Sermon Eighty-five

Matthew 23

(Jesus denounces religious leaders)

Part 4

Introduction

For several weeks, we have been studying a passage in which Jesus reveals the spiritual bankruptcy of the nation of Israel. There is a danger that we might breeze through this material and fail to realize the significance of what we’re reading. We are used to thinking badly of the scribes and Pharisees, so the accusations of Jesus aren’t unexpected. What we must appreciate, however, is the fact that this horrible picture being painted by Jesus is of God’s covenant people.

There are so many important lessons in this section of Matthew. We’re seeing, for example, what happens to those who are offered life and every blessing from God when they take His goodness for granted and go even further by doing precisely what He forbids. For generations, Israel has tested the Lord through unfaithfulness. Leading this treason against God are the religious experts, referred to over and over again by Jesus in our passage. They have failed to guard the nation and have, instead guaranteed the nation’s soon destruction. That is what this passage is about—it is about the covenantal death of Israel.

Jesus is explaining how the nation got to this point and also refers to the coming judgment as He addresses the leaders. Today, we continue the list of charges against the scribes and Pharisees.

The Text

Matt. 23:27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. 28 So you, too, outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. 29 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous, 30 and say, ‘If we had been living in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partners with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ 31 So you testify against yourselves, that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. 32 Fill up, then, the measure of the guilt of your fathers. 33 You serpents, you brood of vipers, how will you escape the sentence of hell?”

Jesus has accused the scribes and Pharisees of shutting off the kingdom of heaven to those seeking God, stealing from the defenseless widows, turning followers into disciples of hell, disregarding the sacred nature of things associated with God, and failing to show justice, mercy, and faithfulness. One stinging charge of hypocrisy after another has come from the mouth of the Savior against those who occupied places of leadership among the people.

The spiritual condition of Israel at this point in history is the lowest it’s ever been—and the most troubling truth of all is that this condition will never again improve. The end has come upon these scribes and Pharisees; Jesus is providing a list of their transgressions right out in public for everyone to hear. Jesus cannot be misunderstood on this occasion; His words are plain and His charges bold.

Standing by Himself, knowing those men desire His demise and knowing within a short time they will have Him in their hands, Jesus defends righteousness and the character of God and the abiding integrity of the Scriptures and the necessity of those qualities considered dispensable by the scribes and Pharisees, namely, compassion, justice, and faithfulness. Our blessed Savior does not shrink back from this duty; He does not downplay the seriousness of the matter. Truth must be declared and accusations must be made, so Jesus stands in front of everyone—the crowds, His disciples, and even the scribes and Pharisees—and passes judgment.

Jesus makes the charge and you can almost hear the gavel of God slam down on His throne as the word “guilty” rings out in the heavens. You men have blocked the way of those seeking heaven—Guilty! You have stolen from the poor widows in your midst—Guilty! You have destroyed the souls of those who came to you for instruction—Guilty! You have shown disdain for the sacred things of God—Guilty! You have substituted your own laws for the laws of God—Guilty! This is as serious as it gets when being called to account for what you have done and failed to do when God puts you in a position of leadership.

After all that has been said already, Jesus adds even more: “You hypocrites! Like the man who tries to disguise the truth by slapping some fresh paint on a tomb filled with dead men’s bones and all manner of filth, you have attempted to hide what you really are and how you really act. But your pretense, abuse, self-promotion, and hypocrisy are obvious to all.” Take note of the vivid contrast established between the outside of a tomb that has been freshly whitewashed and the inside of the tomb where flesh rots. Paint disguises what is inside, but it cannot change what is inside. So it is with the scribes and Pharisees; all their pomp and titles and fine clothes cannot change what they are. Jesus has ripped the masks off their faces, as it were, and has shown them for the ugly, repulsive, and wicked creatures they are in truth. That’s one of the inevitable consequences of hypocrisy: sooner or later, the hypocrite is exposed.

The scribes and Pharisees would be right at home in our culture. More than we would ever want to admit, we take steps to give certain impressions because we want people to think more highly of us than they would if they saw us as we really are. This tendency shows up in the steps we take to hide the aging process and the way we blow out of proportion our accomplishments—as if we have done something super-human. Anytime we can make ourselves appear even a tiny bit better than we are, we’ll take that opportunity. Our flesh lives for those times. We keep having to learn the same lesson over and over again—God is not looking for impressive worshipers; He is looking for humble worshipers, humble and compassionate servants, thankful followers. But we struggle with this issue, to one degree or another, for much of our lives.

