Morning – Psalm
22, 2 Kings 9:30, 2 Tim 4:1-8
Evening – Psalm
6, 26, Ecc. 11, Mt. 23:24
Commentary,
Matthew 23:24-39
Verse 24 is
actually part of the fifth woe which began in verse 23. It completes the point that the Pharisees
concern with small matters makes them blind to great matters. Here, however, our Lord seems to make the
small points of God’s law a matter of difficulty. They strain at them, like someone trying to
get a gnat out of his mouth. Yet they
have no problem with the massive code of rabbinic regulations. Compared to the small points of God’s law,
which gives them so much trouble, their own regulations are like a camel. But, though they strain at the gnat, they gladly
swallow the camel.
Woe six is
found in verses 25 and 26. It concerns
the Pharisees’ excessive worries about appearing outwardly pure, while
remaining impure on the inside. They
would, for example, never think of not washing their hands before eating,
according to their standard ceremony (Lk.
11:37-42). Yet their hearts are filled with plans
for extortion and excessive self indulgence.
Christ says they (and we) should be much more concerned about being
clean on the inside. We should desire
hands that are spiritually clean.
Woe seven, in
verses 27 and 28 continues the same idea of pursuing real, inward purity rather
than a false outward appearance of purity.
For this reason it is often considered as part of the sixth woe. This would reduce the number of woes from
eight to seven, making for the seven woes against the Pharisees. Whether there are seven woes or eight really
does not matter. What does matter is
that the Pharisees appear righteous to other people, but their hearts are full
of hypocrisy.
Woe eight,
verses 29-35 demolishes a favourite pretense of the Pharisees. They love to say they would have been
faithful in times when their forefathers forsook God. They say they would not have killed the
prophets, they would have stood with them for the truth of God (vs. 30). Many today say they would have stood with
Christ, the Apostles, and the martyrs, if they had lived during those
times. Maybe so, but perhaps we should ask
for faith sufficient for life today, rather than boast about how great our
faith would have been then.
Jesus counters
this with two points. First He says this
is an admission that they are “children of them which killed the
prophets.” Second, He says they will
continue the very same sin. They will persecute
the prophets and wise men and scribes Christ will send to them with His Gospel. They will kill and crucify them; scourge them
in their synagogues, and persecute them from city to city (vs. 34). He even reminds them of a man named
Zacharius, slain near the altar of the Temple . We know they crucified Christ. We also know they followed Christians from
city to city, hunting them down for the “crime” of believing in Christ. Many died horrible deaths for Christ, literally
fulfilling His words to the Pharisees.
Verse 35 marks
a turning point in this confrontation.
Here Christ begins to include all of Jerusalem in the sins of the Pharisees. He is saying the entire Jerusalem religious machine is corrupt. Outward show has replaced inward
Godliness. Therefore, “all these things
will come upon this generation” (vs. 36).
There is no joy
in Christ’s remarks. He speaks with a
broken heart. “[H]ow often would I have
gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her
wings” (vs. 37). Under their mother’s
wings is the safest place a chick can be. Any danger or predator will get the
mother hen first. Jesus would take the
danger and the wrath of God for Jerusalem . He would have the people come to Him, but
they would not. They persist in their
sin. Therefore, He says, “your house is
left unto you desolate.” He means first, they will be left in their desolate,
empty corruption of the word of God, and in that corruption, they will
die. Second, He refers to the coming
destruction of Jerusalem . He will give more details about this in
chapter 24.
Verse 39 does
not refer to seeing Christ with their eyes.
It refers to seeing Him in faith.
Obviously the Pharisees continue to see Him with their eyes as the week
continues. They see Him before Pilate,
see Him on the cross, see His lifeless body removed from the cross, and
probably see it laid in the tomb. But
most of them will never see Him in faith.
Some will, but most will die in their sins and remain under His wrath
forever. Let us ensure that we see Him
in faith, lest we also hear Him say, “Woe unto you.”
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