Matthew 23:1-4. Introduction

Transcription

1 Matthew 23:1-4 Introduction This morning, we come to the very famous chapter (in some circles, the infamous chapter) of woes to the scribes and Pharisees. Today, we re going to look especially at verses 1-4, and then we re going to consider the chapter more as a whole. Verses 1-4 are really the introduction and the foundation for the entire chapter. Next week, then, we ll go back and pick up specifically with verses 5-12 I. Matthew 23:1-3a Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, The scribes and the Pharisees sat down and are even now sitting in Moses seat, so do and keep everything whatsoever they say to you. In light of all that we ve seen of the Pharisees so far in Matthew, and of the things Jesus has said to and about the Pharisees, this is a very startling thing to hear Jesus say to say the least. So I think we have to immediately ask the question: Is Jesus being serious or sarcastic? Can He really mean that we are to do and keep everything whatsoever the Pharisees say? Of course, if Jesus is being serious, then we have to qualify His words somehow. Maybe what He means is this: In so far as the Scribes and Pharisees are speaking the actual words of Moses or faithfully interpreting his words, then do and keep all that they say to you (Schaff; Lenski). This may be the proper interpretation, but Jesus Himself doesn t give us any such qualifications. What He literally says is this: So do and keep everything whatsoever they say to you. The everything whatsoever is so exaggerated and emphasized that it right away draws our attention as being very strange and out of place everything whatsoever the scribes and Pharisees say? There may have been an actual chair in the various synagogues that was called the seat of Moses, but here s the main point: In Jesus day, it was the scribes and the Pharisees who had the authority to teach and interpret and apply the Law of Moses. The problem was that they interpreted the Law according to the letter, but not according to the spirit, and this led to a whole lot of perversions and distortions of what the Law actually said. For example, as those who sat in Moses seat, the Pharisees said that it was unlawful to heal a person on the Sabbath (Matthew 12:1-14). They also added a very long and complicated oral law (an authoritative Tradition) to serve as a fence around the written law. So for example, as those who sat in Moses seat, the Pharisees said that it was morally binding upon everyone to ceremonially cleanse their hands before eating (Mat. 15:1-3). Now it s true that the scribes and the Pharisees did get some things right. But then we have to remember that the entire Law of Moses was pointing to Jesus as the Messiah, and as the very fulfillment of that Law (Luke 24:44; John 5:46; Mat. 5:17). Therefore, when the scribes and the Pharisees hatefully reject Jesus, that s clear proof that as teachers of the Law of Moses, they can t be trusted for even one moment. Any rejection of Jesus is ultimately a rejection of the Law which points to Jesus. Any rejection of Jesus means a complete failure to understand the fundamental heart of the Law. Any reading of the Law that does not transport us to the feet of Jesus is ultimately a wrong and dangerous reading of the Law. And so already in Matthew sixteen Jesus has told His disciples to beware of the teaching of the Pharisees (Mat. 16:6, 12). We must beware of the teaching of anyone (certainly including mine) whose teaching does not transport us to the feet of Jesus. This is the primary standard by which we should 1

2 measure every teacher or teaching that claims to be biblical. This is the standard to which I, and the elders, must always be held accountable. So it s in light of these things that when I read verses two and three, I can t help but wonder if there s a whole lot of biting sarcasm and irony in Jesus words (Carson; France). Perhaps we could even translate as the NASB does: II. Matthew 23:2-3b The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses [NASB; cf. YLT], so do and keep everything whatsoever they say to you but not what they do. I think these last five words effectively cancel out everything Jesus has just said. As Bruner says, Much of what Jesus gave with his right hand he now seems to take away with his left. Why should I do and keep everything whatsoever someone says to me if his very life and example is so terribly suspect? But, of course, I think that s exactly Jesus point. Go ahead, do and keep everything whatsoever the scribes and the Pharisees say to you but whatever you do, don t do what they do! III. Matthew 23:3c For they say, but they don t do. Now almost all the translations assume a meaning like this: For they do not practice what they preach (NIV; cf. NET; NASB; HCSB; NRSV; NLT; NCV) But this would mean two things. It would mean first of all that Jesus is being serious when He says that we are to do everything whatsoever the scribes and Pharisees say. And it would mean second of all that the Pharisees didn t practice what they preached! But from everything we know, that was exactly the problem they did practice what they preached. They didn t so much preach the Law of Moses as they did their own perverted interpretations of the Law of Moses. The Pharisees were very sincere and zealous to do all that they said. Paul said that if he were to put any confidence in the flesh, he would boast of the fact that as to the law, he was a Pharisee (Phil. 3:4-5). So even though it s tempting to translate the Greek with our English idiom practice what they preach, I don t think we should. All the Greek says is this: They say, but they don t do (cf. NKJV), and I interpret this to mean: They say a whole lot of questionable things, but they never get around to doing the things that really matter to God. And then to illustrate this very point, Jesus goes on to say this: IV. Matthew 23:4 They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. Once again, the point is not that the Pharisees are unwilling to practice the good things that they preach to others. The heavy burdens, hard to bear can only be a reference to the bad things that the Pharisees are teaching their perversions of the Law, and their extra-biblical traditions (cf. Mat. 11:28-30; France). And we already know that the Pharisees were quite willing to carry the burdens that they imposed on others because they were already so full of their own self-righteousness. They really thought they could do it! So I think the New Living 2

