Zachariah; the first and last Old Testament martyrs. The New Testament Jewish religious leaders would continue the violent opposition of their predecessors.

“The OT does not record how he (Zechariah) died. However, the death of another Zechariah, son of Jehoiada, is recorded in 2 Chron. 24:20–21. He was stoned in the court of the temple, exactly as Jesus describes here. All the best manuscripts of Matthew contain the phrase “Zechariah, son of Barachiah” (though it does not appear in Luke 11:51). Some have suggested that the Zechariah in 2 Chron. 24 was actually a grandson of Jehoiada, and that his father’s name was also Barachiah. But there is no difficulty if we simply take Jesus’ words at face value and accept his infallible testimony that Zechariah the prophet was martyred between the temple and the altar, in a way very similar to how the earlier Zechariah was killed,” explains Dr. MacArthur.

These scribes and Pharisees would experience such persecution themselves in 70 A.D. with the utter destruction of Jerusalem and the burning of the temple by the Romans. What these religious leaders sowed, they would eventually reap.

Galatians 6:7–8 (ESV) says, “⁷ Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. ⁸ For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.”

There may be those who persecute the church today. However, the Lord promises to bring and execute righteous judgment on all those who oppose His disciples. Be encouraged church.

Soli deo Gloria!

²⁹ “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous, ³⁰ saying, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ ³¹ Thus you witness against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. ³² Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers. ³³ You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell?” (Matthew 23:29–33 (ESV)

In the context of Matthew 23:13-36, Jesus heralded seven woes against the scribes and the 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.

” What really counts, as far as God is concerned, is what a man is on the inside, morally and spiritually (cf. 1 Sam. 16:7). The “lawlessness” here mentioned is not the condition of being without law but that of despising God’s law,” explains Dr. William Hendriksen.

As Matthew recorded in today’s text, Jesus uttered the final and most fervent of His seven woes against the scribes and Pharisees. His concluding statement in vs. 33 is an example of speaking the truth in love, which we may find hard to understand or even like. In our postmodern culture, to call anyone a snake or condemn them to hell is a sign of bad taste or a lack of decorum. I mean after all, church growth experts instruct fellow pastors to be seeker sensitive and to not offend.  

However, Jesus was concerned with truth. To communicate how things really are was more important to Him than making people feel good. The condition of the religious leaders’ souls was at stake.

Jesus acknowledged the many monuments the scribes and Pharisees erected in honor of the Old Testament prophets. He heard their affirmations they would never have martyred these OT heralds of God as did their predecessors.

Jesus was not having any of it. He accused them of being the sons of those who murdered the prophets. He called them a brood of vipers, echoing the words of John the Baptist (Matt. 3:7-11). He identified their destiny to be hell (γεέννης; geennes) The name geena was taken from the valley near Jerusalem where trash and garbage continually burned. It ultimately referred to the place of lamentation and punishment for evil.

“The seventh woe shows that in spite of their inner perversity these men boast about their superior goodness. But their murderous designs against those who warn them prove that they are the opposite of what they claim to be,” concludes Dr. Hendriksen.

Jesus did not tell people, especially those facing eternal punishment in hell, what they wanted to hear. Rather, He told them what they needed to hear; the truth. May each believer in Christ be found faithful by God to do the same.

Soli deo Gloria!

²⁷ “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness. ²⁸ So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.” (Matthew 23:27–28 (ESV)

In the context of Matthew 23:13-36, Jesus heralded seven woes against the scribes and the 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.

In our last blog, I referred to the expression “keeping up appearances.” Keeping up appearances is an idiom or phrase meaning to hide something bad by pretending nothing is wrong. In other words, it means to put on an outward display of behavior in disharmony with one’s true character or personality.

Today’s text, the sixth woe, continues Jesus condemnation of the scribes and the Pharisees for such ritualistic righteousness. The Jewish religious leaders of Jesus’ day were scrupulous when it came to outward behavior. However, inwardly they were wretched.

Jesus used a simile in comparing the scribes and the Pharisees to whitewashed tombs. Tombs (τάφοις; taphois) were essentially different from a grave. A grave is where a dead body is placed six feet into the ground. A tomb was/is “an enclosure for a corpse cut in the earth or in rock or a monument to the memory of a dead person, erected over their burial place,” defines the Oxford English Dictionary.

To whitewash tombs was to paint them white. This was done in order to cover cracks or defects in the tomb’s outward structure and appearance. People use the term today to refer to attempts to cover up or unpleasant facts about a person, place or thing.

“Nothing spread ritual impurity as severely as a corpse (it made anyone who touched it unclean for a week—Num. 19:11); Pharisees believed that one contracted impurity if even one’s shadow touched a corpse or grave. Inconspicuous tombs (or limestone ossuaries) would be whitewashed each spring before Passover to warn passersby to avoid them and so avoid impurity; the Pharisees either lacked this telltale warning (Lk 11:44) or pretended that it was a mark of distinction rather than evidence of impurity. “Whitewash” probably alludes to Ezekiel 13:10–12 and 22:28; it may have covered over a wall’s weakness but would not stop its collapse,” explains biblical commentator Craig Keener.

