WHY JESUS BLASTED THE PHARISEES
MATTHEW 23:24-28
MATTHEW 23:24-28 NKJ
24 Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!
25 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence. 26 Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also.
27 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness. 28 Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
OBSERAVTION:
This chapter is not a good one if you are a Pharisee. Jesus spent this entire chapter pretty much blasting this religious group. He calls them fools, blind, and hypocrites. He declares woe to them repeatedly. Woe to you coming from Jesus is not a good thing.
Jesus had a problem with these guys. He was not happy about a number of things they were doing.
They did their works to be seen of men. So their devotion to God was more of a show for others than a genuine heart to please.
They were big on money, to the point where money was more important than serving God.
They were a barrier to people who wanted to serve God. And treated widows poorly. So, you can see whyJesus was upset.
In our verses for today, we see the crux of the problem with the Pharisees. They were completely caught up with outward things and ignored the heart of things. They would get all wrapped up in things that did not matter and missed love, justice, mercy, and faith. They looked good to men on the outside, but inwardly they were rotten.
Jesus called them white-washed tombs. Pretty on the outside but full of dead men's bones and uncleanness.
This seems to be Jesus' biggest problem with the Pharisees. They were not good on the inside, at heart, where it mattered most. They had taken God's laws and used them for their own advantage.
APPLICATION:
God does not see things as men see them. Man looks at the outside, but God looks at the heart. (1 Samuel 16:2)
It is a fact that attractive people are treated better than their less attractive peers. More positive characteristics are attributed to the beautiful. But that is how man sees things.
God is not moved by how things look on the outside. He is looking at the heart. We can carry bibles, quote scriptures, and regularly attend church, but if we are harsh with our words and treat people poorly, we are not on the right path.
One of the reasons we have no special seating at The Ark is because we don't want to create the illusion that some people are more important and others are not. Having a right heart before God is much more important than having a right seat at the front.
PRAYER:
Dear Lord, help me put an emphasis on what matters most, my heart before You.