3 Translation is right when it says that the Pharisees crush people with unbearable religious demands and never lift a finger to ease the burden. The New Century Version puts it this way: They make strict rules and try to force people to obey them, but they are unwilling to help those who struggle under the weight of their rules. They say a whole lot of things, but they never get around to doing the things that really matter to God. They can think of plenty of burdens to place on people s backs with the things that they say, but as the shepherds of Israel, they would never think of doing anything to help people carry those burdens. They say, but they don t do. Question Now if this interpretation is right, then we have to admit that Jesus words in verses 2-3 must be literally dripping and oozing with sarcasm (cf. 1 Cor. 4:8, 10). The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses, so go ahead, do and keep everything whatsoever the scribes and the Pharisees say to you but whatever you do, don t do what they do! For they can say a whole lot of questionable things, but they never get around to doing the things that actually matter to God. They crush people with unbearable religious demands, but not for one moment would they consider even lifting a finger to help those who struggle under the weight of their rules. And underlying this kind of sarcasm, we can already sense a smoldering anger. So does this bother any of us? Does it seem inappropriate that Jesus should use sarcasm like this? Some people feel that it is inappropriate, and that the real, historical Jesus would never have actually spoken in this way. In fact, these people have problems with most of what Jesus says in this chapter (see Bruner) because while verses 2-3 may be sarcastic, they re about to give way to an outright attack on the Pharisees like we ve never seen before, and like we never would have imagined unless it was actually there for us to read. Matthew 23:15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! [Inflammatory namecalling] For you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves [harsh and inflammatory; wasn t there a more loving way to say this?]. Matthew 23:16, 17, 19, 24 Woe to you, blind guides [sarcasm; was this necessary?] You blind fools! [inflammatory name-calling] You blind men! You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel! [Inflammatory sarcasm; was this necessary?] Matthew 23:27 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people s bones. Matthew 23:33 You serpents, you brood of vipers [inflammatory name-calling], how are you to escape being sentenced to hell? Matthew 23:34 35 Therefore I send you prophets and wise men and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues and persecute from town to town, so that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on earth [curse]. Throughout chapter twenty-three Jesus hurls and heaps accusations and insults with all the biting anger and sarcasm of an all out attack. This is invective at its very strongest. Invective is a vehement or violent denunciation, censure, or reproach; a railing accusation (Dictionary.com). To quote one commentator, This fearful denunciation must shake every sensitive reader to 3

