JERUSALEM, JERUSALEM

Passage: Matthew 23:25-39

Key verse: 37

NIV

25 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish,(A) but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.(B) 26 Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.

27 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs,(C) which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. 28 In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.

29 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets(D) and decorate the graves of the righteous. 30 And you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ 31 So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets.(E) 32 Go ahead, then, and complete(F) what your ancestors started!(G)

33 “You snakes! You brood of vipers!(H) How will you escape being condemned to hell?(I) 34 Therefore I am sending you prophets and sages and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify;(J) others you will flog in your synagogues(K) and pursue from town to town.(L) 35 And so upon you will come all the righteous blood that has been shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel(M) to the blood of Zechariah son of Berekiah,(N) whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.(O) 36 Truly I tell you, all this will come on this generation.(P)

37 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you,(Q) how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings,(R) and you were not willing. 38 Look, your house is left to you desolate.(S) 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.’[a]”(T)

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Footnotes
  1. Matthew 23:39 Psalm 118:26
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

25 (A)“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For (B)you clean the outside of (C)the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of (D)greed and self-indulgence. 26 You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of (E)the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean.

27 (F)“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like (G)whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people's bones and (H)all uncleanness. 28 So you also (I)outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of (J)hypocrisy and lawlessness.

29 (K)“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 (L)sons of those who murdered the prophets. 32 (M)Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers. 33 You serpents, (N)you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to (O)hell? 34 (P)Therefore (Q)I send you (R)prophets and wise men and (S)scribes, (T)some of whom you will kill and crucify, and (U)some you will (V)flog in your synagogues and (W)persecute from town to town, 35 so that on you may come all (X)the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous (Y)Abel to the blood of (Z)Zechariah the son of Barachiah,[a] whom you murdered between (AA)the sanctuary and (AB)the altar. 36 Truly, I say to you, (AC)all these things will come upon this generation.

Lament over Jerusalem

37 (AD)“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that (AE)kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have (AF)gathered (AG)your children together (AH)as a hen gathers her brood (AI)under her wings, and (AJ)you were not willing! 38 See, (AK)your house is left to you desolate. 39 For I tell you, you will not see me again, until you say, (AL)‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’”

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Footnotes
  1. Matthew 23:35 Some manuscripts omit the son of Barachiah
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

Jesus confronted the hypocrisy of the religious leaders and warned them that their outward appearances meant nothing if their hearts remained corrupt. Jesus likened them to polished cups whose insides were filthy, and to whitewashed tombs that contained nothing but death. God doesn’t care about outward manifestations of our religion. He cares about what is in our hearts and that we live out our faith truthfully. They were in the tradition of their ancestors who persecuted and killed God’s prophets, from the righteous Abel of Genesis to Zechariah son of Berekiah. God hates hypocrisy and judges it surely and severely.

Jesus longed to gather his people to himself, just as a hen gathers her own chicks to herself. Jesus’ lament over Jerusalem expresses a deep, motherly-type love for God’s people. But they were unwilling to be gathered. They refused to come back to God and be saved. Jesus’ lament reveals both a deep compassion for his people and tragedy of unrepentance. But one day, they would see him again and declare “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.”

Prayer: Father, give me a heart that listens to your word and lives according to your word. Gather your people to you, Lord!

One Word: Be gathered into Jesus’ waiting arms