Matthew XXIII
From the nature of the conversations which had just been concluded, it might have been inferred by the disciples that Christ’s relation to the law was in some respects latitudinarian, or that at least He had a summary method of characterising and interpreting it; the opening of this chapter forms an admirable supplemement to His teachings on the spirit and meaning of the law: —
1. Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples,
2. Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat:
3. All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.
From these words we infer: — 1. Generally, the possibility of knowing the law without obeying it. 2. Particularly, the possibility of actually teaching the law without obeying it; and 3. That duty is to be determined by the law, and not by the example of its teachers. In Jesus Christ alone we find perfect consistency between the teacher and the teaching.
“When Christ had put all His enemies to silence, lest He should be thought an enemy to the law, He commandeth here all reverence to be given unto it.” — (Chrysostom.) “They which cleave to the letter of the law are the scribes; they which take upon them more profession, being, as it were, divided from others, are the Pharisees. But there be some which interpret Moses in a spiritual sense, the beloved disciples of Christ, and no scribes or Pharisees, yet sitting in Moses’ chair, or rather upon the chair of Christ, which is His Church.” — (Origen.) “I know not whence this phrase (Moses’ chair) is taken, unless the pulpit be meant, out of which the priests are said to have spoken in Ezra.” — (Calvin.)
4. For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.
A fine indirect illustration of the spirit of the Gospel, which is one of the utmost human consideration and gentleness. The spirit of the Gospel is not one which demands the performance of cumbrous duties; it touches the heart, and brings the whole life under the omnipotent rule of love. How Jesus Christ separated Himself from the teachers of His day! The gentle Teacher thus un-gently bade other teachers stand off! Jesus seems to harden Himself, and to rise in obstinate antagonism when He turns towards the incapable and selfish men who had set themselves as the leaders of religious thought; He never speaks kindly of them for the sake of their office, but on the contrary omits no opportunity of bringing them into discredit.
5. But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments,
6. And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues,
7. And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi.
A minute and faithful delineation of selfish teachers, — men-pleasers, hypocrites, gourmands, aspirants. All their life is public; they have no hidden intercourse with God; so the life be seen and applauded, they have all the reward they seek. From this portraiture of the false teacher we may infer the characteristics of the true, — gentleness, human sympathy, consciousness of the Divine presence, independence of human applause, modesty; whoever is deficient of these marks is not a teacher sent of Christ.
The phylacteries ((fivXarreiv, to guard) were bands of parchment, on which were written certain portions of the law. “Because the Lord would not have His benefits forgotten, He appointed little books to be written, and fastened to their hands; the strings fastening them were called phylacteries, that is keepers, keeping them before their eyes continually, as some women do now-a-days, hanging some piece of the Gospel, for memory’s sake, about their necks, and as forgetful persons are wont to tie a thread about their finger. The fringe was a blue silk ribbon, sewed upon the nether part of their garment, hanging down to the ankle, for a remembrance of the commandments.” — (Chrysostom.)
8. But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren.
9. And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.
10. Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ.
1 1. But he that is greatest among you, shall be your servant.
12. And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.
Jesus Christ now passes from the negative to the affirmative. The picture of the Teacher thus instructing teachers is most impressive. i. No unworthy ambition is to be cherished. 2. No merely nominal superiority is to be coveted. 3. The most entirely fraternal spirit is to be cultivated. 4. This spirit can be cultivated most effectually by a constant recognition of Christ’s Headship.
“Be not called Doctor: how doth Paul agree to this, when he calleth himself the doctor of the Gentiles. It is one thing to be a father or doctor by nature, and another by indulgence; God only is by nature, man by consorting with the true Father and Master; even as one God and one Son of God doth not prejudice others, but that they may be called gods and sons of God by adoption, so is it with one Father and Master.” — (Jerome.) “Christ doth not mean to deny altogether the title of master and father unto men, for that were absurd, seeing He hath committed unto men the office of teaching in His own place; but He only is Master, because of all men to be heard and obeyed; men that teach are masters, as they sustain His person, and He speaketh in them.” — (Calvin.)
“One is your Leader,” — tcadr)yr]T’ri<i=diictor. Griesbach prefers fcaOr)yrjTr)<; to 8i8acrKako<;, which is found in many MSS. The highest of titles is “Servus Servorum Dei.” As Diogenes in rags was prouder than Plato in his robes, so many an untitled man is more masterful than some who are laden with all the poor honours which the world can give. The whole meaning turns entirely upon the spirit.
In the 12th verse, Jesus Christ lays down one of those apparent paradoxes which so startle men who have been walking in the light of half-truths or of positive sophisms.
