Matthew 23:25-39
In His grace God has given us a choice. He will neither impose His desires on us nor protect us from the consequences of rebellious choices. In this powerful conclusion to the woes Jesus explains the foundation for the rebellion of the religious elite and the results that that rebellion will bring. This is a message that is timely for the church today and our lives as individual followers. The root problem for pharisaical religion was that they focused on external appearance rather than inner, moral character. They appear deeply religious as they debated such things as the relative importance of ceremonial cleanliness of the inside or the outside of a cup. Yet, all the while that they held these debates their inner, moral character was rotten. What was worse, they were OK with that rottenness. Jesus compares their duality to a tomb that is filled with the decay and rot, but outside is beautiful, pristine white. This internal rot working with an outward pretense of piety is a damning combination. It leaves a person completely guilty, but self-deluded thinking that their pious acts indicate they are righteous. Such people are “sons of vipers” with no escape from the doom of hell. As in the past when God sent prophets, so Jesus would send His people. But just like in the Old Testament they would be rejected and persecuted. Pessimism is often the correct view. In verse 37, we see Jesus’s heartbreak expressed by His wanting to protect Jerusalem but Jerusalem not wanting Him. As a result, the house or temple is literally left abandoned. This is more than the destruction of A.D. 70. This was an expression of the reality that God had departed from the temple worship and the people of Israel. Note that Jesus emphasizes that, “your house is being left to you desolate”. Emphasis added. The decline of the church in the West, and in America specifically, is because we have rejected the Lord. The decline is not the result in a change in culture or generations. The church has collectively and individually been content to have a godless faith to suit our internal, rotten morals. As churches close and buildings are abandoned or sold, we need to realize that long before the apparent end came that church left the Lord and the Lord abandoned them. "Lord, give us the grace to follow You, not what is comfortable, popular or pleasing. AMEN"
Matthew 23:13-24
Woe is an expression of utter grief and ruin beyond return. It is a term that Jesus will use several times in Matthew, chapter 23. Jesus apparently never read, “How to Win friends and influence people”. There is so much of the slick, flattery salesmanship in the church today, just as there was in ancient times. Jesus had none of it. There is also in the church today a raging combination of the world and sin. But Jesus’s sharpest rebuke was for the most religious people. We need to take note that while the specific issues may be different, the bent and the twisted heart issue may be shared. The rigidness of the Pharisee’s strict, rule keeping did two things. First, it kept them from authentic relationship with God. Second, they kept others from that kind of relationship with God as well. When Christians today are more known for our condemnation of vice and sin than for the Grace we offer the world turns a deaf ear. Such an attitude may also reflect the heart that believes it has been justified by its works and has earned salvation. Rule keepers beget rule keepers. There is nothing wrong with efforts to make converts, but when rule keepers (ancient or modern) do that, their converts will try to be even more legalistic. The result is that they will be even more estranged from God. Jesus in calling them “sons of hell” was not pejorative; it was a statement of fact. Next Jesus addresses the rule keeper’s tendency to look for loopholes. Having created an external legalistic system they can never keep, all rule keepers look for an exception that will allow them to skirt around their own rules not to mention God‘s law. This is the beginning of their hypocrisy. Justification of the rule keeper is only possible if they can find a loophole or an exception. Jesus addresses the root of the hypocrisy by explaining it using the example of tithing. The outward expression of tithing, righteous in and of itself, was a poor substitute for a heart given to God. Very likely Micah 6:8 was in the mind of Jesus. Jesus is warning us about focusing on the measurables so that we miss or perhaps even choose to ignore the more important heart issues. "Lord, help me to be holy, not just in my actions but also in my heart and motivations. AMEN"
Matthew 23:1-12
This and the next several passages from Matthew 23 demonstrate the importance of context. Less than 24 hours prior Jesus purifies the temple and challenges of religious status quo authority. The day has been a battle of words with Jesus besting all comers. With His opposition forced into accepting His authority they opt instead for stubborn silence. Jesus now exposes and denounces their utter failure as moral and religious leaders. Jesus directs His comment to the people, but well within the hearing of the religious elite. We might find it tempting to watch this volley and cheer. But we would be wise to see if the Lord’s condemnation doesn’t speak about our own hearts and lives. The general theme is that the conduct of the religious didn’t match with their professed loyalty to God. Does that sound like or apply to me? It would appear that the opening words of Jesus’ comments were dripping with sarcasm. Moses’s seat was a figurative expression for authoritative teaching on the Law. But their expertise was limited to telling people about the rules. They failed to keep them and were not able to offer any help to others on how to live. For the religious elite helping people was and is less important than being seen as religious or righteous. They went to great lengths to climb the ladder of looking pious. For them image was everything and they deeply desired the titles that came with the good image. Every disciple of Christ needs to take seriously the prohibitions of our Lord and these verses. In general, we can use two principles. First, don’t be a pious, reputation seeking, ladder climber and second, don’t pander to those who do. Nothing indicates a person is less pastoral than his insistence on being called Pastor. Nothing shows that a person is less reverent than insisting that he be called the Reverend. That is true for any title. Jesus does assert, in a quiet way, His authority. First by saying that only Christ is THE leader and second by recalling the maxim of greatness, “To serve with humility is the path to exaltation.” "God convict me as I try to climb any religious ladder or hierarchy, and help me, Lord, to have the strength to refuse to be a lackey for anyone who is trying to climb a pious ladder. AMEN"
