Text Talk Matthew 23
Notes
Transcript
Text Talk, September 16, 2020
Matthew 23Text Talk, September 16, 2020
Matthew 23
Introduction
Reuben, how did the prophets use this word, and what is its connotation?
Reuben, how did the prophets use this word, and what is its connotation?
This woe language is definitely used throughout the prophets. The instance that comes to my mind is in Isaiah 5 where God pronounces 6 woes on the people of Israel.
The idea behind these woes is that God is denouncing the people because their thoughts and actions don’t align with his will.
Essentially, it means that the people have become enemies of God, and because of this, their destruction is coming.
This is important because the language of Jerusalem’s destruction is becoming more and ore prominent.
Also… It’s important that we remember all of the context as we go into this chapter. This is the same week as the last couple of chapters, so we should continually remember those chapters as we read this one.
Remember what Jesus said about how loving God is tied to loving neighbor.
Remember what Jesus said about bearing fruit.
These things will appear in this chapter as well.
Matthew 23:1-7 Do not follow the example of the Pharisees
Matthew 23:1-7 Do not follow the example of the Pharisees
Jesus begins this section by talking about how the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. What is the meaning of that unusual language?
Jesus begins this section by talking about how the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. What is the meaning of that unusual language?
In the Jewish Synagogue, there was usually a special seat in the front where a teacher would sit and teach the people.
There isn’t clear evidence that the seat was called “The Seat of Moses,” but the evidence does indicate that there were special seats in the front where teachers would sit.
I think that the idea here, is that the religious leaders claimed to teach with the authority of Moses. They claimed to teach the law given by Moses.
What were the Pharisees doing in this regard that was so egregious?
What were the Pharisees doing in this regard that was so egregious?
The problem with all of this is that the religious leaders were not actually following the law. They claimed that they were teaching under the authority of Moses, but the truth is that they weren’t living how they were supposed to live.
The text says that they are preaching, but not practicing, and Jesus criticizes them for that.
He says that they are putting these heavy burdens on the people, but they are unwilling to carry those burdens themselves.
This is a contrast with Jesus and the burden that he places on us. Matthew 11:28-30.
28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
This is what’s wrong with what the pharisees are doing.
In what way were the Pharisees making a show of themselves? And what about the wearing of the title “rabbi.” Why were the Pharisees doing that? And what is the lesson for us today?
In what way were the Pharisees making a show of themselves? And what about the wearing of the title “rabbi.” Why were the Pharisees doing that? And what is the lesson for us today?
I like the way that you describe it: “making a show of themselves.” That’s exactly what they were doing, and the problem is that they were seeking the approval of men rather than God.
Jesus gives us a couple of examples of this. (Matthew 23:5-7)
5 They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, 6 and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues 7 and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others.
They do their deeds to be seen by others.
They make their phylacteries broad and fringes long.
This requires some explanation of the culture to understand.
Phylacteries are small leather boxes that contain key texts of the law. These boxes were worn of the forehead and on the arm. This was a way that the Jews would literally fulfil Deuteronomy 6:8; 11:18.
8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.
18 “You shall therefore lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.
In order to seem super religious/pious, the religious leaders would wear very large phylacteries.
Fringes are tassels that are found on the corners of Jewish cloaks. These were required by Numbers 15:38-39, so most if not all Jews would be wearing these (including Jesus).
38 “Speak to the people of Israel, and tell them to make tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and to put a cord of blue on the tassel of each corner. 39 And it shall be a tassel for you to look at and remember all the commandments of the Lord, to do them, not to follow after your own heart and your own eyes, which you are inclined to whore after.
The Pharisees were making their fringes super long so that others would look and think, “They must be super religious.”
These things show that the pharisees were seeking to please men rather than pleasing God.
This includes the title “rabbi” BTW.
There’s nothing wrong with being called rabbi, but the Pharisees were seeking praise and this is why it was wrong. Their hearts made it wrong for them to be called rabbi.
What is the lesson for us today?
Our goal should be to please God.
Some people only do good in order to be praised by others.
We need to do good because it pleases our God.
23:8-12 Jesus directs His disciples to be humble
23:8-12 Jesus directs His disciples to be humble
In contrast to the Pharisees, Jesus calls upon His disciples to be different. What is the lesson here about the kind of character and conduct disciples are to have?
