Matthew Lesson 46

     We will start this lesson in Matthew 23:23 "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."  Matthew 23:24 "[Ye] blind guides, which strain at a
gnat, and swallow a camel."

     Mint, anise, and cummin are various spices. Some of them were used
for fragrance from time to time. They were ,also, ground up and used for
medicine.  This really was not what God had in mind when He spoke of
the tithe, but they had gotten so technical with their performance
they had forgotten the purpose behind it.  They were so caught up in
technicalities that they no longer were functional as a church.  It
would be like us getting so caught up in watching the clock and making
sure we did not run a service overtime, that we took no time to
minister to the needs of the people.  How can someone who is blind
lead someone?  What Jesus was trying to tell them was, stop worrying
about formality and get people into the kingdom. Don't worry about who
does it or how, just get them saved, and then minister to them. This is
the fifth "woe".

     Matthew 23:25 "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."  Matthew 23:26 "[Thou]
blind Pharisee, cleanse first that [which is] within the cup and
platter, that the outside of them may be clean also."

     Here, Jesus was speaking of cleaning up the heart of man. Out of
the issue of the heart, the mouth speaketh. Some churches today,
believe that just being baptized in water gets you saved. This is not
true. There are many people who have been baptized in water that are
lost.  To be saved, A person must have a change of heart. His heart
must be washed in the blood of the Lamb, and cleansed from all
unrighteousness. He must truly believe that Jesus died on the cross
for his sins, and that He rose again. When a person is cleaned up
from within, his old desire to sin is washed away, and the desire of
his heart is to follow Jesus.  You can quickly notice a change in
his conversation, his habits, and his goals.  In fact the change
will be so great everyone will notice.  I am not against being
baptized in water, but the baptism of the heart must take place first.
Truly the order of baptisms is baptism of repentance, baptism of
heart, baptism of water, baptism of fire of the Holy Spirit, and
baptism of suffering.  You see, these pharisees appeared from the
outside to be living for God, but their hearts and spirits were not in
it.

     Matthew 23:27 "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."

     Once a year, about the fifteenth of the month of Adar, the
Jews painted their tombs with whitewash to denote where the dead bodies
were. Jesus, in this statement, was accusing these scribes and
Pharisees to be dead inwardly, but whitewashed on the outside. Probably,
from the world's point of view (the outside), they were super
religious, but it was all on the outside. Inside there were dead men's
bones. They were covering up their lust of the flesh with this
whitewhash.  To whitewash something today means, to attempt to cover
up something very evil.  In our society today, we see this in
preachers who lead two lives;   one for the public to view, and another
private life that cannot stand up under the light.  It is explained in
verse 28.

     Matthew 23:28 "Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto
men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity." Matthew 23:29
"Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  because ye build
the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the
righteous," Matthew 23:30 "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." Matthew 23:31 "Wherefore ye be witnesses unto
yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the
prophets." Matthew 23:32 "Fill ye up then the measure of your
fathers."

     It seems that these scribes and Pharisees made large graves and
mausoleums to say to the world that they were opposed to the killing
of the prophets.  In essence, they were saying had they been living
instead of their ancestors, thew would not have killed them.  These
scribes and Pharisees had not only rejected the prophets, but they
had gone even further and had rejected the very Son of God.  It is
so easy to say what you would do, if you do not have the decision
facing you.   These scribes and Pharisees were quick to criticize, but
they would make a much more serious denial when they participated in
the crucifixion of Jesus the Christ the Son of God.  Their cup of
iniquity would be more than full.

     Matthew 23:33 "[Ye] serpents, [ye] generation of vipers, how can
ye escape the damnation of hell?"

     These phony scribes and Pharisees were like the ones Jesus was
speaking of that stand before Him at the end and say,  Lord have we
not done all these wonderful things in your name?  Jesus will tell
them to get away from Him, that He never knew them.  You see,  having
a form of religion is just not enough.  Our hearts are the judge. Were
our hearts right with God;  was it the desire of our hearts to please
God more than mankind.  There are only two ways to go.  Those who
Jesus does not accept go to hell.   To answer the question of Jesus
above, there is a way to avoid hell.  Turn from this whitewashed
outward religion, repent, and make Jesus Lord of our lives.

     Matthew 23:34  "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:" Matthew 23:35 "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."

