Jesus Dismantles Disqualified Leadership (Pt 2)

Matthew Series | Matthew 23:1-39 | Pastor Duane Smets

This week is an exegetical sermon on Matthew 23:1-39 where Jesus goes on the offensive against the ancient Scribes and Pharisees and gives seven different reasons for their disqualification and ultimate termination. The chapter concludes with Jesus addressing the pain of sin and the promise of the gospel. This sermon was originally preached on October 17th, 2010 at The Resolved Church in San Diego, CA.

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The Resolved Church
Pastor Duane Smets
October 17th, 2010

Jesus Dismantles Disqualified Leadership – Part II
Matthew 23:1-39

I. A Charge of Corruption (v1-12)
II. A Call for Termination (v13-36)
• Reason 1 – Exclusivity (v13-14)
• Reason 2 – Converting People to Falsehood (v15)
• Reason 3 – Disregard of God (v16-22)
• Reason 4 – Neglecting Care for Others (v23-24)
• Reason 5 – Greed and Self-Indulgence (v25-26)
• Reason 6 – Inner Spiritual Deadness (v27-28)
• Reason 7 – Murdering God’s Men (v29-36)
III. A Cry of Pain and a Promise (v37-39)

Introduction

Good morning everyone! It’s good to see everyone. If you are new, welcome to The Resolved Church. We’re a group of people who love Jesus and love his church. My name is Duane, I’m one of the pastors here under our head pastor Jesus and I get the joy of preaching most weeks here at The Resolved.

Well, if you were here last week then you heard sort of part 1 of today’s sermon. We’ve been studying the book of Matthew in the Bible and we’re in the last part of the book in Jesus’ last week of life. Throughout the last three recorded years of his life we’ve been seeing him preach, teach, and do miracles.

At various points he gets tangled up with the religious leaders of the land and whenever he does he’s blunt and to the point. Now obviously Jesus is a religious leader himself…he started this whole new religion called Christianity. And most of the time Jesus is the tenderest and most compassionate guy you will ever read about. But when he interacts with these religious leaders we hear the things which really get under Jesus’ skin and find out how different of a religious leader Jesus really is.

Now just to get it in our heads who we are talking about, let’s think about religious leaders. In our day and culture that could cover a whole gamut of dudes.

Some might think of world-wide known religious leaders of today…like the Dali Lama, the Buddhist leader from Tibet, or Muhammed Tantawi, the most recent Muslim Imam or mabye the Roman Catholic Pope, Pope Benedict the 16th or Billy Graham, the Christian Evangelist.

If you sort of limit it to the “Christian World” and I say Christian loosely…people might think of guys like Joel Osteen, or Pat Robertson, or the crazy big hair people on TV, or Rick Warren or maybe the more solid guys like Mark Driscoll or John Piper.

If you limit it even more you could think of a more immediate context…the pastors and leaders in your church…like Ron and I and the six dudes in leadership development. That’s probably the closest to what we’ve got going on here with who Jesus is interacting with and talking about. There were a few famous, well known Rabbis, but most of them not…they just all get grouped together and the main groups we hear about are called the “Scribes and Pharisees.”

Basically, they don’t like Jesus and Jesus doesn’t like them. We just studied Jesus’ very last interaction with them last week here in chapter 22 of Matthew…Part I. The next time he sees them it will be when they arrest him and beat him and he just hangs his head refusing to talk anymore.

What we are looking at today is what Jesus says to everyone else about these Scribes and Pharisees, after his last interaction with them…Part II. From the text, as we’ll see in a second, it sounds like they’ve walked away and it’s just Jesus, his disciples, and a crowd of people hanging around. So Jesus takes the opportunity to go into great detail about what his problem with the religious leaders are and how he is different.

Just to warn you, this is probably the gnarlyist stuff Jesus ever says. So those of you who thought Jesus was just a nice teddy bear who just eats candy and sings in flowers…you’ll see another side of him today. Today’s text pretty much has the harshest things Jesus ever said in it. At the same time, it concludes in perhaps the most tender words we ever hear Jesus utter. Pretty amazing.

