Matthew 23:1-39

Seven Woes to the Scribes and Pharisees

23 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat, so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others. But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers. And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. 10 Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ. 11 The greatest among you shall be your servant. 12 Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

13 “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in. 15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves.

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.’ 17 You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that has made the gold sacred? 18 And you say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gift that is on the altar, he is bound by his oath.’ 19 You blind men! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred? 20 So whoever swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. 21 And whoever swears by the temple swears by it and by him who dwells in it. 22 And whoever swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by him who sits upon it.

23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. 24 You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!

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

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

29 “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 sons of those who murdered the prophets. 32 Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers. 33 You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell? 34 Therefore I send you prophets and wise men and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues and persecute from town to town, 35 so that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah the son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar. 36 Truly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.

Lament over Jerusalem

37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! 38 See, 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.’”

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.


11 thoughts on “The Essential Jesus-Day 44

  1. The greatest among us should be our servant. We need to remember to worship the Creator and not
    the creation. So many people want to worship creation but they forget the One who created all things.

    1. Bendito es el que viene en el nombre del Señor, gracias mi padre amado por enviar a nuestro amado Jesús

  2. Oh Lord we can’t wait to say Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord as You enter Jerusalem again.! Amen and Amen.

  3. WOE!!!, do as I say but not as I do; BIG contradiction, two- faced. HOW can a person follow a leader that’s untrustworthy? HMM? As the body of CHRIST, we all have different roles, (but) we’re all equal in value before the LORD. We’re family, brothers & sisters in CHRIST; servants to one another. This is a warning that when someone seems to be so “heavenly minded, that they are no earthly good” (I got that from Pastor Damon many years ago) be careful. JESUS is saying that Scribes & Pharisees seemed righteous on the outside, but corrupt on the inside, & so were their motives. (They were planning on killing JESUS). Instead of running to JESUS, they rejected HIM ,, the ONE Whom GOD sent. Thank You for my blessing LORD. “Blessed is he who comes in the NAME of the LORD. “Amen”

  4. “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD.” the Creator is #l. JESUS is the server. The TRINITY is still the greatest. Remember to take heed from the word, “Woe to you scribes, nd Pharisess, hypocrites. Be more like JESUS

  5. Jesus, Jesus, Jesus Woe to you. you scribes and Pharisees, those who demand on others what they won’t do themselves. Those who look and act godly on the outside but their insides are wicked and unjust.

    Its a good thing that God calls it like he sees it and warns us that there are leaders and christians that does not have the right motive for this christian walk . This tells us there is only one superior to you and that is God, no man not even your pastors, teachers, deacons or keaders can think because of their title or position give them privileges in the churches and our society. We are all His children and our leaders should show servant hood above anthing else. We are to respect who God puts in leadrship but we are not to reverance them above the creator our Lord and Savior.

    As the word say we must all say Blessed is he who cones in the name of our Lord.

    Be blessed church.

  6. So many people in our world today that follow the bad example of the scribes and Pharisees…Do as I say, not as I do. Look at me. Jesus certainly set a different path, living a life that changed everything!

  7. God can see through all of our motives. He knows who is truly pure in heart and who is not. Dont be a hypocrite. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord for he will be exalted while others are humbled. Amen.

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