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Matthew 23:1-39 (Seven woes)

INTRODUCTION: Our message series is called Jesus in Jerusalem, and we are looking at the final week of Jesus’ life in Jerusalem before he went to the cross. We have seen the increasing conflict between Jesus and the religious leaders during this time, and that conflict reaches a resounding crescendo with Jesus’ scathing denunciation of the religious leaders in today’s passage. If they didn’t want Jesus killed before he spoke these words, they certainly did after. (Read Matthew 23:13-15 and pray.)

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There are many ways to go to hell, but perhaps the saddest is by way of church. Some people go to hell because they don’t believe in God. That’s sad. Some people go to hell because they believe in a false god. That’s also sad. But to go to church with God’s people? To sit under the preaching of God’s word? To hear the gospel proclaimed week after week and still never give your life to Jesus? That has to be the saddest way of all.

Jesus has a word for people who go to hell by way of church, and that word is hypocrite. The religious leaders of Jesus’ day were by and large hypocrites, and Jesus exposes their hypocrisy in a series of seven woes that he pronounces upon the teachers of the law and Pharisees. (outline)

I. Jesus addresses the issue of hypocrisy (1-12)

Jesus begins by addressing the issue of hypocrisy. Speaking to the crowds and his disciples, he warns them about the hypocrisy of the religious leaders. And he tells us several things about the religious leaders here.

   A. Do what they say, not what they do (1-4)

First, he tells us to do what they say, not what they do. Look at verses 1-4:

Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: 2 “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. 3 So you must obey them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. 4 They tie up heavy loads and put them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.” (Matthew 23:1-4)

The teachers of the law and the Pharisees were responsible for teaching and interpreting the law of Moses. The law of Moses came from God, and so Jesus told the people you should do the things they tell you, at least as far as they correctly taught and interpreted the law. But, Jesus said, don’t do what they do, because they do not practice what they preach.

In other words, they were hypocrites. They taught the law, but they did not practice the law. Or when they did practice it, they practiced their own legalistic version of it with all sorts of man-made rules and traditions. They made things harder for the people, and they weren’t even willing to help out. They were indifferent. They didn’t really care for the people and the burdens they had to bear. How unlike Jesus who took all of our sins and burdens upon himself at the cross.
That’s the first thing Jesus says about the religious leaders’ hypocrisy. Do what they say, not what they do.

   B. Everything they do is for others to see (5-7)

And then, secondly, he warns the people that everything the religious leaders to is for others to see. Look at verses 5-7:

“Everything they do is done for men to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; 6 they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; 7 they love to be greeted in the marketplaces and to have men call them ‘Rabbi.’” (Matthew 23:5-7)

These phylacteries were Scripture boxes, small leather boxes containing various Scripture passages, sort of like walking around with memory verses on 3×5 cards today. Except Jesus says the Pharisees made their phylacteries wide. It would be like you carrying your memory verses around on poster board for everyone to see.

The tassels on their garments were commanded in the law as a personal reminder of God’s commandments (Numbers 15:38-39), except the Pharisees made their tassels long for everyone to see. They loved the place of honor at banquets, they liked the most important seats, and they loved to be greeted in public places and called “Rabbi.” The word Rabbi literally means, “My great one!” so it would be like people coming up to you at Publix and greeting you as, “Oh great teacher!”

Basically, they were show-offs! They were attention grabbers. This was part of their hypocrisy. Instead of serving God and others quietly, everything they did was for others to see.

   C. Hypocrisy is prideful; choose humility instead (8-12)

Finally, Jesus equates hypocrisy with pride and urges us to choose humility instead. Look at verses 8-12:

“But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have only one Master and you are all brothers. 9 And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. 10 Nor are you to be called ‘teacher,’ for you have one Teacher, the Christ. 11 The greatest among you will be your servant. 12 For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” (Matthew 23:8-12)

Jesus says don’t seek to be called by titles that would make you feel superior to other people. We only have one Rabbi or truly Great One, and we are all brothers and sisters in Christ. We have one Father, and he is in heaven. (Now, that doesn’t mean you can’t call your dad Father. He’s your earthly father, but we have one true Father, our Father in heaven.) We have one Teacher, and he is Christ.

Even though God has appointed pastors and teachers in the church, we are all equal before God and we are not to claim personal superiority over others. The pastor or teacher has authority only so long as they are accurately presenting the word of God. Jesus says don’t act deserving; rather, lead by serving. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. So, that’s our first section. Jesus addresses the issue of hypocrisy.

