Bible ReadingMatthew 23:1–39Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat, so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others. But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers. And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ. The greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”
[13:37]“But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in.”
[16:34]“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves.”
[26:11]“Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’ You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that has made the gold sacred? And you say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gift that is on the altar, he is bound by his oath.’ You blind men! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred? So whoever swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. And whoever swears by the temple swears by it and by him who dwells in it. And whoever swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by him who sits upon it.”
[27:11]“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!”
[34:49]“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.”
[42:31] [44:09]“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous, saying, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ Thus you witness against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers. You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell? Therefore I send you prophets and wise men and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues and persecute from town to town, so that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of innocent Abel to the blood of Zechariah the son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar. Truly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.”
[49:16]“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! See, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again, until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’”
[51:28]Luke 21:1–4Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering box, and he saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins.
[22:16]And he said, “Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”
[24:51]Luke 23:39–43One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
[25:30]And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
[25:46]Observation questions- What actions and desires show that the scribes and Pharisees were doing religion to be seen and honored by others? [13:47]
- In Matthew 23, what three “weightier matters” did Jesus say the Pharisees had neglected, even while they were careful to tithe small garden herbs? [35:36]
- What contrast does Jesus make between the outside and inside of a cup, and between a whitewashed tomb and what is within it? [42:31]
- What does the poor widow’s offering reveal about the difference between giving out of abundance and giving from a heart fully given to God? [22:27]
Interpretation questions- Jesus says that the greatest among His people will be a servant. What does this reveal about the kind of greatness Christ values, compared with the kind of greatness the Pharisees pursued? [14:21]
- Why was the Pharisees’ religion especially dangerous when they had Scripture and religious influence, yet rejected Christ and led others away from Him? [19:40]
- Jesus did not tell the Pharisees to ignore every small command, but He rebuked them for neglecting justice, mercy, and faithfulness. How can a believer tell when a concern for standards has begun to crowd out love, mercy, and faith? [41:25]
- The thief on the cross had no opportunity to perform religious works, yet Jesus promised him paradise. What does this show about the place of faith in Christ and the place of good works in salvation? [25:30]
Application questions- Where is there a temptation to seek the “top place”—recognition, control, praise, or being thought important? What could humble service look like in that specific place this week? [14:37]
- Is there any religious habit that can quietly become a source of confidence apart from Christ—church attendance, giving, serving, Bible knowledge, or a good reputation? How can a person honestly check whether faith is resting in Jesus alone? [25:49]
- The widow’s gift was small in amount but great in sacrifice. What is one area of giving—time, attention, money, encouragement, or service—where God may be inviting a more willing and wholehearted response? [22:37]
- What “gnats” can distract a church or a Christian from the larger call to justice, mercy, faith, loving people, and sharing the gospel? Which of those distractions is most tempting personally? [41:48]
- Jesus warns against polishing the outside while leaving the heart unchanged. Are there hidden attitudes, habits, resentments, or desires that do not match the outward appearance? What would honest repentance before Christ look like? [46:27]
- Jesus desired to gather Jerusalem as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but they were unwilling. Is there an area where Christ’s correction, mercy, or direction has been resisted or put off? What would it look like to come to Him honestly instead of delaying? [56:17]
- The gospel is meant to be carried beyond the walls of the church. Who is one person, neighbor, coworker, family member, or friend who needs to hear about Christ, and what could be a simple next step toward them? [01:01:19]
