In The Footsteps Of The Master: The Life and Times of Jesus Christ

In The Footsteps Of The Master:The Life and Times of Jesus Christ

Eight (no, Seven) WoesApril 8, 2012

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Review• It is still Tuesday before Jesus’ crucifixion• We are still in the Temple courts• Jesus is still in a running discussion/war

of words with the Scribes and Pharisees• And the heat continues to rise ...


Hypocrisy• Matthew 23:1-5

– 1Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples, 2saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses; 3therefore all that they tell you, do and observe, but do not do according to their deeds; for they say things and do not do them. 4They tie up heavy burdens and lay them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are unwilling to move them with so much as a finger. 5But they do all their deeds to be noticed by men; for they broaden their phylacteries and lengthen the tassels of their garments.”


For Discussion• Jesus says that the scribes and Pharisees

sit in the “chair of Moses”– They occupied Moses’ place as judges and

interpreters of the Law• We might make a similar reference to the

“professorial chair”– They burdened people with regulations and

minutiae, yet did nothing to help them• Their major focus was to be seen as pious

leaders by the common man


Phylacteries• Phylacteries (tefillin) were boxes worn on

the head and/or arms, containing key verses of scripture– Deuteronomy 6:8(NASB) 8“You shall bind

them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead.”


Tassels• Tassels were woven on the corners of the

cloaks worn by Jewish men– Numbers 15:38-39(NASB) 38“Speak to the

sons of Israel, and tell them that they shall make for themselves tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and that they shall put on the tassel of each corner a cord of blue. 39It shall be a tassel for you to look at and remember all the commandments of the LORD ...”


Eschew Status• Matthew 23:6-12

– “6They love the place of honor at banquets and the chief seats in the synagogues, 7and respectful greetings in the market places, and being called Rabbi by men. 8But do not be called Rabbi; for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers. 9Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. 10Do not be called leaders; for One is your Leader, that is, Christ. 11But the greatest among you shall be your servant. 12Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.”


For Discussion• The title “Rabbi” literally means “my great

one” and was given to those who had been trained and approved as teachers– If was a status symbol, if you will– We view the title “Reverend” in much the

same manner today• Jesus tells His disciples that they are not

to seek such honor– It is for Him alone– And they are to be equal as brothers


For Discussion• Status is not to be sought on earth

– In fact, the opposite is true– He who would be first is last

• Even more so, call no one on earth Father, since there is only one Father– There is no NT reference to anyone being

called “Father”• And there is only one leader: the Messiah

– Jesus speaks this in obvious reference to Himself


Woe #1• Matthew 23:13

– 13“But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut off the kingdom of heaven from people; for you do not enter in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.”


For Discussion• Not only do the Pharisees refuse to accept

Jesus’ teaching, they stand in the way of others desire to do so

• In what ways do they shut off the Kingdom?



– 14“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense you make long prayers; therefore you will receive greater condemnation.”

• This passage is not present in the earliest manuscripts and is not considered by scholars as part of the original text– Hence the Eight ... No, Seven ... Woes



– 15“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you travel around on sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.”


For Discussion• This has always been one of the most

fascinating passages of Scripture to me• Jesus accuses the leaders of seeking

proselytes, only to turn them into “sons of hell”– An idiom for “Sons of the Evil One”

• The Pharisees could not help but feel the sting of Jesus words here– He is calling them “sons of hell”, as well


For Discussion• There’s a danger in seeking to make

others like ourselves if we are not following the will of the Father


Woe #4• Matthew 23:16-22

– 16“Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the temple, that is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple is obligated.’ 17You fools and blind men! Which is more important, the gold or the temple that sanctified the gold? 18And, ‘Whoever swears by the altar, that is nothing, but whoever swears by the offering on it, he is obligated.’ 19You blind men, which is more important, the offering, or the altar that sanctifies the offering? 20Therefore, whoever swears by the altar, swears both by the altar and by everything on it. 21And whoever swears by the temple, swears both by the temple and by Him who dwells within it. 22And whoever swears by heaven, swears both by the throne of God and by Him who sits upon it.”


For Discussion• Putting aside the fact that Jesus has

warned His disciples against taking oaths• Jesus challenges the Pharisees as to the

appropriateness of their oaths– Some oaths count, others don’t

• Remember that the Temple bore God’s name– Two pillars:

• Jachin: He shall establish• Boaz: In it is strength


For Discussion• They swear by the gold or the offering, but

it is the Temple or the Altar – and God’s presence there – that makes them holy in the first place

• And when you swear by Heaven, it is by God Himself that you swear

• The real issue is the “fingers-crossed”, hypocritical nature of their vows



– 23“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others. 24You blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!”


For Discussion• Meticulous attention to detail, but missing the

entire point– Hosea 6:6(NIV) 6 For I desire mercy, not sacrifice,

and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.

• Jesus is not objecting to their tithes, but they should do them without neglecting the other things

• The gnat and the camel were the smallest and largest animals in Palestine– Both were unclean– The Aramaic names for the two are similar



– 25“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full of robbery and self-indulgence. 26You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the dish, so that the outside of it may become clean also.”


For Discussion• Again, Jesus challenges them for being

hypocritical• It’s what’s on the inside that matters

– Matthew 15:18-20(NASB) 18“But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man. 19For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders. 20These are the things which defile the man; but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile the man.”



– 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. 28So you, too, outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.”


For Discussion• Dead bodies – and any part thereof – were

especially unclean– Touching one was a big deal

• Tombs were whitewashed, not only to make them more attractive, but as a warning as to their location– Helps mask the real contents

• Again, Jesus is speaking to the content of their hearts– Another insult to the Pharisees’ self-

righteousness



– 29“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous, 30and 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.’ 31So you testify against yourselves, that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. 32Fill up, then, the measure of the guilt of your fathers. 33You serpents, you brood of vipers, how will you escape the sentence of hell?”


For Discussion• For years, the leadership of the Jewish

nation has been abusing and killing the prophets

• Jesus quotes the Pharisees as saying: “We wouldn’t have done that ...”

• He calls them a brood of vipers– Any mistaking the insult?


Woe #8b• Matthew 23:34-36

– 34“Therefore, behold, I am sending you prophets and wise men and scribes; some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city, 35so that upon you may fall the guilt of all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. 36Truly I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.”


For Discussion• He goes on to predict what will happen to

those whom He sends out– Stephen was stoned– Peter was crucified– Paul was stoned and beaten and ...– Eleven of the original Twelve met violent

deaths• Same as it ever was ...


Lament for Jerusalem• Matthew 23:37-39

– 37“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling. 38Behold, your house is being left to you desolate! 39For I say to you, from now on you will not see Me until you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’”


For Discussion• Can you feel Jesus’ longing for the city

that bore His Father’s name?– He feels for them as a Mama Hen

• He came to save them, but they have rejected Him

• They will not see Him again, unless they acknowledge Him


In Closing• Status is not to be sought in this life• Their religion was mostly for show

– What about ours?• What is on the inside matters• When there is a disconnect between what

is inside and outside, it will be exposed


Next Week• The Widow’s Mite

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In The Footsteps Of The Master: The Life and Times of Jesus Christ

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