When I was a senior in seminary, I had an opportunity to teach in a night school that was operated by the seminary for the benefit of the local community. I had a friend who was attending another seminary not too far away—it happened to be Westminster Seminary in Philadelphia—and he was doing the same thing for that school. We both taught a class or two in an evening institute for our respective schools. One day at church, we were introducing ourselves to a visitor and after we shared our names, the person asked: “So, what do you do?” I replied that I was a seminary student. My friend replied: “I’m on the faculty at Westminster Seminary.”

I turned toward him with a look of surprise on my face, but he didn’t look at me. He stood there with a slight smile of pride on his lips and waited for the inevitable response: “Westminster. Oh, that is impressive.” For my friend to make that claim was like a water boy on a football club bragging about being a member of the championship team. He wasn’t on the faculty of Westminster Seminary, but he was delighted by the reply when he embellished the truth.

Why do we do those things? My friend got one brief moment of admiration from a stranger. He knew he misled that person and he knew that I knew, but he couldn’t resist. The desire for that split-second of glory led him to make a fool of himself in the eyes of those who really knew him. We do it because of our fallen natures. And that is what makes it so very hard for us to avoid coming across like Pharisees sometimes. Those men were such hypocrites that their name has actually become a word used to describe the kind of behavior Jesus is condemning. We use the word pharisaical to describe a person who nitpicks at something of little importance while ignoring something of great importance. We use that word when we encounter someone who is living a life of pretense.

Our passage is concentrating on the scribes and Pharisees, of course, but let’s not act as if we are immune to such behavior. It’s an ever-present danger because our flesh is ever-ready to be built up. Jesus has summed it up perfectly: “Outwardly [you] appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.” (v. 28) In terms of how they were seen by others and how they attempted to present themselves to others, the scribes and Pharisees appeared to be righteous—and, of course, it helped that they had defined righteousness themselves! But the Savior declared they were rotten inside: “inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.”

The leaders went to elaborate ends to build up a façade so that people would think they were righteous men, when in fact they were wicked men; they went to elaborate ends so that people would assume they were men of prayer, men of spiritual worth, when in fact they were men who blasphemed when they prayed and substituted the requirements of men for true spiritual achievement. They were pretenders—the scribes and Pharisees pretended to be one thing, but they were something else. They pretended to keep God’s law, but were actually following another standard—their own. They worked hard to convince people they were leaders to be honored and followed, but Jesus tells them they don’t deserve honor and are to be shamed instead.

In the next charge, Jesus draws a parallel between the leaders of His day and those of centuries gone by: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous, and say, ‘If we had been living in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partners with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ . . .” (vv. 29, 30) Here we discover one of the leading traits of a hypocrite: a hypocrite is always quick to compare himself favorably with those who have failed. Pick someone who has done some horrible thing and declare you would never do such a thing and you’ll look good. One more way in which the Pharisees built themselves up in the eyes of the people, therefore, was to condemn those who already have a horrible reputation and who were already not liked by the people.

The prophets came to a rebellious people and called them to repentance; the prophets warned the people of God’s displeasure and the inevitability of judgment. In response on many occasions, the people attacked the men sent from God. The scribes and Pharisees put on elaborate shows by building memorials to prophets and denouncing those who opposed them. The problem is that the very same scene is being played out in the city of Jerusalem at this very time. The scribes and Pharisees are not listening to those sent by God—just think of the reaction to John the Baptist. And, of course, we’ve been studying the reaction to God’s final Prophet!

Therefore, Jesus tells these men that they are showing themselves to be “sons of those who murdered the prophets.” They are doing the same thing as their forefathers, reacting in the same manner to God’s messengers, refusing to repent just like those before them refused to repent.

