Today's lesson comes from Matthew 23: 1-15. God's laws are good and beneficial to mankind. The Pharisees, however, twisted God's laws to their own benefit and to the oppression of other men. The passage under study takes place in the closing days before the crucifixion and Jesus is in the temple area talking to the multitude and His disciples. In chapter 22, Jesus spoke to the Pharisees, Herodians, Sadducees, and lawyers. Now, Jesus wants to expose the hypocrisy of the Pharisees to the multitudes. Also, He instructs His disciples not to follow their example or seek the praise of men.
The first section is, "Their Words and Example." (vv. 1-4) The Pharisees considered themselves to be the religious authority and thus were qualified to serve as judges and leaders of the people. They believed that they were the proper interpreters of the law and no one else. Christ did not come to destroy the law, but to fulfill it. Jesus instructs the people to "observe and do" the law of Moses. Jesus' problem was with traditions and extra legal practices which the Pharisees had added to the law. The point Jesus was making was that His followers were not to reject everything the Pharisees advocated, for they did teach the law of Moses, but the disciples were not to become trapped in external ritualism and dead works.
I have found that many in the church try to justify themselves by following some external rules. "Taste not. Touch not." Instead of operating in faith, many follow law. This is the subject Paul addresses in Galatians 5. We are under grace, not law. We must not become entangled again in the bondage of the law. We are saved by grace through faith, and not by works.
The second section is "Their Love of Recognition." (vv. 5-12) In this section, Jesus contrasts the Pharisees love of praise with His emphasis on servanthood. The Pharisees:
1. Love to be seen of men (v. 5). They wear long robes with fringes or tassels added to the hem to draw attention to themselves.
2. Love the "uppermost rooms." (v. 6) The "uppermost rooms" were the first place as the principal guest.
3. Love the "chief seats." (v. 5) The "chief seats" were the bench immediately before the ark in view of all the people.
4. Love to be called "rabbi." (v. 6) The Pharisees loved the public recognition and praise.
Jesus emphasized being a servant. He taught:
1. Don't be called "rabbi." (v. 8) We are not to see tiles that would engender feelings of superiority or pride.
2. Don't call another man as "father." (v. 9) A "father" had the right to be believed and obeyed. The disciples were not to make their opinions and wills a rule and standard for others.
3. Don't call yourself a "master." (v. 10) You have only one Master and that is God.
4. Do be a servant and in humbling yourself, you will be exalted. (vv. 11, 12) The path to true greatness in the church is the path of servitude. A servant is one that attends to the needs of another.
The old saying is, "The way up is down."
The third section is "Their Condemnation." (vv. 13-15) Our lesson contains the first three of eight woes against the scribes and Pharisees. The others are found in verses 16, 23, 25, 27, and 29. Jesus exposed these religious hypocrites for what they were. We need more of this today from true men and women of God. The prosperity gospel needs to be publicly condemned. False preachers like Joel Osteen, Joyce Meyers, Kenneth Copeland and Kenneth Hagen need to be named for starters. They are leading people to hell. In these verses, Jesus pointed out the following woes:
1. The Pharisees made it difficult for people to come to faith by creating manmade rituals and externals. They didn't want to lose control so they wanted to manage the entry into salvation by requiring adherence to their rules.
2. The Pharisees took advantage of widows and made long prayers to try and look religious. They Tok advantage of the widow's estates asking to be trusted to take care of them.
3. The Pharisees when they did have a convert (this would be a gentile that was forsaking idolatry) would require them to embrace their external ritualism. This would make it very difficult for the proselyte to learn the truth.
"Hypocrisy is at times difficult for a man to discern, for man looks on the outward appearance. But God knows the heart."
The Golden Text is, "And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted." (Matthew 23:12) Pride will lead to destruction. It is a carnal trait that needs to be destroyed and eradicated by the Holy Spirit in sanctification. The Pharisees were the very embodiment of pride and lack of servanthood. True Christians will be servants. True Christians will hate pride and seek to have it eliminated from their lives. True Christians will try to lead people to Jesus Christ, not to themselves or their church. If you are going to be alive to Christ, you must die to self.
My summary points:
1. We are to follow the Word of God and reject manmade traditions that are contrary to Scripture.
2. If you want to be great in the Kingdom of God, be a servant.
3. Hypocrisy is detestable. We are to die to self and live for Jesus Christ.
Please read the Sunday School Beacon for inspiration and encouragement.
Next week, "Parable of the Talents." (Matthew 25: 14-30)
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