Matthew 23:1-5: The Pharisee Within

“Therefore all that they tell you, do and observe, but do not do according to their deeds,” Jesus in Matthew 23:3

“He knew that the best way to avoid Jesus was to avoid sin.” (author Flannery O’Connor , on her character Hazel Motes in Wise Blood.)

“There are people in every church, no matter what kind of church it is, who struggle with the distinction between law and gospel, who struggle with the driving place of grace in their pursuit of holiness…Legalism lurks in every heart, actually, mine and yours." (Jarod Wilson, www.gospeldrivenchurch.blogspot.com, September 27, 2011)

After repeated encounters in the temple with the scribes and Pharisees as well as other religious elite of Israel, Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples (v. 1).  He harshly warned them about the scribes and Pharisees, the very ones who had challenged Him His entire ministry.  Imagine!  The gatekeepers of God for Israel, setting themselves up against the Lord Himself!

The scribes and Pharisees, Jesus said, have seated themselves in the chair of Moses (v. 2), meaning they spoke with the voice of Moses; they spoke as Moses’ would speak if he were alive on that day.  In ancient times, a teacher sat while the students stood.  The Sermon on the Mount begins with Jesus sitting down (see Matthew 5:1).  “Chair” is a figure of speech used to imply exceptional authority and knowledge, just like today we will say such-and-such professor occupies a certain chair at a particular university.

The scribes and Pharisees have seated themselves (v. 2).  They appointed themselves as the heir of Moses’ chair, not waiting to be ushered to such a place of honor.   And it appears that Jesus affirms them.  “All that they tell you, do and observe,” Jesus says (v. 3).   But Jesus is not affirming the scribes and Pharisees; rather He is affirming the Law of Moses.  Jesus said that He did not come “to abolish the Law and the Prophets, but to fulfill,” (Matthew 5:17).  Jesus also says to the unbelieving Jews in John’s gospel, “If you believed Moses, you would believe Me, for he wrote about Me,” (John 5:46).  

Jesus now brings the hammer down.   He warns the crowds and His disciples (v. 1) to not do according to their (the scribes and Pharisees) deeds; for they say things and do not do them (v. 3).  Jesus then gets specific:  “They tie up heavy burdens and lay them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are unwilling to move them with so much as a finger,” (v. 4).  The scribes and Pharisees padded the Law of Moses with an additional layer of rules to make it doubly hard on the average Jew to following the teachings of Moses.   From these extra layers the Pharisees and scribes have exempted themselves while condemning those who fail at keeping them.

Jesus continues: “But they do all their deeds to be noticed by men” (v. 5).  Their heart motivation is not to please God, rather to seek the approval of others.   Jesus gives specific examples of how these hypocrites like to be noticed by men in Matthew 6:1-7.  In that passage, Jesus says in part, “they [hypocrites] love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men.  Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full,” (Matthew 6:5, emphasis added). Hypocrites.  Plain and simple. 

But here is where we must be careful.   For the spirit of the Pharisees exists in all of us.  “All of us have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God,” Paul reminds us in Romans 3:23.   “All of us like sheep have gone astray,” Isaiah says in Isaiah 53:5.   All of us have sought the approval of others at the expense of God’s approval; all of us have thought at some point our religious efforts make us better than “that other guy.”  The very act of smugly criticizing the Pharisees shows that we are guilty of the very thing by which we criticize the Pharisees!  Compared to the standard of holiness put forth by Almighty God, no one can stand before God on his own.

Yet that is exactly why Christ died for our sins.  He is willing to exchange His holiness for our Pharisee-within. “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him,” (2 Corinthians 5:21).  This truth made 16^th century Reformer Martin Luther sing, “O the sweet exchange, O the inscrutable creation, O the unexpected benefits; that the iniquity of many should be concealed in One Righteous Man, and the righteousness of One should justify the iniquitous!”

Exchange the burden that today’s Pharisees, including the one in you, have put on your shoulders and are unwilling to move a finger to help you.   We all have burdens of hurt, fear, guilt, failure, and the disapproval of others.  We have burdens of self-righteousness, pride, lust, and idolatry.   Exchange those burdens with Jesus.  For He Himself has said, “Come to Me all you who are weary and heavy-laden and I will give you rest.  Take My yoke upon you…For My yoke is easy and My burden is light,” (Matthew 11:30). 

Matthew 22:42-46: David’s Greater Son, turning the conversation back to Himself

“What do you think about the Christ?”  Jesus in Matthew 22:42

"We are dealing with God's thoughts: we are obligated to take the greatest pains to understand them truly and to explain them clearly." (D.A. Carson, classroom lecture, May 2011)

“People say, ‘I believe in God, I believe the Bible is a good book.  And then I believe whatever I want.’”  (George Barna, after surveying American Christians’ religious beliefs in his book Futurecast as reported in USA Today Sept. 13, 2011)

After repeated challenges by the religious leaders, Jesus now metaphorically turns the tables on them.  Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, most likely planning their next salvo, Jesus asked them a question.  “What do you think about the Christ, whose son is He?”  (v. 42).  This is the same question Jesus asked His disciples in Matthew 16:19.    After all, the most important question every man must answer is, “What do you think about the Christ?”  

