Text: Mathew 23:13-23

Intro:

  1. At this time in the Lord Jesus Christ’s earthly ministry, he is in Jerusalem, and this is only a short time before his crucifixion.
  2. In chapter 22, the Lord Jesus had the Herodians, the Sadducees, and the Pharisees all ask him questions in an attempt to trick him into saying something that they could use against him and turn the hearts of the people away from him.
  3. The Lord Jesus answered their questions and even presented the Pharisees with a question that they could not answer for fear of the people.
  4. As we come to chapter 23, the Lord Jesus Christ begins to expose these religious leaders as hypocrites who put on a great religious show but are really living for themselves rather than to please God.
  5. We will break the chapter down into the following divisions:
  6. Hypocritical Holiness Exposed (Vs 1 – 12)
  7. Hypocritical Service Reproved (Vs 13 – 23)
  • Hypocritical Sanctification Rebuked (Vs 24 – 33)
  1. Hypocritical Religion Judged (Vs 34-39)
  2. As we look at this second section of the chapter and the hypocritical service of the religious leaders, we will see that these religious leaders had become so focused on temporal things, and on the form and practice of religion, that they had forgotten about the spiritual and eternal things which make the religious practices truly holy and meaningful.
    They had failed to realize that if their religious practices didn’t serve some higher spiritual purpose then their practices were actually empty and without real purpose.
  3. Never was there more faithful dealing, more terrible reproof, more profound knowledge of the workings of hypocrisy, or more skill in detecting the concealments of sin. This was the last of the Saviour’s public discourses; and it is a most impressive summary of all that he had ever said, or that he had to say, of a wicked and hypocritical generation.[1]

[1] Albert Barnes, Notes on the New Testament: Matthew & Mark, ed. Robert Frew (London: Blackie & Son, 1884–1885), 243.

 

I. Their Hypocritical Practices (Vs 13-15)

  1. These religious leaders prevented others from going to heaven
    a. This is the true tragedy of every false religion, from that day until now, that they are doing the devils work in giving people a false sense of security, all the while leading them to hell.
    b. The words “neither suffer” actually carries the idea of preventing. False religions are like barriers the devil has put up everywhere to keep people out of heaven.
  2. These religious leaders were great at making disciples for themselves.
    a. Look at the lengths to which they were willing to go in order to make a convert. They compassed sea and land to make one proselyte.
    b. The JW’s are out there in force, and the Mormons are knocking on people’s doors and offering Bible studies, and in every false religion we would find people willing to go the extra mile to make a convert, but so often the true Christian isn’t even willing to go the first mile to see a soul saved.
    c. These religions leaders not only went to great lengths to make converts, but they also went to great lengths to disciple their converts and make them even more spiritually bankrupt than themselves.
  3. Teach them the Bible, not just your beliefs about what the Bible teaches.
    a. The JW’s are the most obvious example of this error. They have invented the Watch-Tower belief system, and they teach their converts to be devoted to the system rather than devoted to the Lord and His Word.
    b. We aren’t called to go into all the world and make Baptists converts, but to make disciples of Christ. We must present the gospel clearly.
  4. These religious leaders were bankrupt in morals and rich in mammon.
    a. Verse 14 makes it clear that the religious leaders of the day were after money and would even prey on widows to the destruction of their homes.
    b. You might be tempted to think that such a thing would never be allowed today, but you’d be wrong.
    – Look at the, so-called, faith healing movement which preys on the sick and the poor, telling them that if they just give enough money and have enough faith they’ll be healed.
    Then they “heal” you of that lumpy wallet in your pocket and leave you just as sick, but a lot poorer.

II. Their Hypocritical Teachings (Vs 16-22)

  1. The first error here is that people were making oaths by the holy things of the temple, when they should have been willing to just keep their word.
    a. James 5:12 “But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation.”
  2. The second error here is that people who made oaths by the temple or the altar were allowed to dismiss their oath, but if they took an oath by the gold of the temple or the gift on the altar, they would be held accountable for it by the religious leaders.
    a. The Jewish leaders had very little regard for the house of God and for the altar of God, but when it came to the material realm, in gold and gifts, they were sticklers for the rules.
    b. This attitude is what resulted in the market being established in the Temple where worshippers were being swindled out of their hard-earned money. The Lord Jesus had to drive the money changers out of the temple to restore a proper holiness to the place.
  3. There is no such thing as a small oath. If someone made an oath by the altar then the oath was to be binding, there would be no exceptions.
    a. How many of you have heard of someone making a promise while crossing their fingers as though that somehow made the promise non-binding? In a similar way, the religious leaders had invented a system of rules which allowed them to evade the obligations of their oath.
    b. The scriptural principle is that there are no small promises, there are no little white lies, if you give you word you must make sure you keep your word.

III. Their Hypocritical Giving (Vs 23)

  1. They tithed in material things only
    a. The issue here is not that they were tithing, but that they had gone to the extent of tithing even the littlest grains of spice, but they had neglected the more important matters of the law, judgement, mercy, and faith.
    b. Mat 15:8 “This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.”
  2. Tithing is not supposed to be a heartless action.
    a. When we bring our tithe to God, we are bringing what already belongs to him as an act of faith and obedience.
    b. They knew what it was to tithe of their substance, but they hadn’t learned to give God their heart. Because their hearts were far from God, they had no problems with mistreating their fellowman and in perverting mercy and judgement.
  3. We ought to be tithing, we ought to be bringing our gifts to God, but we need to make sure that our motives are right first. We must make sure that our heart is right with God before he will accept our gift.
    a. Micah 6:8 “He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?”

Conclusion:

  1. If there is one thing the Pharisees and Sadducees make abundantly clear to us it is this, that you can be the busiest of the busy in doing religious duties and yet your heart can still be a long way from God, and your spiritual understanding still be utterly shallow.
  2. Do you have a heart for the things of God? Is your heart in your service for God, or are you really like the religious leaders in the day of Christ who knew how to put on a great show for the public viewing, but were actually devoid of any spiritual good and understanding?