In contrast to the Pharisees, Jesus calls upon His disciples to be different. What is the lesson here about the kind of character and conduct disciples are to have?
The idea is that as disciples, we should be humble and not seek out praise or titles.
We shouldn’t seek titles like teacher or father.
It doesn’t mean that those titles are necessarily wrong. 1 Corinthians 4:15. The point is that we shouldn’t seek these titles.
15 For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
Disciples should be humble. We should view others as more important than ourselves. Instead of doing good so that we will be praised, we should do good so that God will be praised.
23:13-30 The eight woes pronounced on the Pharisees
23:13-30 The eight woes pronounced on the Pharisees
Verse 13: In what way had they shut up the kingdom of heaven?
Verse 13: In what way had they shut up the kingdom of heaven?
They shut up the kingdom of heaven in the sense that they are not truly leading the people. They are like the blind leading the blind. Matthew 23:16. They are leading people away from God, and we’ve seen this in multiple areas of Matthew.
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.’
We’ve already seen throughout our reading that the pharisees have a horrible misunderstanding of scripture. If they are leading the people with this misunderstanding, then they are leading the people away from God.
We’ve also seen how the religious leaders have abused the temple and turned it into a shopping mall.
How were the gentiles supposed to learn about God in that situation?
The religious leaders made it more difficult for them to be righteous.
They are closing the doors of the kingdom.
We’ve also seen how the Pharisees are opposing the truth of Christ. Because of this, they are leading the people away from God.
This is how the Pharisees are shutting the door of the kingdom.
Jesus uses the word “hypocrite” as He speaks of these woes. Give us some insight on this word.
Jesus uses the word “hypocrite” as He speaks of these woes. Give us some insight on this word.
The nature of the word “hypocrite” varies throughout this section – but, in general, it is referring to them deceiving themselves. They have deceived themselves into thinking that they understand God’s way, but in reality, they have misunderstood God’s will.
As I said, the nature of the word “hypocrite” varies throughout this section. Usually we think of a hypocrite as someone with a double standard (or someone who wants to deceive others), but that’s not what it means here in verse 13.
In this verse, we see that they treat others the same way that they treat themselves.
They allow neither themselves, nor others, to enter the kingdom.
So, in this verse, hypocrisy is not their double standard or deceiving others. It’s their self-deception.
Verse 14: The hypocrisy is easy to identify here as they devoured widows’ houses while pretending to be spiritual in their long prayers. But, in what way might they have “devoured widows’ houses?”
Verse 14: The hypocrisy is easy to identify here as they devoured widows’ houses while pretending to be spiritual in their long prayers. But, in what way might they have “devoured widows’ houses?”
Before I answer this, let me address the question that some might have. Some people may be looking at their bible and notice that this verse is not there.
Don’t worry. Your Bible isn’t removing verses. There is a good reason why this verse isn’t in many Bible translation.
This verse is very likely not a part of Matthew’s Gospel. It was likely added on accident because a scribe wrote in the margins of his scroll.
We do find this verse in Mark and Luke. Mk 12:40.
40 who devour widows’ houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.”
In what way might they have devoured widows’ houses?
Ultimately, we don’t know because the text doesn’t tell us, and secular history doesn’t help us either.
The point here is that they are mistreating the vulnerable. This injustice is something that can be seen throughout Israel’s history. Micah 2:1-2.
1 Woe to those who devise wickedness
and work evil on their beds!
When the morning dawns, they perform it,
because it is in the power of their hand.
2 They covet fields and seize them,
and houses, and take them away;
they oppress a man and his house,
a man and his inheritance.
Here we see the powerful use their power to benefit them and to hinder the less powerful. It seems that the religious leaders were doing the same thing.
This would have been blatant hypocrisy. They want others to believe they are righteous with long prayers, but they don’t truly live like righteous people.
Verse 15: What is the sin in this verse? How does it relate to their hypocrisy?
Verse 15: What is the sin in this verse? How does it relate to their hypocrisy?
Verse 13 and 15 are connected (another reason why 15 is likely an accidental addition). In both of these verses, the hypocrisy involves a self-deception. The religious leaders have deceived themselves into thinking that they are doing God’s will, but they are not. In reality, they are blind.