II. Jesus pronounces seven woes (13-36)

Next Jesus pronounces seven woes on the religious leaders. These are some of the harshest words of Jesus recorded for us in Scripture. Six times Jesus calls them hypocrites. Five times he calls them blind. He also calls them fools, serpents and sons of hell.

We’re not used to hearing Jesus address people this way. Of course, we weren’t used to Jesus turning over the tables in the temple or cursing the fig tree either. Maybe Jesus does these things more often than we thought! It is interesting to note that Jesus never addressed the common people like this. He reserved his harshest words for the religious leaders and those who practiced hypocrisy.

So, what are these seven woes? Let’s look at each of them in turn and see whether we may be falling into some of the same traps as the Pharisees did.

   A. Woe #1 – Keeping others out of heaven: false teaching (13)

In the first woe Jesus says they are guilty of keeping others out of heaven. This is the sin of false teaching. 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.” (Matthew 23:13)

The Pharisees did not teach the truth about God or Christ. Not only that, but they added all sorts of requirements to the law. It’s bad enough to miss heaven ourselves, but to keep other people away is an even greater sin.

We shouldn’t make it hard for someone to become a Christian. There’s an old joke about the person who tried to join a certain church but kept being turned down for membership. He went home and prayed about it and Jesus answered him, “Don’t worry about it. I’ve been trying to get into that church for twenty years myself!” So, that’s the first woe – the sin of false teaching.

   B. Woe #2 – Misdirected zeal: false conversions (15)

In the second woe Jesus says they are guilty of misdirected zeal. This is the sin of false conversions. 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.” (Matthew 23:15)

The Pharisees had plenty of zeal, but it was misdirected zeal. They worked hard to make converts, but they were making converts to themselves, not to God. As a result, their converts ended up worse off than they started! Galatians 4:18 says, “It is fine to be zealous, provided the purpose is good.” (Galatians 4:18) The Pharisees were guilty of misdirected zeal which resulted in false conversions.

   C. Woe #3 – Putting material things before God: irreverence (16-22)

In the third woe Jesus says they are guilty of putting material things before God. This is the sin of irreverence or lacking the fear of God. Look at verses 16-22:

“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 the gold sacred? 18 You also 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 the gift sacred? 20 Therefore, 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.” (Matthew 23:16-22)

The Pharisees were famous for playing around with the rules and finding ways to get around the law. Here Jesus addresses their approach to oaths and sacrifices. They were counting the material things like gold or the gift on the altar as more important than the temple or altar themselves. They didn’t realize that it was the temple that made the gold sacred or the altar that made the gift sacred. Basically, they didn’t realize that God is involved in everything, and so all their oaths were meaningful before God.

Jesus calls them blind guides. I once led our teenagers on a blindfolded hike where they paired off in two’s. One would be blindfolded and the other had to guide them along the trail. Then they switched places. It was a scary experience for the blindfolded person but imagine if they were both blindfolded! The blind leading the blind! That’s what Jesus says about the Pharisees. They are blind guides! They are guilty of putting material things before God.

   D. Woe #4 – Practicing legalism instead of love: wrong focus (23-24)

In the fourth woe Jesus says they are guilty of practicing legalism instead of love. This is the sin of a wrong focus. Look at verses 23-24:

“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. 24 You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.” (Matthew 23:23-24)

The Pharisees majored on the minors and minored on the majors. They were meticulous in their tithing, but they neglected the more important matters of the law. Jesus says they should have done both. Jesus pictures them carefully weighing out their herbs and spices, counting out every single grain. However, it’s not about weighing your herbs but about weighing your heart! We learned earlier in the gospel of Matthew that love is the fulfillment of the law. The Pharisees are guilty of practicing legalism instead of love.

Those are the first four woes. Now on to woes five, six and seven.

   E. Woe #5 – Cleaning the outside: concern for appearances (25-26)

In the fifth woe Jesus says they are guilty of cleaning the outside only. This is the sin of concern for appearances. 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. 26 Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.” (Matthew 23:25-26)

The Pharisees were very concerned with ritual cleanness and ceremonial washings. But Jesus says all these things are useless if you are not clean yourself on the inside. The Pharisees were concerned with appearances, but who you are on the inside is who you really are.

   F. Woe #6 – Harboring sin: neglecting the heart (27-28)

In the sixth woe Jesus says they are guilty of harboring sin. This is the sin of neglecting the heart. Look at verses 27-28:

“Woe to you, teachers of the law 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 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.” (Matthew 23:27-28)

Each year before Passover the people of Jerusalem would whitewash the tombs as a safeguard for the pilgrims traveling to the feast. That way the pilgrims would be careful not to accidentally touch or rest themselves against a tomb which would make them ceremonially unclean and unable to partake of the Passover. Jesus says that’s what the Pharisees are like. They are all clean and sparkly on the outside but inside their insides like dead men’s bones.

