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JESUS REBUKES THE PHARISEES

Question

JESUS REBUKES THE PHARISEES

 

Matthew 23:1-39

Key Verse: 23:37

 

    "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those

     sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children

     together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you

     were not willing."

 

STUDY QUESTIONS

 

1.  Read verses 1-4. What did Jesus tell the crowds and his disciples

   about the life and teachings of the Pharisees? Read verses 5-12. How

   and why did the Pharisees show off? In what ways must Jesus'

   disciples be different?

 

2.  Read verses 13-22. How did the Pharisees' teaching shut the door of

   the kingdom of God? How can the door be opened? Why did Jesus call

   them "blind guides"? How did their vow-making show their materialism

   and greed? (cf. Mt 6:24)

 

3.  Read verses 23-26. How did their petty concerns further reveal

   their spiritual blindness? What does it mean to strain out a gnat

   and swallow a camel? What makes the inside dirty? Read verses 27-28.

   What illustrates their spiritual corruption?

 

4.  Read verses 29-36. How did the Pharisees unwittingly admit that

   they were enemies of God? How and why did Jesus rebuke them? Why did

   God send the prophets? Who were the martyrs whom Jesus mentions?

   What would happen to them?

 

5.  Read verses 37-39. What was God's original purpose for Jerusalem?

   (See Isa 2:1-3) How had God tried to turn them to himself? How did

   Jesus express his love and longing for God's people? His sorrow? Why

   is it such a serious matter to reject God's love?

 

 

 

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Message

JESUS REBUKES THE PHARISEES

 

Matthew 23:1-39

Key Verse: 23:37

 

    "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those

     sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children

     together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you

     were not willing."

 

     As each nation has her pride and sense of superiority over other

nations, so did the Jews, because they had the Law of God while other

nations did not. The Jews never thought of being a world power

politically.  They had been conquered by the Assyrians, the Babylonians

and the Persians, and Jerusalem had been left desolate several times.

Nonetheless, they never lost their sense of superiority over other

nations because they possessed the Law of God. Yet they could be

superior to other nations, not simply because they possessed the Law of

God, but when they had the spirit of the Law and practiced what the Law

said. When they lost the spirit of the Law, they became like salt that

has lost its saltiness (Mt 5:13). The Pharisees were once chosen people

and once great people, but when they lost the spirit of the Law they

became an organized group of hypocrites. In chapter 23, Jesus rebukes

them and laments because of their hypocrisy. This rebuke applies to all

who live before men's eyes, not in the sight of God.

 

First, they burden people with many laws and regulations (1-4). As we

have studied, Bible teachings consist of faith, hope and love. The

Pharisees must plant faith in people's hearts. They must labor in love

for God's people until they come to know the love of God. They must

plant in people's hearts a living hope in the kingdom of God. But the

Pharisees did not teach the word of God to the people. They made many

impracticable regulations and laws, and demanded that people keep them

thoroughly, while they themselves were too lazy to lift a finger (4).

They abused their establishment authority until people felt burdened to

the degree of being condemned.

 

Second, they sought their own glory (5-12). Look at verse 5.

"Everything they do is done for men to see: They make their

phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long." They

decorated themselves too beautifully, like Russian orthodox priests.

Phylacteries were leather boxes that contained Scripture verses. The

Pharisees strapped one on the wrist and one on the forehead so that

they might look like sincere, Bible-believing leaders. God commanded

his people to make fringes on the borders of their garments in order to

help them remember the Ten Commandments whenever they looked at them

(Dt 22:12). These fringes looked like tassels. The Pharisees did not

wear these tassels to remember the Ten Commandments, but to show

themselves off ostentatiously so that they might draw people's

attention to themselves. They sought their own honor (6) by demanding

that people call them "Rabbi" (7). They did not want to be called

"pastor" or "shepherd," but "most honorable teacher, sir."

 

     Jesus told them not to call themselves "Rabbi" because they were

all equal as incorrigible sinners who needed God's grace of forgiveness

(8).  Look at verse 11. "The greatest among you will be your servant."

Jesus also told them that they should serve one another in God. They

must humble themselves in order to be exalted by God, not by men. So

Jesus said in verse 12, "For whoever exalts himself will be humbled,

and whoever humbles himself will be exalted." As the chosen people,

they should have had a great desire to be great in the sight of God.