Jesus used the word “appear” twice in this context. To appear (φαίνονται; phainontai) refers to a superficial likeness to something or some quality. For example, an individual may publically appear to be godly but his private behavior shows his real character. Jesus condemned the religious leaders for their outwardly beautiful appearance which covered up their hypocrisy and lawlessness. They were like outwardly beautiful whitewashed tombs, but inwardly containing dead men’s bones.

“Between the fifth woe and the sixth there is a close relationship, as even the occurrence of the words “outside” and “inside” in both of these woes indicates. Jesus is about to point out that the sin of his opponents is that they externalize religion, as if outward appearance were an adequate cover for shame and crime,” explains Dr. William Hendriksen.

How often are we guilty of externalizing our relationship with Christ? We appear righteous when it is convenient or when people are watching, but we behave differently in private. May we repent of such hypocritical behavior and seek to follow the Lord; publically and privately.

Soli deo Gloria!  

²⁵ “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. ²⁶ You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean.” (Matthew 23:25–26 (ESV)

In the context of Matthew 23:13-36, Jesus heralded seven woes against the scribes and the 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.

How good are you at keeping up appearances? Keeping up appearances is an idiom or phrase meaning to hide something bad by pretending nothing is wrong. In other words, it means to put on an outward display of behavior in disharmony with one’s true character or personality. In today’s text, Jesus condemned the scribes and Pharisees for such actions.

The Jewish religious leaders of Jesus’ day were scrupulous when it came to outward behavior. For example, Jesus said they cleaned the outside of the cup and the plate. What did the Lord mean by this expression?

“Ritual purity was important to the Pharisees, so they washed their vessels as well as themselves in ritual baths. The school of Shammai—the Pharisaic majority in this period—said that the outside of a cup could be clean even if the inside were not; the minority view of Hillel’s followers was that the inside of the cup must be cleansed first. Jesus sides with the school of Hillel on this point, but does this so that he can make a figurative statement about the inside of the heart,” explains commentator Craig Keener.

Jesus’ point was that while the scribes and Pharisees were scrupulous about outside ritual purity, their inner hearts were spiritually filthy. They were full of greed and self-indulgence. Greed (ἁρπαγῆς; harpages) means to rob, plunder and seize another individual’s property. Self-indulgence (ἀκρασίας; akrasias) refers to a lack of self-control.

“These men were harpies, as the Greek original clearly indicates. They were rapacious, greedy and grasping. Jesus undoubtedly has reference to something very definite when he said this, though it is not easy to determine just what it was. Luke 16:14 may be of some help. It shows that the accused were not philanthropists, “lovers of men” but (pardon the word) philargurists, “lovers of money.” They were the kind of people who “devoured widows’ houses” (Mark 12:40; Luke 20:47),” states Dr. William Hendriksen.

“They were guilty of intemperance. They were probably not as conspicuous in this trait as were those coarse materialists, the Sadducees. After all, one can expect scribes and Pharisees to be refined! Yet, even among the scribes and the Pharisees there must have been a generous sprinkling of guzzlers.”

Jesus did not just condemn these hypocrites, but also commanded them to do what was right. The Lord was not teaching a moralistic, therapeutic religion of self-reformation. Rather, He was proclaiming repentance and faith in the One, True God of heaven and earth; Himself. Only through monergistic regeneration by the Holy Spirit can anyone be truly cleansed (John 3:1-8; Titus 3:1-5).

Are you in the habit of keep up religious appearances? For example, do you attend church worship services, read your Bible and serve in some capacity? However, is your heart a heart of stone (Ezekiel 36)?

Have you been born again? Have you received Jesus Christ’s imputed righteousness and been converted by grace alone, through faith alone, and in the person and work of Jesus Christ alone (John 1:12-13; Romans 3:21-26; Ephesians 2:1-10; Philippians 3:1-9)? Only then will you experience truly cleansing; not just on the outside but also on the inside of your soul.

Soli deo Gloria!

²³ “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. ²⁴ You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!” (Matthew 23:23–24 (ESV)

In the context of Matthew 23:13-36, Jesus heralded seven woes against the scribes and the 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 returned to the recurring phrase found in the first two woes but absent in the third. He now focused on the biblical instruction of tithing. A tithe (ἀποδεκατοῦτε; apodekatoute) literally is to give a tenth. It primarily means to give a tenth of one’s income. The first ten percent of one’s crops, or corresponding income, was to be the tithe. The believer would trust the Lord in living on the remaining 90%.

