Matthew 23:34   We tend to say little about this, but consider carefully what Jesus is telling us here. He is equating His followers with the Old Testament prophets and scribes and wise men. Though this may seem a forgone conclusion, we sometimes act as if those we read about in the Bible, especially in the…

Matthew 23:33   Like their father the devil, that ancient serpent, they pretended to be spiritual guides. They claimed great wisdom of God. Yet they knew little of Him practically. They had memorized the statutes for sure, but the truths failed to penetrate their wicked hearts. So, not only were they themselves evil, but they lay…

Matthew 23:32    Sin is at all times wrong, and there is no ammount that is needed in that sense. If God had not an ounce of mercy or patience not a second of sin would be needed for Him to destroy this rebellious world. Yet God is no inanimate force. He is a person…

Matthew 23:31   Jesus would not be one to say that a person is doomed to be as bad or worse than his progenitors. However, he also understands human nature. Generally, a son will not be much better than his father. This is not true all across the board, but the old saying about the apple…

Matthew 23:30   Notice the subtlety of the scribes and Pharisees. They claim they would not have taken part in the killing of the prophets. But, indeed, many in the times of the prophets would likely have claimed no responsibility for the death of the prophets. In other words, inaction became action. Had the Jewish leaders…

Matthew 23:29   The scribes and Pharisees were known to contribute to the building of ornate tombs for the prophets in order to make it look like they were honoring them. In this way they took advantage of the memory of these great servants of God. By making these elaborate tombs, they were trying to construct…

Matthew 23:28   This is a somewhat unique passage in the gospels. It is only here that Jesus really seems to get really vociferous in his denunciation of the Jewish religious leaders. Though he calls them out in other places, only here do we find an extended discourse against them. thus, this is his most complete…

Matthew 23:27   The tombs were whitewashed to prevent people from forgetting where they were located. This made the tombs look quite nice on the outside. But, of course, they were still tombs. It does not matter how holy a person might try to look, it is the heart on the inside of us that must…

Matthew 23:26   Be careful to see what Jesus is saying here. He is not saying that cleaning the inside of the of the cup and platter will make the outside clean. What he is saying is that the outside cannot be clean if the inside is not. He is also prescribing the order in which…

Matthew 23:25   Rather than making an honest living by hard work, these men used their religious system to live off of others. All the time they made themselves look very holy. Always be wary of those who have nothing else to do but go about praying and giving alms all the time. Though the apostles…