The Gospel Of Matthew Chapter 23 Part 10 The Sixth Woe Against Scribes & Pharisees: Woe To Hypocrites Whose Hearts Are Evil

Matthew 23:25-26  Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. 26  Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also. 

Scribes and Pharisees focused on maintaining a proper outward appearance of religion but they were unconcerned about being born again.

They wanted to appear to others as pious men rather than seeking to honor God by living for His glory.

Scribes and Pharisees lifestyles are compared to a cup  or platter that is washed clean  on the outside but is dirty on the inside.  

The word translated "platter" refers to a dish or bowl like object, such as a soup bowl.

Jesus gave a picture of a religion which promotes outward religiosity but fails to address the internal issue of a wicked, sinful heart.

Scribes and Pharisees took great care to eat meat on clean platters and to drink liquids from clean cups, but their food and drink came from extorting the people by abusing their authority. 

Practically, we would not serve coffee in a cup that was cleaned on the outside part, but on the inside still contained dregs of old coffee and germs from those who drank from it.

Jesus exposed the wickedness of religious hypocrisy in His Sermon on the Mount.

Matthew 5:27-28  Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: 28  But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. 

Traditions of scribes and Pharisees said that as long as a man did not commit the physical act of adultery, he fulfilled the sixth commandment (See Exodus 20:14).

Jesus said that looking on a woman with lust in the heart was the same as committing the physical act of adultery.

God is always looking to change and transform us from the inside out and this is the uncomfortable truth Jesus brought to bear upon the traditions taught in His day.

Though scribes and Pharisees avoided committing an overt sin like adultery, they still looked on women with lust in their hearts.

From the outside it appeared all was well with scribes and Pharisees, but an uncleanness of heart existed on the inside that only God can see.

Psalm 5:9  For there is no faithfulness in their mouth; their inward part is very wickedness; their throat is an open sepulchre; they flatter with their tongue. 

King David encountered many religious hypocrites.

They appeared to support the king and outwardly said and did the right things, but inwardly they despised the king and conspired against him.

Psalm 36:1-4  To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David the servant of the LORD. The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart, that there is no fear of God before his eyes. 2  For he flattereth himself in his own eyes, until his iniquity be found to be hateful. 3  The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit: he hath left off to be wise, and to do good. 4  He deviseth mischief upon his bed; he setteth himself in a way that is not good; he abhorreth not evil. 

King David's words capture the nature of religious hypocrisy.

It consists of a proud spirit that does not rightly reverence, respect or fear God.

It is a deceitful heart that affirms that the sinner's transgressions are okay because he is not as bad as some other sinners.

Words that come forth from a wicked heart are words of deception and corrupt communication.

Like scribes and Pharisees, men with wicked hearts do not abhor and avoid evil as God commands us to do.

Jesus said that the corrupt hearts of scribes and Pharisees were full of extortion and excess.

The word "extortion" means to plunder or pillage and it refers to scribes and Pharisees oppressing the poor and widows by illegally taking what little they have.

Therefore, scribes and Pharisees enriched themselves at the expense of the poor and widows who lacked resources to pursue justice.

The word "excess" means a heart that lacks self control resulting in an unchecked pursuit of lustful pleasures.

The practice of the Pharisees was to make sure that they appeared religious externally to those who observed them.  

Thus, that which men could see outwardly appeared good and religious, such that many who watched scribes and Pharisees thought that they were good men.

Matthew 5:8  Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. 

The sixth "Beatitude" once again stands in contrast to the sixth "Woe."

Scribes and Pharisees had black hearts, ruined by the fall and filled with depravity.

They sought to cover up their depraved hearts with a thin veneer of religion but they remained in need of conversion to Christ.

Jesus said that only the pure in heart will see God and in the context of Christ's words, this excluded scribes and Pharisees, unless they were to repent of sin and believe the gospel.

Matthew 15:19-20  For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: 20  These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man. 

In this narrative, Jesus was answering the same Pharisees who criticized His disciples because they did not wash their hands before they ate.

