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You Are like Whitewashed Tombs
(Matthew 23:27-28) Jesus continues his analogies of the hypocrisy of the religious people of his day by comparing the Pharisees and scribes to whitewashed tombs. There are some today who also fit this description and we have seen the fall of some of the supposed leaders of the church where they too were like whitewashed…
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Cleanse the Inside of the Cup First
(Matthew 23:25-26) The Pharisees were very concerned about position. They wanted to look good to men. They wanted the praise of men rather than the praise of God. But Jesus taught that it is not what is on the outside that matters but what is on the inside. That is the essence of this teaching…
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Straining Out a Gnat and Swallowing a Camel
(Matthew 23:23-24) Jesus calls the Pharisees to account for their hypocrisy using the analogy of straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel. What is interesting in this teaching is what he is referring to, for he is speaking of the comparison between tithing in the minutest amounts, in relation to justice, mercy and faith.…
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Woe to You Blind Guides
(Matthew 23:16-22) Jesus condemns the priests, Pharisees and scribes for being blind guides saying, “Woe to you blind guides.” He calls them this because their focus is wrong. The things they consider important are not what God considers important. Jesus said elsewhere, “Let them alone; they are blind guides. And if a blind man leads…
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You Shut the Kingdom of Heaven Against Men
(Matthew 23:13-15) Jesus said, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you shut the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither enter yourselves, nor allow those who would enter to go in.” (Verse 13) What does he mean by this saying? How do you shut the kingdom of heaven? To understand this…
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The Greatest Among You Shall be the Least
(Matthew 23:5-12) The hypocrisy of the Pharisees and the scribes extended to their desire to be considered as persons of importance. As Jesus showed in this section, they desired and looked for the adulation and praise of men rather than the praise of God. They took their roles to be positions of power so they…
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Woe to you Scribes and Pharisees, Hypocrites
(Matthew 23:1-4) The twenty-third chapter of Matthew is an indictment on the scribes and Pharisees. Many times throughout this chapter he says to them, Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites.” If there is anything the Lord hated more than anything else it was hypocrisy. Men are no different either. Nobody likes a hypocrite and…
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Jesus is the Son of David
(Matthew 22:41-46) After silencing the Herodians and the Sadducees, Jesus asked the Pharisees a question saying, “What do you think of the Christ? Whose son is he?” The Pharisees answered, “The son of David.” Jesus responded, “How is it then that David, inspired by the Spirit, calls him Lord, saying, ‘The Lord said to my…
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Marriage in the Resurrection
(Matthew 22:23-33) The Sadducees were testing Jesus again after he had silenced the Herodians. The Sadducees believed there is no resurrection, but showed their malice towards Jesus by questioning him over a matter to do with resurrection, marriage in the resurrection. They concocted a situation of a man who had a wife and the man…
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Wedding Garments for the Marriage Feast
(Matthew 22:11-14) The great invitation will go out to many people to come to the marriage feast in the kingdom of heaven. Many will be called but few will be chosen. (Verse 14) There will be a great number who will be called but not everyone will answer the call. I believe that at some…
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Parable of the Marriage Feast – The Great Invitation
(Matthew 22:1-10) The parable of the marriage feast is interesting for several reasons. It was given to the chief priests and Pharisees and showed how they and those who acted similarly to them were unworthy of the kingdom of heaven. It also shows how the great invitation to all mankind was given so that every…
