"THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW"
Chapter Twenty-Three
With the religious leaders silenced by their inability to entangle Jesus
with their questions, Jesus proceeded to decry the hypocrisy of the
scribes and Pharisees in a series of scorching rebukes (1-36). Despite
His strong condemnation, His love for them was manifested by His lament
for the people of Jerusalem (37-39).
POINTS TO PONDER
* The hypocrisy of the scribes and the Pharisees
* Jesus’ grief over the apostasy and fall of Jerusalem
REVIEW QUESTIONS
1) What are the main points of this chapter?
- Jesus denounces the religious leaders - Mt 23:1-36
- Jesus laments over Jerusalem - Mt 23:37-39
2) What does Jesus tell people to do in regards to the scribes and
Pharisees? (3)
- Do what they say, even though they do not practice what they preach
3) List some things for which Jesus rebuked the scribes and Pharisees
(3-7)
- They say, and do not
- They bind burdens on others they themselves would not bear
- Their works they do to be seen of men
- They make their phylacteries broad, enlarge the borders of their
garments
- They love the best places at feasts, best seats in the synagogues
- They love greetings in the marketplaces, to be called "Rabbi"
4) What did Jesus tell His disciples not to do? Why? (8-11)
- Not to use religious titles like "Rabbi", "Father", "Teacher"
- Rather then be esteemed by such titles, they were to be humble
servants
5) List the reasons for the eight woes expressed by Jesus (13,14,15,16,
23,25,27,29)
- Preventing others from entering the kingdom of heaven
- Devouring widows’ houses and making long, pretentious prayers
- Making proselytes twice the sons of hell as themselves
- Making inconsistent distinctions between the swearing of oaths
- Paying tithes of minute things while neglecting justice, mercy,
faith
- Cleaning the outside while neglecting the inside
- Outwardly appearing righteous while inwardly full of hypocrisy and
lawlessness
- Building the tombs of the prophets while persecuting prophets
6) What did Jesus say was the condition of Jerusalem? (38)
- "See! Your house is left to you desolate"