But Jesus is not so much concerned about other peoples’ opinions as He is turning the conversation back to Himself.   He asks about the Christ, “whose son is He?”   (v. 42).   The Pharisees’ answer is accurate but woefully incomplete: “The son of David” (v. 42).  The Pharisees know that woven throughout the Old Testament is a theme that a descendent of David will reign as Messiah; passages teaching this truth are 2 Samuel 7:16, Psalm 89:3-4, Isaiah 9:7 and Jeremiah 23:5. 

Matthew’s primary intent of his gospel is to show that Jesus is the Jewish Messiah, the son of David.  Therefore he begins his gospel by showing the genealogy from David to Jesus (Matthew 1:6-16).  Yet the Old Testament also teaches the Messiah will be much more than a descendant of David.    It is this truth that Jesus wants to teach the Pharisees.

Therefore, Jesus quotes Psalm 110, the most often quoted Old Testament chapter in the New Testament.  This Psalm was written by David, in the Spirit (v. 43).  (This phrase in the Spirit attests to Jesus’ belief in the inspiration of the Old Testament.)  To the casual reader, Psalm 110 seems discombobulated.   Yet for those who plumb its depths, this Psalm reveals much about the Messiah, which is likely why it is the most frequently quoted Old Testament chapter in Scripture.  

Psalm 110 is only one of three places in the Bible that speaks of Melchizedek, an important figure in understanding Jesus as Messiah, Son of David.  Much of this Psalm will be fulfilled at His Second Coming (Revelation 19:11-21).   Yet Jesus, wanting to challenge the Pharisees’ weak conception of the son of David, argues from the first verse of this Psalm.  

He asks how does David call him ‘Lord,’ saying, “‘The Lord said to my Lord, sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet’? (v. 43-44).    Jesus then drives home His point, If David then calls Him 'Lord,' how is He his son?" (v. 45).    In Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary, first published 300 years ago, Henry poses His question this way: “If the Christ was to be a mere man, who would not exist till many ages after David’s death, how could his forefather call him Lord?”  

By asking this question, Jesus shows how the Scriptures teach that the son of David will be not limited by time and not be merely a mortal man.  This is the point Jesus makes to the Pharisees in John 8:58, “Before Abraham was born, I am.”  

The Pharisees prided themselves in knowing the Old Testament but were mostly ignorant as to what those Scriptures taught about the Christ.  Hence, no one was able to answer Him a word, nor did anyone dare from that day on to ask Him another question (v. 46).   If we believe Jesus is “whatever I want” as Barna puts it, we make Him a tinker-toy god, adding and subtracting attributes at our own whim.  We rob Him of His glory, commit blatant idolatry, and create an anemic caricature of Christ that is much less than the revealed, risen, conquering Son of David of the Holy Scriptures.

 Matthew Henry continues in his commentary, “It behooves us above all things seriously to inquire, ‘What think we of Christ?’  Is he altogether glorious in our eyes and precious to our hearts?  May Christ be our joy, our confidence, our all.  May we daily be made more like to him, and more devoted to his service.”  Well said 300 years ago and well said today.

Matthew 22:34-40: The Second Greatest Commandment

“You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” Jesus in Matthew 22:39

“The point [of loving your neighbor as yourself] is not to meet a temporary need or change a startling statistic; the point is to exalt the glory of Christ as we express the gospel of Christ through the radical generosity of our lives.” (David Platt, Radical, p. 135)

“Blogging theology is far easier that living it. Writing on ministry is easier than actually being a servant. Beware of self-deception.” (Rick Warren, Twitter, Feb 17, 2011)

Jesus is cornered in the temple by those in religious power who seek to discredit Him.  An expert in the law steps forward, testing Him (v. 35), and asks a question:  "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?" And He said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.”  This is the great and foremost commandment (vv. 36-38).

Then, without being asked, Jesus also mentions the second greatest commandment, “to love your neighbor as yourself” (v. 39).   And He adds this commentary: “On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets" (v. 40).  

In Luke’s gospel, Jesus faces a similar encounter. Upon hearing the command to love your neighbor, someone asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?” (Luke 10:29).  Jesus answers by telling the story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:30-37).   Whereas the religious leaders in the story chose to pass by on the other side, a Samaritan stops and gives aid to a hurting man.  The Samaritans were a despised race (much like the Roma or “gypsies” of Eastern Europe or the Toba of South America).   Jesus ends the story by affirming that a neighbor is not one of the same religion or race, but one who shows mercy in spite of differences in religion or race.   Jesus then commands, “You go, and do likewise” (Luke 10:37).  

And I see a resurgence today of Christians who “go and do likewise.”   One thing I have learned from my kids’ generation is the value of mercy ministries.   While I have proclaimed Christ on secular universities and in Muslim lands, my kids in the name of Jesus have hugged AIDS orphans and loved on those living in trash dumps in third world countries.  

