Matthew 23:1-39
About the Text
(2) What is "Moses' seat"? Some scholars believe it was a stone seat in each synagogue which was used as a kind of pulpit from which Jewish rabbis will teach God's Law.
(4) What is meant by "they tie up heavy loads"? Judging by the subject matter of this passage (hypocrisy), it meant that the religious leaders were harsh in demanding others to follow God's Law, while they themselves would disobey such laws.
(5) What is a phylactery? It is a leather or metal box containing Scriptures passages (usually from the books of Exodus and Deuteronomy) that is worn on the forehead. Jews customarily wore this in obedience to the command, "...bind them on your foreheads." (Deut. 6:8)
(8) Does Jesus mean that we are never to address people by their titles (e.g. teacher, sir, Mrs., Dr., pastor)? No. Remember that Paul even called himself a spiritual father (1 Cor. 4:15, Phil. 2:22). Futhermore, titles such as "apostle" were used in Scripture frequently. Rather, together with verse 12, Jesus means that we must never seek titles in order to gain attention for ourselves, or to boost our ego.
(13) How did the Pharisees shut the "kingdom of heaven in men's faces"? By neglecting to teach the truth about Christ. Matthew 16:19 describes that there are "keys of the kingdom," e.g. the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ, that opens the kingdom of heaven to those who hear and believe.
(15) What did Jesus mean by the Pharisees making converts "twice as much a son of hell..."? The world applauds the self-sacrificing work of missionaries who go out in great hardship to win converts to God. These converts, however, often ended up as hypocritical as, if not more than, the Jewish Pharisees. Such missionary work is an abomination to God.
(16) What did it mean to "swear by the gold of the temple"? In Jesus' day, the Jewish Pharisees claimed that making an oath by the "gold of the temple" was more binding than making a oath by the temple itself. Since gold was the most valuable part of the temple, the Pharisees considered it more sacred.
(27) What is a "whitewashed" tomb? In Jesus' day, tombs and sometimes homes were painted with a mixture of lime and water so that they would appear more upper-class. It was for purely cosmetic purposes, and it washed away quickly when it rained. Jesus compared the Pharisees to these tombs, since they looked "holy" on the outside, but were really evil on the inside.
(35) Who is Abel and Zechariah? In Genesis 4, Abel was killed by his evil brother Cain. As for Zechariah, Bible scholars are unsure who this is. He could be Zechariah the prophet in Zech. 1:1, or the Zechariah who was slain in 2 Chron. 24:22.
Insights
The Bottom Line
The song goes, "...losing my religion..." by the rock band R.E.M. It reflects how today's generation is fed up with Christianity's fun and games. Perhaps you too are tired of the cliches, the cliques, the clubs, the hype and the hypocrisy of the modern Church. Perhaps you wonder if there exists a religion that is truly of divine origin.
Jesus spoke these words 2,000 years ago, foretelling the demise of all forms of man-made religion. In this chapter, He exposes the problems of any religion that is run by human power and ideas. Such a religion degenerates to a crazy system of rules and rituals, while its people are secretly trying to draw attention to themselves.
Authentic religion, according to the Bible, begins with the sin-cleansing work of Jesus Christ, grows by the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit, and serves to exalt God never a human leader. Do you look for these things when choosing a church, a teacher to listen to, a method to reach people by, activities to help out in? Also, examine your motives: do you follow a religion because of habit, a family atmosphere, a "holy" feeling, cool music, a dynamic pastor, organized programs.... or because of Jesus Christ?
Key Memory Verses
"The greatest among you will be your servant. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted." (Matt. 23:11-12)