7 Woes On Religious Leaders (Matthew 23)

Jesus warned about hypocrisy among religious leaders and accompanying woes. Have we ever heard this taught? Is it just too painful to admit that we church leaders can sometimes be just like the Pharisees? Let’s learn some hard lessons from Jesus in Matthew 23.

Hypocrisy

Do we practice what we preach?

Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, “The teachers of religious law and the Pharisees are the official interpreters of the law of Moses. So practice and obey whatever they tell you, but don’t follow their example. For they don’t practice what they teach. They crush people with unbearable religious demands and never lift a finger to ease the burden. (Matthew 23:1-4 NLT)

What are some false motives for church leadership? Do we love our titles like father, reverend, preacher or pastor?

But they do all their works to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the fringes of their garments, and love the place of honor at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, the salutations in the marketplaces, and to be called ‘Rabbi, Rabbi by men. (Matthew 23:5-7 WEB)

Should we demand religious titles?

But you shouldn’t be called Rabbi, because you have one teacher, and all of you are brothers and sisters. Don’t call anybody on earth your father, because you have one Father, who is heavenly. Don’t be called teacher, because Christ is your one teacher. (Matthew 23:8-10 CEB)

What’s the real problem here, mere descriptions like father or teacher, or puffing ourselves up over others instead of having the attitude of a servant?

Whoever is the greatest should be the servant of the others. If you put yourself above others, you will be put down. But if you humble yourself, you will be honored. (Matthew 23:11-12 CEV)

The attitude of demanding a title or other fawning recognition is not godly. Do we choose arrogance or humility? You decide!

The 7 Woes

This passage is suspiciously left out of the Revised Common Lectionary, a preaching guide. Why? It contains strong warnings for church leaders.

1. Shut Up the Kingdom

Do we shut the door of God’s kingdom in people’s faces?

But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You lock up the kingdom of heaven from people. For you don’t go in, and you don’t allow those entering to go in. (Matthew 23:13 HCSB)

2. Housing the Poor

Do we ignore the housing needs of poor widows and such like, and make long prayers to cover it up?

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. (Matthew 23:14 KJV)

3. Make Converts Worse

Do we teach our converts to be even worse hypocrites than we are?

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you travel around on sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves. (Matthew 23:15 NASB)

4. Money Hungry

Do offerings mean more to us than holy ground?

Woe to you, blind guides! You say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gold of the temple is bound by that oath.’ You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred? (Matthew 23:16-17 NIV)

Are gifts more important to us than God’s altar?

And you say that to swear ‘by the altar’ is not binding, but to swear ‘by the gifts on the altar’ is binding. How blind! For which is more important—the gift on the altar or the altar that makes the gift sacred? (Matthew 23:18-19 NLT)

How important are our promises to God?

He therefore who swears by the altar, swears by it and by everything on it. He who swears by the temple, swears by it and by him who has been living in it. He who swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God and by him who sits on it. (Matthew 23:20-22 WEB)

Do we focus on minutiae and forget the essentials of our faith?

How terrible it will be for you legal experts and Pharisees! Hypocrites! You give to God a tenth of mint, dill, and cumin, but you forget about the more important matters of the Law: justice, peace, and faith. You ought to give a tenth but without forgetting about those more important matters. You blind guides! You filter out an ant but swallow a camel. (Matthew 23:23-24 CEB)

5. Greed & Self-Indulgence

Do we look good on the outside but inside is greed and self-indulgence?

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. (Matthew 23:25-26 ESV)