But they did not; they only wanted to be great before men's eyes. As a

result, they were not great, but very popular, like rock stars.

 

Third, they shut the door of the kingdom of God (13-15). Look at verse

13.  "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites!

You shut the kingdom of heaven in men's faces. You yourselves do not

enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to." These days

there are many preachers who never teach the Bible but only something

about the Bible or skills in getting welfare benefits from the Bible.

These holy rollers do not lead people to God but to hell. Likewise, the

Pharisees only taught people many rules, regulations, traditions and

laws until people were utterly confused and condemned. People really

wanted to hear the good news of the kingdom of God. But the Pharisees

never preached the good news of the kingdom of God. In this way, the

Pharisees shut the door of the kingdom of God on his people (13).

 

     They also shut the door of the kingdom of God on the Gentiles who

came to them. Look at verse 15. "Woe to you, teachers of the law and

Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single

convert, and when he becomes one you make him twice as much a son of

hell as you are." Many Gentiles liked the strict Jewish moral standards

and monotheism. So there were many Gentiles who came to the Pharisees

to learn of God. But the Pharisees did not teach them the hope of the

kingdom of God. Instead, they taught them Jewish traditions and all of

their regula tions and laws so as to convert them to Judaism. They

treated the Gentiles like sinners when they did not wear a yarmulke. In

this way, the Pharisees blocked the Gentiles' way to the kingdom of

God.

 

Fourth, they used vows falsely (16-22). Look at verse 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.'" The Jews had a custom of making vows. When Jacob was in a

desperate situation, he made a vow to God to give 10% of his income (Ge

28:20-22). When he made the vow, he employed the name of God. But the

Pharisees used vows falsely. They said, "If you make a vow to the

temple, it is not binding; but if you make a vow to the temple gold, it

is binding. You must keep it no matter what the cost involved" (16). In

this way, they urged people to make vows to the gold of the temple.

Probably they made them vow to give money to the temple. They were

deceitful and greedy for money. Man cannot serve both God and money at

the same time (Mt 6:24). The Pharisees served money.

 

Fifth, they were ritualistic but merciless people (23-24). Look at

verse 23.  "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you

hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices--mint, dill and cummin. But

you have neglected the more important matters of the law--justice,

mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without

neglecting the former." The teachers of the law and the Pharisees kept

all kinds of ritualistic ceremonies and religious obligations. But they

neglected the more important matters--justice, mercy and faithfulness.

They were not just, because they exploited helpless people through

their system. When they had to be eyes to the blind and friends to the

tax collectors and counselors to the prostitutes, they weren't merciful

as Jesus was. They only condemned them instead of caring for them with

the mercy of God. Above all, they were not faithful to God. They should

be like pure virgin brides to God. But their hearts were filled with

political intrigue.  They should live in the sight of God. But they

lived before men's eyes. They were sensitive to public opinion, but

they were insensitive to God's will. They should have been spiritual

men; but they were ungodly and merciless.

 

     So Jesus said to them in verse 24, "You blind guides! You strain

out a gnat but swallow a camel." The Pharisees were very careful in

keeping petty rules and regulations. For example, they strained out a

gnat, which was known as an unclean insect in order to avoid drinking

it. But they did not care to keep the truth of God. Verse 24 says, "You

blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel." They were

like foolish dieters who eat an extra-large pizza and then drink Diet

Coke. This kind of person lives an adulterous and perverse life during

the weekdays. But on Sunday he goes to church and pretends to be a

devoted Christian.

 

Sixth, Jesus rebuked their corruption (25-28). Look at verses 25,26.

"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You

clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of

greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of

the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean." They were

like whitewashed tombs. They appeared to people as highly religious

people, but on the inside they were full of corruption and emitted an

offensive odor (27,28).

 

Seventh, the Pharisees persecuted the prophets (29-36). Look at verse

29.  "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites!

You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the

righteous." The Pharisees and teachers of the law were hypocrites who

were the cause of all bad influence. When the prophets delivered the

messages of God telling them to repent of their sins and turn to God,

they did not hear the voice of God through the prophets. Rather, they

thought that their pride was offended by those who had no preaching

licenses. Their pride was even more hurt when their consciences were

pricked by the prophets' messages of repentance. When their religious

establishment, which was based on traditions, formalities, mannerisms

and rituals, was challenged by God's message from the prophets, they

became wild and blindly persecuted them.