One tradition followed carefully by scribes and Pharisees was washing their hands before eating.

They imposed this rule upon the people because they taught that it was a sin to eat without washing hands.

Jesus said that our heart is corrupt and the source of our sin but not washing hands before eating was not a sin.

Jesus addressed the fact that all people are born sinners who are in need of a new heart and new spirit from God.

Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts that turn into evil words and eventually spawn evil actions as described in the text above.

Matthew 5:8  Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. 

This is what we all need: a pure heart, one that is made by by God when we are born again, one that is tender to the things of God.

Ezekiel 11:19-21  And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh: 20  That they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God. 21  But as for them whose heart walketh after the heart of their detestable things and their abominations, I will recompense their way upon their own heads, saith the Lord GOD. 

This is the promise of God for all who repent of sin an believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.

God will give a repentant sinner a new spirit, His Spirit whom He sends to live in our hearts (See 2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; 4:30).

The idea of removing the stony heart and giving us a new heart of flesh, refers to the work of God's Spirit to regenerate us from the inside out, to wash us and make us clean before God (See Titus 3:4-6).

This promise began on the day of Pentecost when Peter preached the first gospel sermon and three thousand souls were saved.

The Spirit of God began His mighty work of magnifying Jesus Christ when His gospel is preached, because Jesus said when He is lifted up, He will draw men unto Himself (See John 12:32).

Christ perfectly fulfilled God's law for us and sent the Holy Spirit to indwell us and empower us to live a life for the honor and glory of God.

Thus, a truly born again Christian will have a built in desire to obey God's commands because he or she knows that doing so is good for us.

The apostle John wrote to correct deviation from the truth that he observed in the churches near the ends of the first century.

He reminds us that if we profess faith in Christ and say we know God, but we still walk in darkness, then our profession of faith is false (See 1 John 1:5-7).

John reminds us that if we say we are a Christian but we live like the corrupt culture, then something is wrong and our profession of faith is likely false (See 1 John 2:15-17).

Matthew 23:26  Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also. 

Jesus showed scribes and Pharisees that they needed a new heart and a new spirit from God.

Cleansing on the inside in our heart is the work of God and this is pictured by cleansing the inside of a cup or platter (bowl).

If the heart of a sinner is regenerated by the Holy Spirit then that persons life will be radically changed.

2 Corinthians 5:17  Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 

Paul said that our old way of living, our old circle of friends and our old sinful habits will pass away because of the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit.

This brings us the pure heart that Jesus said we need in order to see God, to enter His kingdom and to spend eternity in heaven worshipping Him.

There are many lessons that could be applied to our lives as we consider the sixth "Woe" pronounced by Jesus.

First, we must examine our heart.

If you are born again, you will know it because your heart and spirit are alive toward God.

Spiritual life from God replaces the stony heart of sin we are all born with.

Others will notice a change in us life when we are born again.

1 Peter 4:1-4  Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; 2  That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God. 3  For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries: 4  Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you: 

Old friends may think we are weird because we no longer do the things we used to do, or because we no longer desire to hang out with people who do not know Christ, because they drag us down.

They will think we are strange because we are walking in newness of life with Christ (See Romans 6:4; 7:6).

Peter reminds us that Christ suffered and died for us in order to free us from sin's tyranny, through salvation in Christ’s name.

Our whole life changes to such a degree that we will want to live the rest of our time on earth in submission to the will of God and for His glory.

Second, we must confess our sins to the Father when we fail Him.

We won't always succeed in living for God's glory every moment of each day, because we have our old sin nature that will fight against what God is seeking to do in us (See Galatians 5:16-17).

God knows this about us and He made provision for a fresh cleansing when we confess our sins to Him and forsake them to the best of our ability.

Jesus blood will cleanse us and our Father will forgive us (See 1 John 1:7 to 2:2).

Last, we must dedicate ourselves to knowing God more and more, so that we can truly love and serve Him with a pure heart.

Then, He will equip us to love and serve others so that we can be a blessing to those around us.

Living for Christ is the best life here on earth, until He calls us home to heaven.

Bob