4 the very foundation of his moral nature (Schaff, in Lange). I don t think that s really saying too much. But such an attack is said to be too harsh and too unloving to come from the same mouth that once said to love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you (Mat. 5:44). So how do we respond to an objection like this? Do we dismiss it as ridiculous and unfounded? Do we just glibly say something about the fact that God is not just a God of love, but also a God of wrath? I think the only way to really refute these objections is to start out by taking them seriously. In other words, we need to start out by being sensitive readers and admitting what a severe and harsh chapter this really is. If we really come to terms with what Jesus actually says in this chapter, then I think at least initially we ll be a little more disconcerted, and shocked and offended than we would otherwise tend to be. To hear Jesus speaking like this should unsettle us and give us all pause at least for a moment. How can Jesus say such things? How can Jesus use this sarcasm, and name-calling, and these most inflammatory accusations? Wasn t there another way a way that was equally as truthful, and yet less angry, and more loving? Is this chapter really worthy of our Jesus? By the way, it s not just the unbelieving who ask questions like this. It s not just those who think that Jesus was all love and no truth. It s also those who struggle with a wrong view of God a view that sees Him as always stern, always waiting for us to mess up, always on the verge of being angry with us. These people especially can tend to struggle with Matthew twenty-three. Answer By faith, we know that we should never feel the awkward need to explain Jesus. By faith, we believe that this portrait of Jesus in Matthew twenty-three should cause us to bow before Jesus in humble awe and glad adoration. In fact, Matthew twenty-three is essential to a more wonderful and glorious understanding of who Jesus is not primarily as a Judge, but especially as our Savior. It s almost certain that if we were to speak words like Jesus spoke in Matthew twenty-three, they would be evidence of a terrible hatred and a consuming bitterness in our hearts. Wouldn t you agree? Think about it! What if you heard me calling someone a blind guide and a blind fool who strains out gnats and swallows camels? What if you heard me calling someone a snake, and daring that person to explain how he thinks he can escape the sentence of hell? The sad truth is that based on the evidence of my words, you d almost certainly be right to think that I was guilty of a terrible, terrible sin. But when Jesus spoke these very same words, not for one single moment did He feel any personal hatred or bitterness towards the Pharisees. Shouldn t this fill us with total amazement and awe? Who is Jesus? That He can speak such words and yet not be consumed with spite and resentment much less not even have the slightest hint of any feelings like these? When I really take time to think about this about the words Jesus spoke, and about the sin that He never committed I feel like I should say with Peter: Go away from me Lord, for I am a sinful man (Luke 5:8). I don t know how to speak words like that without sinning but Jesus did. So then what drove Jesus to attack the scribes and Pharisees with such invective? What drove Jesus to hurl such sarcasm, and name-calling, and such inflammatory accusations? It was love. It 4

5 was the sheer strength and depth of His love for those whom the scribes and Pharisees were abusing and oppressing that provoked Jesus to such an outburst of holy anger. Remember that when Jesus Himself was personally mocked and reviled, He did not revile in return; [and] when he [himself] suffered he did not threaten (1 Pet. 2:23). But it was the oppression and the abuse of others of those who were bowed down under the oppressive yoke of the Pharisees that drove Jesus to speak as He did in Matthew 23. Matthew 23:4 They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people s shoulders [and as if that weren t bad enough], they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. Matthew 23:13 You shut the kingdom of heaven in people s faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in. Matthew 23:23 You tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. One commentator says that we see here turned into wrath the holy love of Jesus, which is unwilling to break the bruised reed or to quench the smoking flax (ch. xii. 19), which seeks and fosters what is lost, which casts out none (Baumgarten, in Lange) And so right on the heels of His railing attack against the Pharisees, Jesus can suddenly speak with all the tenderness and compassion of a father, or a mother with her little children: Matthew 23:37 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. Who is this Jesus? That He can love like this? That He can be provoked to such a terrifying outburst of holy anger by the sheer strength and depth of His love for those whom the scribes and Pharisees were abusing and oppressing? I don t know how to love with a love like this, but Jesus did. When I really take the time to think about this about the words Jesus speaks, and about the love that motivated those words I feel like I should say with Peter: Go away from me Lord, for I am a sinful man (Luke 5:8). Conclusion Matthew 23 is not about the failure of Jesus to love His enemies. In fact, Jesus probably never did a more loving thing (apart from His suffering and death on the cross) than when He unleashed the full fury of His anger upon the Pharisees. This anger was not yet their actual destruction. There was still time for some to repent. Perhaps now, some would wake up and see their danger? Matthew 23 is not about the failure of Jesus to love His enemies. Instead, it s about the power of Jesus love and compassion for those who are oppressed with the burden and the weight of manmade legalistic law, and who are prevented by men from ever coming to Him and finding in Him true rest for their souls (cf. Mat. 11:28-30). May God give us the grace as elders, as husbands, as parents, as friends, always to preach the Law faithfully, so that always we draw others to Christ and to the Gospel of His grace (more on that in the coming weeks). But I hope we ll also be so 5

6 deeply moved by this portrait of Jesus in Matthew twenty-three that we are compelled to bow down before Jesus in humble awe and glad adoration. May we truly see how essential is Matthew twenty-three to a more wonderful and glorious understanding of who Jesus is not primarily as a Judge, but especially as our Savior. For some time now, I have felt in my own heart that Matthew twenty-three is one of the beautiful reasons that I m compelled to give Jesus my trusting allegiance and love (though how often I do is certainly another matter). In Matthew twenty-three, I witness the strength of Jesus love for me. In Matthew twenty-three, I see a love that would go to the cross for all those who labor and are heavy laden. We started out by acknowledging that there are many people who would rather believe that Jesus never spoke these words. But now isn t it safe to end by asking if we d really want a Jesus who never spoke like we ve seen Him speak this morning? 6