     Remember, these were the religious people of their day,  but it
was an outward religion for show.  They had nothing good going on
inside them.  They (as a whole) would not accept Jesus.  In not
accepting Him,  who was the perfect Lamb of God--the perfect
sacrifice,  it was as if they themselves had killed the prophets that
led up to Jesus.  Their message was of His coming.  In not accepting Him,
they did not accept their message, as well.

     Matthew 23:36 "Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come
upon this generation."

     Jesus, here, was speaking of them rejecting the Savior of the
world  (Jesus Christ).

     Matthew 23:37 "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 a hen gathereth her
chickens under [her] wings, and ye would not!"

     Jesus' desire was that the Hebrews  would accept His free gift of
salvation.  They were the chosen of God.   Jesus, like a hen that
sees a storm coming and gathers her little chickens and covers them
with her wings to protect them,  wanted to protect them by covering
them with His shed blood.   They would not accept Him.  They went so
far as to crucify the Son of God.   Jesus knew this when He made
this statement and mourned for Jerusalem.   "O Jerusalem."

     Matthew 23:38 "Behold, your house is left unto you desolate."

     Jesus' foreknowledge helped Him see the desperate thing they would
do and become totally separated from God.

     Matthew 23:39 "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."

     This verse 39,  I believe, means that Jesus did not appear to
these particular people after the resurrection.  I believe at the
second coming of Christ  (when every knee shall bow and every tongue
confess that Jesus Christ is Lord), these people will realize that
Jesus is Messiah.  The Israelites have always looked for a Messiah
that would be a physical king and save them from their neighbors.
Jesus will be LORD OF lords and KING OF kings when He returns to
earth.  They truly will say,  "Blessed is He that cometh in the name
of the Lord:.

     Next lesson will begin in chapter 24 of Matthew.




                          Matthew 46 Questions

1.  These woes were spoken to whom?
2.  By whom?
3.  What were they tithing?
4.  What were they omitting?
5.  What did Jesus call them when He said they strain at a gnat and
    swallow a camel?
6.  These people had gotten caught up in what?
7.  These blind leaders could be paralleled to whom today?
8.  What did Jesus mean when He said they cleaned the outside of the
    cup but inside was full of extortion and excesses?
9.  What did He tell them to do about it?
10. What was Jesus really telling them to cleanse?
11. What two things must happen for you to be saved?
12. What is the order of baptisms?
13. What were they likened to in verse 27?
14. Inward they were full of what?
15. How often did the Jews whitewash the tombs?
16. What does whitewash mean today?
17. How did these scribes and Pharisees think they were better than
    their ancestors?
18. What was worse about the scribes and Pharisees?
19. What two names did Jesus call them, when He asked them how they
    could miss hell?
20. There is a way. describe how?
21. Jesus said they would be guilty of the blood of two men that
    covered the Old Testament, who were they?
22. What did Jesus compare His desiring to protect them with?
23. What 3 words indicate Jesus mourning for this people?
24. What did verse 39 mean about when they would see Jesus again?
25. What name would they call Him?
26. What will they do to show that they recognize Him?





















                      Matthew Questions 46

1.  These woes were spoken to whom?
2.  By whom?
3.  What were they tithing?
4.  What were they omitting?
5.  What did Jesus call them when He said they strain at a gnat and
    swallow a camel?
6.  These people had gotten caught up in what?
7.  These blind leaders could be paralleled?
8.  What did Jesus mean when He said they cleaned the outside of the
    cup but inside was full of extortion and excesses?
9.  What did He tell them to do about it?
10. What was Jesus really telling them to cleanse?
11. What two things must happen for you to be saved?
12. What is the order of baptisms?
13. What were they likened to in verse 27?
14. Inward they were full of what?
15. How often did the Jews whitewash the tombs?
16. What does whitewash mean today?
17. How did these scribes and Pharisees think they were better than
    their ancestors?
18. What is worse about the scribes and Pharisees?
19. What two names does Jesus call them, when He asks them how they
    can miss hell?
20. There is a way, describe how?
21. Jesus said they would be guilty of the blood of two men that
    covered the old testament?
22. What did Jesus compare His desiring to protect them with?
23. What three words indicate Jesus mourning for His people?
24. What did verse 39 mean about when they could see Jesus again?
25. What name would they call Him?
26. What will they do to show that they recognize Him?