I’ve said before that you should take note of the fact that Jesus doesn’t offer a way out for the leaders. He does not call them to repentance because it’s too late. Instead, He does something astonishing. Jesus tells the scribes and Pharisees to continue doing what they’ve been doing so that they might “fill up the measure of the guilt of [their] fathers.” (v. 32)

The sins of the fathers had moved the people closer and closer to the point of no return. They led the people to rebel against God and to engage in idolatry. The nation is now shamed and living in a lowly state. They are captives. How different is their present situation from that which God offered them! He promised them blessings and mastery over the nations if they would keep covenant with Him. He promised them wealth and health and long life. But they chose sin and the leaders of the nation were the instigators. So it is in the day of Jesus. Just a bit further and the nation will be lost forever. So, Jesus declares, continue on your way, do what you have been doing, finish what your fathers began!

Displaying His anger and condemnation of the scribes and Pharisees—and also, at the same time, reminding them of where they are headed—Jesus says: “You serpents, you brood of vipers, how will you escape the sentence of hell?” (v. 33) I must wonder if Jesus uses this phrasing, which was also used by John the Baptist, as a subtle reminder to the Pharisees of what had happened to the prophet John. Whatever the case, Jesus does not worry about shocking and insulting the scribes and Pharisees. They are serpents and vipers, and they will find themselves in hell.

Application

When you consider how forcefully Jesus charged the scribes and Pharisees with hypocrisy and how many times He repeated that accusation, you have to realize that this was an important matter to Him. We have to conclude that a proper relationship with God does not include the traits found in the scribes and Pharisees. Their way of thinking and living was not compatible with what pleases God. The manner in which they approached life did not please Him; the way they treated others did not please Him; their goals did not please Him. And all of this is bound up in that charge of hypocrisy. Therefore, I want to spend some time thinking about this issue.

I just noted that the way the Pharisees thought and lived was not acceptable to God. Their behavior was not what is supposed to come from a dedication to His law, His honor, His glory, and His service. I want us to analyze how those leaders thought and lived so that we can make corrections in our own lives, if necessary. I’m taking for granted that those men displeased God greatly; if, therefore, I can manage to live in the opposite fashion, I can expect to please Him.

Jesus gave us several examples to study. The sin of the scribes and Pharisees included blocking the way to heaven from some who were seeking God. They did that by making their own desires and plans of greatest importance. Those men would rather have had someone bow before them and fear them and treat them like superiiors than humbly explain to that person the majesty of God and the corresponding humility that is supposed to be found in us. They wanted glory, so they robbed God of His.

Therefore, if the is how wicked men behave, you must behave differently if you wish to please God. One simple question should be sufficient: Are you robbing God of His glory at any point in your life? Those who rob God of His glory do not please Him. Those who render to God all glory for every good thing in life and every blessing are pleasign to Him. Is there any aspect of your life for which you are taking credit that should be given to God?

The sin of the scribes and Pharisees included taking advantage of the defensdless. They did that by misleading and mistreating the widows in the community. They saw that the widow was vulnerable and could easily be fooled because she would trust them. Instead of honoring the trust of the widow, the scribes and Pharisees abused that trust to make themselves rich.

That is how wicked men behave; they take advantage of those who trust them in order to increase their personal gainl If that displeases God, then the opposite must please Him. Showing pity for the defenseless must please God. Seeking to improve the lot of the defeneseless must please God. Refusing to realize personal gain due to the lowly condition of another person must please God. Putting compassion in the place of greed must please God.

Have I described you? How do you treat those who are defenseless? How do you treat those who are in need? How do you treat those who trust you to help them and to guide them and to protect them?

The sins of the scribes and Pharisees included working to produce disciples who would be loyal to them, rathet than loyal to truth and to God. These men were interested in recruiting others who would believe them and follow them and serve them. They were not as interested in finding those who would seek God.Their goal was to create a kingdom on earth in which they ruled. And all this greatly displeased God.

The opposite of this behavior is easy to understand. If the attempts of the scribes and Pharisees to build an earthly kingdom for themselves displeased God, then attempts to build a heavenly kingdom for His glory and in which He alone rules must please Him. So I must ask: Are  you laboring for God’s kingdom or for your own? Are you chiefly interested in how you might contribute to the expansion of God’s kingdom or how you might increase your own earthly kingdom? Who owns what you have? Is your home the center point of your earthly kingdom or is it one more household in the growing dominion of God?

The sin of the scribes and Pharisees included disregard of and disrespect for things associated with God. They arbitrarily assigned worth to one thing associated with God and His worship, and denied the same worth to something else also associated with God and HIs worship.They placed their system before respect for God. They thought they could tell people what to respect and what did not have to be respected--but all those things were equally associated with God and that displeased Him.