Because of this, they are like the blind leading the blind. As leaders, they are leading people away from God.
This verse teaches us something very important.
You can be very zealous, but very wrong.
Jesus describes the scribes and pharisees as very zealous people. They make these long and difficult journeys in order to convert a proselyte, but since they don’t truly understand God’s will, they are only leading the proselyte away from God.
Again, it’s like the blind leading the blind.
Verses 16-22: Jesus condemns them for their false oaths. What is going on here?
Verses 16-22: Jesus condemns them for their false oaths. What is going on here?
These next two woes are connected as well. They both deal with the tendency of the religious leaders to focus on the minute details while ignoring the bigger picture (while ignoring what it truly means to be a child of God).
We see that here. The pharisees are focusing on the minute details of oath keeping, but have completely missed the bigger picture.
They say that you can swear by the gold of the temple but swearing by the temple means nothing.
They have failed to realize that the gold is sacred because of the temple. The temple is greater than the gold, and They have missed it.
They have failed to see the big picture.
The point that Jesus is making is: you guys don’t understand the scripture. This is why Jesus calls them blind three times in this section. They don’t understand scripture, and that’s why they are making these foolish distinctions with regards to oaths.
If they truly understood scripture, they would just keep their words without worrying about the oaths.
Verses 23-24: This text is sometimes used to say that Jesus condemned the Pharisees because they were strict in observing the Law. Is that what is happening here?
Verses 23-24: This text is sometimes used to say that Jesus condemned the Pharisees because they were strict in observing the Law. Is that what is happening here?
What’s going on in this woe is the same thing that we saw in the previous woe. The Pharisees are focusing on the minute details while ignoring the bigger picture and what it means to be a child of God.
They do the little things.
They tithe mint, dill, and cumin. These are the little things.
They miss the big things.
They fail to do justice, to show mercy, and to be faithful.
This reminds me of Micah 6:1-8.
1 Hear what the Lord says:
Arise, plead your case before the mountains,
and let the hills hear your voice.
2 Hear, you mountains, the indictment of the Lord,
and you enduring foundations of the earth,
for the Lord has an indictment against his people,
and he will contend with Israel.
3 “O my people, what have I done to you?
How have I wearied you? Answer me!
4 For I brought you up from the land of Egypt
and redeemed you from the house of slavery,
and I sent before you Moses,
Aaron, and Miriam.
5 O my people, remember what Balak king of Moab devised,
and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him,
and what happened from Shittim to Gilgal,
that you may know the righteous acts of the Lord.”
6 “With what shall I come before the Lord,
and bow myself before God on high?
Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,
with calves a year old?
7 Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,
with ten thousands of rivers of oil?
Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression,
the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?”
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?
The people ask, “should we do more?”
God responds by saying you are missing the big picture.
That’s what’s going on here, and the idea is not that they are being too strict… It’s that they are neglecting the more important things.
That’s the point of the gnat/camel example. Both the gnat and camel were unclean animals, and Jews were not allowed to eat them. Jesus is saying that the pharisees are like people who take their time to strain a gnat out of a drink, but will eat a camel…
What’s bigger? The gnat or the camel.
The point is not that we should neglect the little things, but we should recognize that there are weightier things, and sometimes those things take precedence.
Midwives on the sabbath.
What’s more important: taking care of our neighbor or keeping the sabbath. The neighbor is more important.
Verses 25-26: These pronouncements do not seem to be getting any lighter. What is Jesus telling them to do when He says, “first cleanse the inside of the cup?”
Verses 25-26: These pronouncements do not seem to be getting any lighter. What is Jesus telling them to do when He says, “first cleanse the inside of the cup?”
Throughout Matthew’s gospel, we have seen how the Pharisees have been concerned about their ritual purity. They’ve been so focused on being externally clean, but they’ve failed to be morally clean.
They wash their hands before they eat, but at the same time, they devour widow’s houses.
They may be externally clean, but they are not morally clean, so Jesus wants them to focus moral purity, and as a result, they will be truly clean.
Verses 27-28: This is a powerful and direct rebuke of their hypocrisy. Note that in the end of verse 28 He accuses them of “lawlessness.” What is He saying here?