To go up is to go down, to go down is to go up! The meaning is to be found in the word himself. Individuality should not occupy the first place. Selfish aspirants do succeed for a time, under some circumstances; but viewing their case in its completeness it will be found that their exaltation, lacking the element of virtue which is always associated with sound merit, is temporary, and entails upon its holder endless fencing with men who suffer from their usurpation, but who must eventually depose them from their ill-gotten eminence. God always works for the meritorious man. Instead of accepting a policy marked by a bold or dazzling ambition, young men should reflect that the universe, with God at its head, is on the side of him who has the requisite faculty and the true spirit. His patron is God, — his hope is Time!
13. But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.
14. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.
15. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.
16. Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor!
17. Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold?
18. And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty.
19. Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift?
20. Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon.
21. And whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein.
22. And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon.
23. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.
24. Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.
25. 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.
27. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness.
28. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
29. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous,
30. And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.
31. Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets.
32. Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers.
33. Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?
This speech, so impetuous, so overwhelming, is like the bursting forth of a long-pent flood; in point of style it presents a strong contrast to the general character of Jesus Christ’s speech. Look at the epithets: hypocrites, devourers, blind guides, fools and blind, whited sepulchres, serpents, generation of vipers! This maledictory outburst shows: — 1. That faithful teachers are bound to give faithful delineations of their times; 2. That faithful delineations of the most corrupt men can only be effectual for good, when given by those who are meek and lowly in heart; 3. That those who address themselves to the exposure and redress of current evils should be unimpeachable in their own lives; 4. That the denunciation of bad men is only one side of the Christian mission, and should be regarded strictly as a preliminary work.
The passage may be broken up, and dealt with, homiletically, in sections; still it is one, as a flood is one, and should receive attention as a unity. No doubt the Flood might have been divided into streamlets, but such a division would have deprived it of its peculiar character. Treatment of the several parts of this tremendous indictment might take some such turn as the following: —
Verse 13. The double mischief of moral obstinacy, — “ye neither go in yourselves,” &c.
Verse 14. The immorality of combining prayer with self-aggrandisement, — “ye devour, ye make long prayer.”
Verse 15. The debasing effect of bad teaching, — “ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.” “Christ doth here condemn them for two things: — 1. Because they were so unprofitable to the salvation of others, that they could scarce, though they laboured much, draw any; 2. Having drawn them, they were so vile that they did not keep, but as betrayers brought them by their evil example into greater danger.” — (Chrysostom.)
Verses 16 — 22. The false relations into which corrupt men throw all things; — temple and gold; altar and gift; temple and Him that dwelleth therein. The corrupt man reverses all natural and spiritual gradations. “If any man, in chiding with another, had broken out into swearing, and were convicted to have sworn falsely, if it were by the temple, as one not guilty he was dismissed without mulct; but if it were by the gold or money which in the temple was offered, that come to the priests, he was presently compelled to pay so much as he swore by; likewise by the altar there was no guilt, but if by the offerings, whether beast, fowl, flour, or any other thing, which used to be offered upon the altar, they compelled him to pay it; now the Lord overthroweth this as a foolish colour, showing that the temple was greater than the gold, and again that in swearing by the temple they did swear by the gold and all things therein.” — (Jerome.)
A very clear and well-sustained antithesis between the benedictions and the maledictions is drawn by Lange. A specimen is subjoined: —
1. Poverty in spirit, =Devouring widows’ houses, &c.
2. The mourners, =The kingdom of heaven shut, &c.
3. The meek,=Zeal of proselytism.
On building the tombs of the prophets, Lange says: “The antithesis is delicate: And garnish the sepulchres of the righteous (canonised good men). The latter are acknowledged at once, and received their monuments; the prophets, on the other hand, often lay long in their uncelebrated or even dishonoured graves. Later generations then began to become enthusiastic about them, and make their common graves elaborate monuments.” The comment of Chrysostom is good: “The Lord doth not reprove them for buildingsepulchres; but because doing thus, and condemning their fathers, they themselves did worse. This Luke openeth — ye take pleasure in the works of your fathers; He speaketh not against their building, but against their mind. He taxeth them not for being sons of murderers, but foretelling His own death by their murderous hands, and therefore daring to do this to the Master, they would much more have done it to His servants the prophets, if they had lived in their days.”
34. Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city:
35. That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.
36. Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.
i. Jesus Christ thus represents Himself as the Sender of the great men who are able to lead the religious thought of the ages, — “I send prophets and wise men and scribes.” This is a prerogative too high for any mere man: and, as it was assumed prior to His resurrection, it is to be inferred that it was personal, not official. 2. Jesus Christ shows how the accumulated guilt of ages is charged upon the wicked men of the current day, — “that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel,” &c. Think of the wicked man’s bad lineage! By historic references give him a view of his kindred. “All these things shall come upon this generation,” — every sinner contributes to darken the doom of every other sinner. 3. Jesus Christ shows how He notes the treatment of all His servants, Abel, Zacharias, all the right - teous blood! ‘’Zacharias is held by some to be the father of John the Baptist, by others a certain priest of two names.” — (Chrysostom.) “Some think that he was Zachary, the eleventh of the small prophets; but this cannot be, because that in his days there were scarce any ruins of the temple remaining, betwixt which and the altar he is said to be slain.” — (Jerome.) “We have a certain tradition that there was a certain place for virgins to pray in, near unto which no man might come; into this place the Virgin Mary entered after that she had brought forth Christ, whereupon a contention arose, they saying that she ought not to come in; but Zachary stood against them, affirming that she was still a virgin; for this cause being accounted a manifest transgressor of the law, he was slain there.” — (Origen.) “Here we must first consider that Jesus speaks of a specific bloodguiltiness, — that with which mankind, in its malignity, has burdened itself in its hatred against holiness, namely, the guilt of shedding the blood of martyrs. Hence the line of martyrs very rightly commences with Abel; he was put to death directly on account of his piety. Secondly, it must be considered that Jesus speaks of ancient bloodguiltiness of this kind incurred in times long past; and concerning this He declares that they have not yet been expiated, and hence that they would be increased, and in due time their measure filled up, by heavier bloodguiltiness of a like kind. On this ground it is surely clear, that in the person ofZacharias we must recognise that martyr Zechariah, who is spoken of in 2 Chronicles xxiv. 20. The juxtaposition of these two names is then explained by the fact, that the death of Abel is the first case, the murder of Zechariah the last ‘prophet-murder of which mention is made in Holy Scripture.’ But there is still this difficulty, that ’ that Zacharias was not a son of Barachias, as the Zacharias in Matthew is called, but the son of Jehoiada.’ This difficulty has been explained in different ways. 1. That Zechariah had two fathers, a natural and a foster-father. But this is a mere hypothesis. 2. That the prophet Zechariah is meant, since his father was called Barachiah. Only ’ nothing is known concerning his murder.’... Olshausen explains the difficulty thus: ‘Now there is nothing offensive in the supposition, that Matthew might have confused the name of the murdered man’s father with the father of the Zacharias whose book we have in the canon of Scripture.’” — (Lange.)
37. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as an hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not?
38. Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.
39. For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.
Words of wrath, turned to exclamations of pity! The Man who uttered those words did not pour out vengeance as the expression of any low passion. He felt every blow Himself! This was the justice that was merciful, and the mercy that was just. I. Jesus Christ’s willingness to gather to Himself the most depraved of men and the most corrupt of cities, — “Thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee!” 2. The most gracious offers of Jesus Christ declined, — -“ye would not.” “He was despised and rejected of men.” 3. The terrible crisis which supervenes in cases of moral obstinacy, — “your house is left unto you desolate.” Desolate! What is the meaning of such word?” The word here translated ’ desolate ’ is sometimes used in a peculiar sense, as, for instance, a forum where no judicial proceedings were carried on was said to be desolate.’’’’ — (Bengel.)
As a hen gathereth her chickens. “The hen expresseth such affection to her young as is seldom seen in other creatures, being affected with infirmity through their infirmities, and protecting them under her wing from kites; so our mother, the Wisdom of God, becoming weak after a sort by taking flesh, doth protect our infirmity, resisting the devil that would snatch us away.” — (Augustine.)
How often would I have gathered thee. “Some do cunningly seek by these words to establish free will, because He would and they would not; but the will of God here spoken of is to be considered by the effect. When He sendeth forth preachers to move all to turn to Him, it is rightly said that He would gather them, not by that will which is His secret counsel, for this standeth firm, but by that will which we call so by reason of the word preached, offering grace unto all men.” — (Calvin.)
Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord. “Some understand this as spoken of the last judgment; some of the event which followed long after, when some of the Jews did humbly adore Christ. But it seemeth to me to have none other meaning, but as that saying of Joseph touching Mary, ‘he knew her not till she had brought forth her first-born,’ whence it is not to be inferred that they did afterwards accompany together like man and wife. It is much as if He should have said, — I have hitherto been amongst you as a minister, but My course being finished, I will go away and ye shall not see Me any more as a minister, but feel Me as a judge. And He doth secretly nip them, for that they were wont daily to pronounce out of the Psalm, Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord, but when this blessed One was offered them they made a mock of Him.” — (Calvin.) “They were soon to say this, but without referring to Christ, in reciting the Paschal Hallel, or hymn of praise (of which the 118th Psalm formed part). The prediction here given shall be fulfilled in its appointed time.... And when shall they say this? Willingly never; but unwillingly at His second coming, in power and great glory, when theconfession can avail them nothing.” — {Critical English Testament)