Again, the opposite of this kind of behavior must, therefore, please Him. You must consider, then, whether you are as respectful of God’s things as you should be. Whatever we encounter on this earth that is tied in some manner to God and HIs worship should be treated with the highest regard. That would include His church, would it not? Is God’s church being properly respected by you and your family? This is where we meet each week to worship God. I’m not suggesting the building is composed of anything other than ordinary materials, but I am saying that the use of this building makes it a place to be highly regarded, a place we will take care of, a place that we will not view as just some other building.

The sins of the scribes and Pharisees included neglect of fundamental aspects of true religion. They are charged with overlooking the importance of things like justice and mercy and faithfulness. They busied themselves with concern for duties God didn’t impose while, at the same time, ignoring duties He did impose. This was not pleasing to God.

The opposite kind of behavior would please Him, therefore. Rather than make up what we think God wants us to concentrate on, we should simply take note of what He says we should be chiefly concerned with and go from there. Is your life, therefore, filled with evidence of your dedication to justice? Are you a truthful person, all the time and in every circumstance? Do you treat others fairly--strangers and friends alike? Do you stand for the truth no matter what the cost. And what about kindness and mercy? Are you a kind person? Do you speak kindly and deal kindly with others? Are you quick to show mercy when the opportunity arises? Do you pray for those in need? Do you inquire about the status of those you know are hurting? And what can you say about faithfulness? Do you have a record of simple faithfulness to God--not the accomplishment of astonishing feats, but simple faithfuless? This is what pleases Him.

Finally, the sins of the scribes and Pharisees included attempts to disguise what they truly were inside. They sought to fool people and eventually they were even fooling themselves. They spent so much time trying to convince everyone they were holy men and men to be followed that they became consumed by the disguise and the trickery and the false piety and the many steps they took to exalt themselves. By the time Jesus spoke to them, these men were wholly overcome and hopelessly trapped in lives of pretense. This is not pleasing to God.

God desires that we face Him openly and without excuse and without attempts to disguise our sins and our weaknesses and our fears. God is pleased wiith those who come to Him without trying to coverup their blemishes. He already knows what we are. He doesn’t want us to whitewash our lives so that those around us will be fooled into thinking our lives are in order when, in fact, they are in disorder.

Do you come to God in all honesty regarding your sins and your fears? If you really want His help, you will put away all efforts to make yourself look better than you reallly are; and that is where transformation begins. God is pleased with those who admit, with all humility, that they are in need. It may be one who is born again, but who has some serious flaws in life that need correction. Come to God, admit those things, remember He is your Father, and He will help you. It may be one who is not yet born again who is troubled by the state of his life. He, too, can come to God in all honesty and ask for help.

Let’s not forget that the gospel is about exactly this—rebuilding, reclaiming, restoring. Christ has made it possible for all of us to know a happy and productive life. He has provided atonement for every sin we’ve commited which is now separating us from God or troubling us or which is now creating turmoil. God is pleased with those who cast themselves before Him asking for mercy. Abundant mercy awaits us. That, too, is what the gospel is about. In the gospel, we are told that lives can be made new—and isn’t that all a sinner needs? Doesn’t a sinner need to have his life remade? Don’t we all need to have our sins forgiven so that we can live in peace with God?

The scribes and Pharisees put up walls between themselves and the mercy of God we know is in the gospel. Whether born again or simply seeking after God, we must do away with all pretenses so that we stand before God just as we are. Then, and only then, will He bless us and make us into what we should be—in His Son, our Savior.

Let’s pray…

Communion hymn

Conclusion

This sacrament testifies to us that the encouragement I’ve just given you regarding coming to the Lord with your needs is, in fact, true. This sacrament points us to the work of Christ in which He satisfied the demand of God for justice in regard to all of our sins. And if those sins have been forgiven, then nothing stands between us and God. And nothing, therefore, stands between us and His recreating love. This sacrament says that you are permitted to call upon God for strength, wisdom, and guidance so that your life will be what He wants it to be.

Matthew 26:26 While they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and after a blessing, He broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.” 27 And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you; 28 for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins. 29 But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.”