Verses 27-28: This is a powerful and direct rebuke of their hypocrisy. Note that in the end of verse 28 He accuses them of “lawlessness.” What is He saying here?
The same thing is being said here. They focus so much on the external, but they are morally dead on the inside.
They claim to love God. But they don’t keep the second greatest command. They fail to show love by failing to do justice/mercy/faithfulness.
So they really aren’t keeping the law are they? They have failed to keep the law because they don’t understand what God truly wants from them.
Verses 29-33: Jesus says these men were just like their wicked forefathers. Is there a lesson in this for us today?
Verses 29-33: Jesus says these men were just like their wicked forefathers. Is there a lesson in this for us today?
The lesson is to learn from the mistakes of the past. They didn’t learn from their fathers, so they will make the same mistakes as their fathers.
The way Jesus describes them is interesting… He calls them serpents. For the Jewish reader, what does this bring to mind?
It’s like a bright blue hyperlink straight to the garden of Eden.
It’s like Jesus is saying that they aren’t on God’s side. They are doing the work of Satan… of the serpent… of the beast.
They’ve failed to learn from the mistakes of their fathers, and God will punish them like he punished their fathers.
23:31-36 Judgment upon the Jewish nation
23:31-36 Judgment upon the Jewish nation
This judgment relates to the last woe spoken by Jesus. These men were just like their fathers. Their fathers killed the prophets sent to them in the past. And now, these Pharisees would persecute and kill those sent by Jesus. But, what about verse 35? What is this about Abel and Zechariah?
This judgment relates to the last woe spoken by Jesus. These men were just like their fathers. Their fathers killed the prophets sent to them in the past. And now, these Pharisees would persecute and kill those sent by Jesus. But, what about verse 35? What is this about Abel and Zechariah?
The idea here is that Abel is the first death in the Hebrew Bible and Zechariah (likely not the prophet Zechariah, but a priest named Zechariah) is the last death in the Hebrew Bible.
The last book of the Hebrew Bible is the 2 Chronicles. Zechariah is the last death in this book.
From beginning of the OT to the end, the wicked have slayed the righteous. Jesus’ point is that the religious leaders are going to continue this wickedness.
Judgment by God was coming. But upon what generation would it come?
Judgment by God was coming. But upon what generation would it come?
This generation is the generation that would see the judgment. This is talking about the destruction of Jerusalem, and the point is clear. God is going to judge Israel because of their unrighteousness.
23:37-39 Lamentation over Jerusalem
23:37-39 Lamentation over Jerusalem
These are sad words uttered by Jesus. It reminds us of how much the Lord wanted to draw the Jewish people unto Himself—but they would have none of it. What is meant by “Your house is left unto you desolate”?
These are sad words uttered by Jesus. It reminds us of how much the Lord wanted to draw the Jewish people unto Himself—but they would have none of it. What is meant by “Your house is left unto you desolate”?
What is Jesus referencing when he says, “your house?” He’s referencing the temple. Isn’t the temple supposed to be God’s house? Matthew 21:13
13 He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.”
Now it’s not God’s house… It’s “your house.”
It goes back to that parable where the king destroyed “their city.”
Jerusalem was God’s city… The temple was God’s house, but since the people don’t want to acknowledge God as king and ruler, God has given them over…
“If you want to live like it’s your city, then you can have it.”
So Jerusalem is no longer God’s city, and will be ultimately be destroyed and desolate.
What are we to make of the last verse of the chapter?
What are we to make of the last verse of the chapter?
I’m not sure on the language here, but in the previous verse, Jesus said, “your house is left to you desolate.” It’s like Jesus is telling Jerusalem: I’m leaving.
Now Jesus says, “You won’t see me until you say…”
Where have we heard those words before? Those were the words of the believers during the triumphal entry.
I’m not sure on the language, but it seems to me that Jesus is saying:
I’m leaving.
If you want to see me again, then you need to become a believer.
There are two other options
One is that Jesus is talking about final judgment when every knee will bow.
The other is that Jesus is talking about the destruction of Jerusalem.
Concluding remarks:
Sunday split service 9:30/11:00 (stream)
Sunday HS Zoom study: 5 PM
Monday study: Catchup Nite—Matthew 24
Bible Read: Matthew 25