“According to Deuteronomy (Deut. 12:2–7, 17–19; 14:22–29), the centralization of worship meant that the tithe was taken annually at the sanctuary and shared by priests and Levites. Corn, wine, oil, and flocks were tithed. Every third year, the Levites, foreigners, orphans, and widows were given the whole tithe in charity (Deut. 26:12). According to Numbers 18:21–32, every tithe in Israel was given to the Levites in return for their priestly service,” states biblical scholar Walter A. Elwell in the Tyndale Bible Dictionary.

“The prophet Malachi (Mal 3:8–10), who scathingly declared the withholding of tithes to be “robbing God,” promised full barns and vats, opened windows of heaven, outpoured blessing and deliverance from locusts, in return for faithful tithing. In the early tithe feasts, thanksgiving for God’s gifts would seem appropriate (cf. Gen. 28:22), though not emphasized. Maintenance of the service of God remained the chief purpose of tithing, along with a wide charity.”

The scribes and the Pharisees focused on the minors while ignoring the major principle and importance of tithing. They placed great value on tithing three small garden herbs: mint, dill and cumin. However, they ignored weightier matters of justice, mercy and faithfulness towards God and their fellow man. They adhered to the letter of the Law while ignoring its spirit.

This applies today in the concern over social justice. There is no doubt the church must be concerned about social issues, but never at the expense of biblical truth. The problem with the scribes and the Pharisees was they were concerned about biblical truth but neglected social justice. This delicate balance must be maintained.

“The Social Gospel movement, which arose in America in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries under the inspiration of theological liberalism, downplayed sin and reduced Christianity to feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless, and other acts of social justice. There was a justifiable backlash against this movement in the churches and an exodus of people who affirmed the essential truths of the Christian faith. Unfortunately, some theological conservatives were so afraid of falling prey to the Social Gospel that works of charity ranked at the bottom of their priority list, if they were done at all,” explains Dr. R. C. Sproul.

“Those who neglected acts of social welfare for fear of looking like liberals were guilty of throwing out the baby with the bath water. Though the parallels between this historical example and today’s passage are inexact, Matthew 23:23–24 warns us that it is possible to become focused on one set of God’s demands at the expense of another. The scribes and Pharisees tried to obey God’s law scrupulously; they tithed their herbs even though the Torah did not specifically require the giving of such (Deut. 14:22–23). However, their obedience did not include the weightier, and more difficult, matters of the Law. It is easy to count out a tenth of one’s cumin seeds, but it is much harder to help needy people in a substantial way. Sacrifice of time and leisure might be required to show mercy to the one who is downtrodden. Faithfulness may mean the loss of one’s job or reputation as the result of bearing witness to Christ.”

It is wise to remember Micah 6:8: “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”  Have a blessed day in the Lord.

Soli deo Gloria!

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.

What does it mean to swear an oath? To swear an oath (ὀμόσῃ; amose) in this context does not mean to use verbal profanity. Rather, it means to affirm the truth of a statement; as in a court of law. An oath is a solemn promise, often calling upon God as a divine witness, regarding one’s future actions or behavior. How often as kids did we use the phrase, “I swear to God.”

“Today’s passage gives us the third woe Jesus uttered against the scribes and Pharisees (Matt. 23:16–22), the content of which He previously delivered in the Sermon on the Mount (5:33–37), albeit in a different form. As a background to our study, remember that our Creator instituted oaths and vows to safeguard the sanctity of truth (Num. 30). Lying is second nature to fallen people, and the use of oaths and vows to call God as a witness when we make a promise is designed to make us more likely to keep it. Knowing that the Almighty has confirmed the oath should motivate us to fulfill it lest we incur His displeasure,” states Dr. R. C. Sproul.

Jesus said in His Sermon on the Mount, ³³ “Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’ ³⁴ But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, 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 take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. ³⁷ Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.”  (Matthew 5:33–37 (ESV)

“The present paragraph (23:16–22), in distinction from the one in chapter 5, shows how stupid and absurd it is to say that an oath by the sanctuary (the inner temple, consisting of “the holy place” and “the holy of holies”) amounts to nothing, but that an oath by the gold of the sanctuary is binding; that an oath by the altar is not valid; but one by the gift on the altar, valid. Naturally it is the greater, in the present case the sanctuary and the altar, that lends sacredness to the lesser; that is, respectively, to the gold of the sanctuary and to the gift on the altar; just as, for example, the “office” of the president of the United States is greater than the person who happens to be elevated to it at any particular point in history. But whether one swears by the sanctuary, by its gold; by the altar, by its gift; by heaven, or by God’s throne, in the final analysis all such oaths are “by God” who owns all and controls all,” explains Dr. William Hendriksen.

May our commitment to the Lord simply be yes and no. Yes to the thoughts, speech and behavior pleasing to Him and no to that displeasing to Him. Read Colossians 3 for further study.

Soli deo Gloria!  

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!