Matthew 27:32-43 – Were You There? #1 – Lacking Love (Religious Leaders)
This morning, as a build-up to Resurrection Day on April 24, I am beginning a series called Were You There? These messages will cause us to look at the witnesses of Jesus’ crucifixion, and hopefully see ourselves in their places. Some of these spectators did good, others did evil, others did nothing. I hope that we will see ourselves, even in the evil-doers, so that we can see where we need to allow for change in our own lives. Today we look at the religious leaders. Join me in Matthew 27:32-43.
And so it has come down to this. 3-1/2 years ago, this man appeared in the area. He started off harmless enough, with only the occasional instance of offending the powers-that-be, like that time 3 years ago when He upset the tables in the temple. Sure, He attracted crowds with His teachings, but people are fickle, and the followers wouldn’t stay with Him.
Then He started criticizing the leaders. He said their righteousness was no good. He said they were blind, leading people to blindness with them. He said they were snakes and graves and children of hell. And even though the man started losing followers because of His hard teachings, His criticism of the religious leaders continued, and they began to feel their spiritual influence crumbling away. And their thoughts, on more than 1 occasion, turned murderous.
The situation reached fever pitch when several days before, Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, of all things, and the throngs of people worshipped Him, and believed Him to be sent of God. Clearly, it was time to take Him out of the picture. The opportunity arose when one of His own agreed to serve as a legal witness for His arrest. As subjects to the Romans, the Jews had no authority to carry out the death penalty, so the man would have to be tried first.
During the man’s trial before Caiaphas, the high priest, He was asked if He was the One sent from God, if He was the Christ, the Messiah, the Saviour, God’s Son. He said He was, to the point where He applied God’s holy name from Exodus 3, “I AM”, to Himself. The man made the outrageous claim that He was God.
This is an instance of what is called blasphemy – claiming God’s attributes to yourself, calling yourself God. To the Jews, this was a great crime, punishable by death. Leviticus 24 tells a story about a man who blasphemed God and was killed for it. Blasphemy was a capital offence. So, in a sense, the Jewish leaders were justified in wanting Jesus dead.
But only in a sense. God is allowed to call Himself God. If any old person calls themselves God, they are blaspheming. But God certainly has the right to call Himself God. Because they considered Jesus only a man, what He said was blasphemy. But because He was Himself God, it wasn’t actually blasphemy – it was the truth. The leaders’ perceptions of Jesus blinded them to the truth, and they didn’t see Jesus for Who He really was, and they killed Him. They claimed to represent Moses, but Jesus said they didn’t really believe Moses – John 5.
But what is important to remember is that, according to their beliefs, they were just following the Law. They were just doing what was required. Kill the blasphemer – it’s what the Bible says to do. I’m not saying they were correct in what they did, but I am saying that they simply carrying out what they thought the Bible said to do.
No, even though what they did is sad, how they did it is even sadder. Listen to the words of Matthew 26:67-68:
“Then they spit in his face and struck him with their fists. Others slapped him and said, "Prophesy to us, Christ. Who hit you?"
This is not their beliefs in the OT showing through; this is their sinful hearts making an appearance. This isn’t Leviticus 24 being displayed; this is pure hatred. Our passage today from Matthew 27 shows this same mocking attitude.
In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. "He saved others," they said, "but he can’t save himself! He’s the King of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, `I am the Son of God.’ "
This isn’t God’s justice being meted out on a blasphemer. This is hatred. Pure, simple hatred. And God’s word never tolerates our hatred for one another. They had read in Leviticus 19 where God had said, “Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.” They had read that whole chapter where time and time again, we are told by God to treat others well because God is the Lord. Because of who He is, and who we are, we are to love others.
The religious leaders knew this, but ignored it. They knew the Law inside and out, and ignored a key concept in it: loving others. So, these people came to the cross, bringing with them Bible knowledge in their heads, but hatred in their hearts.
So I ask: were you there? Were you there with them, knowing your theology but lacking love? Were you there, casting insults and despising others, despite knowing better? Are you one of the religious leaders, having a good understanding of the Bible, but unable or unwilling to show love to others, especially the ones who disagree with you?
The apostle Paul, former religious leader and teacher of the Law, said, “If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.” It doesn’t matter how well you can defend your theology or how well you clean up on the Bible category on Jeopardy – if you don’t have love, it just doesn’t matter.
In Romans 12, in the chapter that begins with the command to offer ourselves to God, Paul tells us to be devoted to one another in brotherly love, and to honour one another above ourselves, and to bless those who persecute us, and to live in harmony with one another, and not to be proud. And he also says this: “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”
You know, I kinda think that most people on this island probably believe the Bible and believe in God. I think that if you asked most people, they’d say, Yes, I believe. But if you asked them why they don’t mostly go to church, you’d get some different answers. I think you’d find that most don’t question our beliefs, but they don’t tolerate our behaviour.
“Why should I go to church with all those hypocrites there? They say they’re going to live together in heaven, but they can’t stand each other on earth. Well, I’m no worse than them.”
And it is sad. For all the Bible knowledge we have, Christians really don’t get along with each other very well. We can’t seem to keep the past behind us. We say we forgive, but we still can’t stand to be around them. We keep bringing up old memories, showing off all our scars of previous emotional hurts.
So without love, we are nothing but noise in a world desperately needing to know that God loves them. With a master’s degree in Bible knowledge but an elementary school level of love, we become ignorable. We become harsh and cruel, cold and callous, shallow and mean-spirited.
Pastor Phil Williams shared with some pastors about someone he had run into one time – a Baptist, if you can believe it – who casually mentioned about Mother Teresa sizzling in hell like a pork chop. Listen, I don’t care how superior you think that our theology is compared to the Catholic church. I don’t care how well you think you can dismiss Catholic traditions. A mature Christian does not delight in someone’s eternal torture.
As an aside, I don’t believe at all that Mother Teresa is in hell, but God didn’t tell me either way, so I won’t pronounce judgement on the woman’s soul. The point is, the ability to defend one’s beliefs is not enough justification to be hard-hearted and unfeeling.
We have spoken the truth – but so much has been said with no love in the mix. Ephesians 4:15 says that’s how we should speak the truth… in love. We have told about Jesus coming to save us. He died so we could have life, and He arose so we could have hope. We have said that He wants to forgive us and to lead us. But we have been cruel and callous. “God loves ya, ya filthy rotten sinner. Turn or burn!”
We have said,” God will forgive you, but I won’t. God loves you but I can’t stand the sight of you. I’ll be with you in heaven, if you make it, but I hope my mansion is on the other side of the city from yours.”
This isn’t love. This is something else. This is what the religious leaders showed to Jesus. This is the justice, or at least how the people saw it, carried out with extreme prejudice, as they say. This is the sort of thing that begets extremist radical fundamentalists. Loveless adherence to a perceived truth.
1 John 3:20 says this: If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. Folks, no matter how good your theology, or how well you can explain it, or how boldly you can defend it… if you can’t say it in love, don’t say it at all. Love doesn’t tear down. Love doesn’t insult. Love doesn’t belittle. Love respects. Love accepts differences. Love doesn’t demand allegiance.
Were you there with the religious leaders, seeing the love of God in action but not letting it soak into your spirit? Spend time in prayer, just you alone with Him. Ask Him to show His love. Read the Gospels for how Jesus showed love to people. Spend time in praise, enjoying His love for you. Ask Him to make you a lover.