In our world today just about every place where the gospel can be freely proclaimed has heard of Christ; frontiers in missions are closed to those who are exclusively proclaimers.   It will take “missions of mercy” who show love to their neighbors to get the message of Christ into unreached places.   Emergency aid workers, school teachers, medical professionals, even business people can take Christ into parts of the world that are closed to traditional missionaries.   

Yet we must guard against the trend that the social gospel frequently loses the gospel.  That is why we must continually be reminded that loving one’s neighbor as your self is the second greatest commandment; the first is to love the Lord.   As John Piper reminds us, the best way to love our neighbor is to warn him of the horrors of hell.

Jesus said on these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets (v. 40).    Jesus said nearly the same thing in Matthew 7:12, also known as the Golden Rule: “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.”  Each of the 600 plus commandments in the law of Moses, including the Ten Commandments, can be categorized under either “love God” or “love your neighbor.”   Thus our faith has both a vertical (love God) and a horizontal (love others) component to it, making the cross even a more appropriate symbol of our faith.

Yet I am also troubled and convicted by the second commandment.  Do I really love my neighbor as myself?   Am I as concerned for their health care and family relationships as I am mine?  Do I care about their eternal destiny as I do about my own family?   Is my justification for sometimes passing by beggars “because they will spend it on alcohol” merely an excuse for my own selfishness?   As Doc Holiday said in an old western, “It appears my hypocrisy knows no bounds.”   Lord, may the fruit of my love for You be more about my love for my neighbor and less about my passion for theology.  

Matthew 22:34-38: Why must we be commanded to love God?

"I want atheism to be true …. It isn't just that I don't believe in God... It's that I hope there is no God! I don't want there to be a God; I don't want the universe to be like that.”  (Thomas Nagel, The Last Word)

Peter said, “Woman, I do not know Him,”…The Lord turned and looked at Peter.  Peter remembered the word of the Lord… “Before a rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.”  And he left and wept bitterly.  (Luke 22:57, 61-62)

It is the week of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ.   He is in the temple in Jerusalem teaching.   Repeatedly He is challenged by the religious establishment of Israel; repeatedly He answers their challenges and the crowds are “astonished at His teaching” (Matthew 22: 33).   A lawyer steps forward and asks a question, “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?”  And He said to him, “’You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the great and foremost commandment,” (Matthew 22:36-38).

Since this is mentioned by Jesus as the great and foremost commandment, I believe it deserves a second and even a third look.   First, we examined love and why it is essential to our faith in God.   Second, God was emphasized and why He is worthy of our love.   Here, we will explore why we must be commanded to love God.    If loving God is the core of our faith and if God Himself is worthy of our love, then why must we be commanded to love God?  Shouldn’t loving God be as natural to us as thirsting for water or as instinctual as closing our eyes before a blinding light?  

But loving God is not natural for us.  We are predisposes to seek independence from God.   Our natures have been corrupted and we seem to be hardwired to rebel against God.    Yes, man is capable of great good; he fights disease and injustice and shows kindness to strangers and even altruism to loved ones.   Yet man is also capable of great evil: wars, concentration camps, man-induced famine, egotism and pride.   Paul writes that we are all “under sin,” as he quotes from the Psalms:  “There is none righteous, not even one…there is none who seeks for God”, (Romans 3:9-11). 

In Eden, everything “was very good” (Genesis 1:31).   Adam and Eve enjoyed a perfect paradise and had perfect fellowship with God.    Still, they disobeyed God (Genesis 2:16-17; 3:11-13).   The Lord rescued Israel from slavery in Egypt; He drowned Pharaoh’s army in the Red Sea, allowing the children of Israel to escape.   Even though the Lord provided for Israel in the wilderness, the people quickly began to grumble against the Lord (Exodus 16:2).    Before long the children of Israel were ascribing the greatness of the Lord to a man-made golden calf: “This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt” (Exodus 32:4).   All of heaven must have shuddered at these words!

This pattern can be traced throughout the Old Testament and all the way through the New Testament.   The church at Ephesus was the model church for all of Christendom at the close of the first century (Revelation 2:2-3).   They toiled, persevered, and did not grow weary.   They did not tolerate evil men and they put to the test those who call themselves apostles.   Yet the church in Ephesus was told, “You have left your first love” (Revelation 2:4); they had to be commanded again to love God.   Even today many successful churches need to hear: “you have left your first love.”

I was witnessing on a campus here in Budapest when I had a conversation with a healthy, middle-aged woman.  She spoke of the peace she had as she contemplated her own death.  Yet as I brought up Jesus, she quickly became agitated and moved on.    The human heart is inclined to anything or anyone…except Jesus. 

 

Robert Robinson knew this tendency of the human heart when wrote the great hymn, Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing:  “Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, Prone to leave the God I love;  Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,  Seal it for Thy courts above.”   To love God must be commanded because of the frailness and wickedness of our human hearts.    

Still, in spite of the rebellion of the human heart, God draws us to Himself.    “BUT GOD (two of the most beautiful words in the whole Bible) being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ.  By grace you have been saved,” (Ephesians 2:4-5).