This woe is the flip side of the previous woe. In woe number five, the Pharisees were concerned with outside appearances. Here in woe number six, they are neglectful of the heart.

   G. Woe #7 – Rejecting God’s messengers: persecution (29-36)

And then finally, in the seventh woe Jesus says they are guilty of rejecting God’s messengers. This is the sin of persecution. Look at verses 29-32:

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous. 30 And you say, ‘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.’ 31 So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets. 32 Fill up, then, the measure of the sin of your forefathers!” (Matthew 23:29-32)

This is yet another example of hypocrisy and pride. They thought that they would not have participated in the same sins as those who came before them. They believed that they would not have rejected the earlier prophets, but here they are rejecting Jesus! It’s similar to how some people today say, “If I had lived back then, I would never have put Jesus on the cross.” Don’t be so sure about that!

Jesus continues in verses 33-36:

“You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell? 34 Therefore I am sending you prophets and wise men and teachers. Some of them 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 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. 36 I tell you the truth, all this will come upon this generation.” (Matthew 23:33-36)

The Pharisees boasted about the past, but they rejected God’s messengers in the present. They rejected John the Baptist. They rejected Jesus. And they would reject those who preached Jesus after his death and resurrection.

Jesus speaks of Abel and Zechariah. Abel was the first martyr recorded in the Old Testament (Genesis 4:4–8). Zechariah was the last (2 Chronicles 24:20–22). And so, from Abel to Zechariah, from the first martyr to the last, from A to Z, they are responsible for all the righteous blood that has been shed on the earth. Why is that? Because they will crucify the Messiah, the Son of God, the Righteous One who was sent to be our Savior.

And so, Jesus pronounces these seven woes upon the teachers of the law and Pharisees. To be guilty of even one of these things would be bad enough. But to be guilty of all seven? No wonder Jesus spoke so harshly to the religious leaders.

III. Jesus weeps over Jerusalem (37-39)

Finally, Jesus weeps over Jerusalem. The seven woes we have just looked at contain some of the harshest words of Jesus ever recorded. Jesus’ lament over Jerusalem contains some of the most tender words of Jesus ever recorded.

And the two are connected. This closing lament shows us that Jesus spoke all the woes against the Pharisees with a tone of compassion and with a longing for their repentance. Look at verses 37-39 with me now:

“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. 38 Look, 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)

There are a couple things we learn from Jesus’ lament over Jerusalem.

   A. God longs to save (37)
      – Ezekiel 33:11

First of all, God longs to save. You can hear the depth of Jesus’ emotions as he repeats the words “Jerusalem, Jerusalem.” He has longed to gather the people together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings. It’s not that God was not willing, but they were not willing.

We read in Ezekiel 33:11: “As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, O house of Israel?” (Ezekiel 33:11)

So, that’s the first thing we learn from Jesus’ lament. God longs to save. God loves you and longs to save you. Why won’t you turn from your sins and come to him?

   B. Judgment is coming (38-39)
      – Exodus 34:7

And then the second thing we learn is that judgment is coming. Exodus 34:7 tells us: “God will by no means leave the guilty unpunished.” (Exodus 34:7 NASB)

Jesus tells the people of Jerusalem, “Look, your house is left to you desolate.” Jesus knew that Jerusalem would be attacked and destroyed in A.D. 70. He knew that the people would suffer greatly. Jesus himself was about to suffer at the cross, and yet he was more concerned for the sufferings they would experience in forty years than his own sufferings which were right before him.

Finally, Jesus tells them, “You will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’” Christ is returning, which is the theme of our next two chapters in Matthew. When Christ returns, all will acknowledge him. But for many it will be too late.

Jesus’ lament over Jerusalem shows that despite all the woes for sin, God still longs to save us. However, judgment is coming, so we must respond now. It is clear that Jesus spoke all these warnings with great sorrow in his heart. We should never speak about judgment or hell without tears in our hearts if not in our eyes.

CONCLUSION: There are many ways to go to hell, but perhaps the saddest is by way of church. Too many people go to church, they say and do all the right things, but their heart is not right with God. They will fall under the same judgment for hypocrisy as the religious leaders of Jesus’ day.

There are many ways to go to hell, but only one way to go to heaven. God sent his Son Jesus to die on the cross for your sins. Jesus is the only way to heaven. He is the only way back to God.

You are in church this morning, but church is no guarantee of heaven. Don’t go to hell by way of church. Put your faith in Jesus today.

© Ray Fowler

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