 

     In terms of human emphasis, they were more political than

religious.  But what they did shows that they were enemies of God. They

killed the prophets because of their pride and wickedness. So they did

not have to decorate the prophets' tombs. But after killing the

prophets the Pharisees beautifully decorated their tombs in honor of

their righteous lives. What a strange hypocrisy! What was worse, they

blamed their persecution of the prophets on the world situation. They

said, "If we had lived in the days of our forefathers, we would not

have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets" (30).

 

     Look at verse 32. "Fill up, then, the measure of the sin of your

forefathers!" This means, "You want to kill me, so kill as your

forefathers did!" Look at verse 33. "You snakes! You brood of vipers!

How will you escape being condemned to hell?" Jesus' heart was broken

because they condemned themselves to hell by committing the sin of

persecuting and killing God's servants. Jesus really wanted them to be

God's servants and shepherds of God's flock. But they became the

members of the kingdom of Satan, hell. Jesus was sorry when he thought

about their eternal condemna tion in hell. Look at verse 35. "And so

upon you will come all the righteous blood that has been shed on earth,

from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of

Berekiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar." Jesus'

heart was broken because his chosen people became the agents of the

devil and shed the blood of the prophets throughout history. They would

suffer eternal condemnation (36). It is not a light matter to persecute

the servants of God.

 

Eighth, the chosen people rejected God's love (37b). Verse 37b says,

"...how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen

gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing." God

chose Israel as his firstborn son and gave them all his love and all

his blessings. But they did not realize it. They rejected God's love

blindly. Historically, God, like a mother hen, wanted to gather his

chicks under his wings of grace. But his chosen people rejected his

love again and again. When Jesus cried, saying, "O Jerusalem,

Jerusalem," he was like King David, who had heard the report of his son

Absalom's death in the war of rebellion and cried, saying, "O my son

Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you--"

(2 Sam 18:33). Whoever he may be, when a person's love is betrayed, he

experiences the greatest pain. Jesus experienced great pain when he was

crucified on the cross. He experienced great pain when the sharp nails

pierced his sensitive hands and feet. But Jesus experienced the most

pain when his people rejected the love of God. Let's not incur God's

wrath and condemnation by rejecting the love of God. Instead, let's

accept the love of God, whatever situation we are in.

 

Ninth, Jesus laments because the chosen people abandoned God's holy

mission (37-39). Look at verse 37. "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who

kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed

to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her

wings, but you were not willing." In this verse, Jerusalem refers to

the chosen people.  Jerusalem represents the nation Israel or the

people of Israel. When we study the Bible, Israel is God's covenant

people through Abraham. Israel is the firstborn son of God (Ex 4:22).

As much as God loved his people Israel, God blessed them. But they did

not maintain God's blessing and did not keep God's words. Then God

disciplined them by sending them into captivity or through harassment

by surrounding enemies.

 

     Jerusalem was the holy city where the temple of God was. God had a

hope of making this holy city the headquarters of the Bible centers of

the whole world. Isaiah prophesied concerning this. Isaiah 2:1-3 says,

"This is what Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem: In

the last days the mountain of the Lord's temple will be established as

chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and all

nations will stream to it. Many peoples will come and say, 'Come, let

us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob.

He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.' The law

will go out from Zion, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem." When we

ponder this passage we learn God's broken shepherd heart toward the

peoples of all nations. God wanted to raise the people of Israel as

Bible teachers and shepherds and missionaries and send them out to the

whole world so that they might teach the word of God. But his chosen

people abandoned God's holy mission. They did not make Jerusalem the

Bible center for the whole world, but a den of robbers (Mt 21:13). They

made it a stronghold of Satan, in which many prophets were persecuted

and killed.

 

     Look at verse 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.'" The day

will come when the children of God will welcome the Second Coming of

Jesus, saying, "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" as

the crowds did at Jesus' entry into Jerusalem. It is the day when the

new heavens and new earth will come. It is the day when our Lord will

admire those who endured all the sufferings of the saints. On the other

hand, it is the day of judgment to those who rejected the love of God.

 

     In this chapter we learn that we should not live before men's eyes

like the Pharisees, but live in the sight of God, though it is costly.

We also learn that we must know that we did not choose God; but God

chose us to obey his world mission command. Most importantly, we must

learn the shepherd heart of God for the world.

 

 

 

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