Okay, well let’s just read it, pray over it, and get into it.

Alright, so there’s basically three different parts to this chapter. There’s the first part, from verses 1-11 which basically say Scribes and Pharisees are bad. Then there’s the second part where Jesus goes into seven main reasons why they are bad, which concludes with him basically firing them all from their job. Then there’s a third part, where we basically see Jesus broken-hearted over it and hear a brief word about his plan to change things.

I. A Charge of Corruption (v1-12)

So our first point for today, “A Charge of Corruption.” I would have just called this point, “Scribes and Pharisees Are Bad” but that didn’t seem right for some reason, so “A Charge of Corruption.”

I don’t have any fancy way of simplifying this section so I’m just going to move right through the words of the text. So follow close with me in your Bibles.

First, verse 2-3, they sit on Moses’ seat, so practice and do whatever they tell you. Moses was the dude in the Bible, who he gave the 10 commandments to. His seat isn’t a chair but a place of leadership and authority. So Jesus is saying, the problem isn’t authority…we are meant to live under spiritual authorities. Jesus isn’t an ecclesiological anarchist. He’s not anti authority.

So what’s the problem then? The problem Jesus says is, the Scribes and Pharisees “do not practice what they preach.” There is a lot of say but not a lot of do. Jesus makes a comparison to illustrate.

They didn’t have cars then but animals have been around for awhile, so if you needed to tow something you just hook it up to an animal, like an ox or a horse. Jesus says these guys are telling people to do so much stuff, it’s like hooking up a big ole’ heavy load of bricks to the shoulders and the back of a human being and telling them to walk. And the whole time, the pastors are just sitting back, drinking Margaritas, getting a tan and won’t even get up to help for fear of breaking a sweat.

What do they do? Verse 5 says the only things he Scribes and the Pharisees were interested in doing, was stuff that made them look good in front of other people. Like what? Jesus talks about phylacteries and fringes. What are those?

Here’s the deal…famous passage of the Bible. “Love the lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind.” It’s from Deuteronomy 6. After the Bible says that it tells the Dads to teach their families to love God, from sun up to sun down, wherever they go, whatever they do and whatever they think about. The way it actually says it is, “Bind them (the commands to love God) on your forehead” and “talk of them…when you go on your way.”

So what did they do? They made this little box, put some Bible verses inside it, hooked up a headband to it and wore it on their forehead. That’s what a phylactery is. Fringes? What they did with that one is make these big colorful tassels on the end of their robes (no pants back then) as a sign of the commandments wherever they walked.

Next thing? Eating and going out. Verse 6, “they love the places of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogue.” Whenever they ate dinner with other people at the feasts they always wanted to sit in the center, in the honored seat and same thing at the synagogue. It’d sort of be like if there was a city wide dinner with the mayor there and all the city officials, they would make sure they were invited and sat either right next to the mayor or better yet in his seat. And if they ever went to a football game, they refused to go unless they got club seats.

Last thing Jesus mentions here in this first section…titles. Verse 7, they love “being called rabbi by others.” Some have said to be called “Rabbi” in this time period would have been on the same par in societal honor and respect as the “king.” So we’re talking like “President” status of honor and respect.

That gives us a basic introduction to Scribes and the Pharisees. Are you getting a feeling for them? Everything is outward show and everything is all about what people think of you and the respect and honor you get from it. Sort of like if your goal was to get as many Facebook followers as possible and when you posted things, all you really cared about was what other people would think when they saw it or read it.

Jesus says this is all wrong and everything good about God and his teaching, first handed down through Moses has been corrupted. “Rabbi”? There’s only one true Rabbi. “Father”? There’s only one true Father. “Instructor”? There’s only one true instructor. Who is it? The Father who is in heaven who verse 10 identifies as the Christ. Which is crazy. Jesus essentially says, “I’m the only one who gets a title.”

Now note this. Jesus isn’t against titles, he’s against the love of them and the ascending of a title to the place of which only belongs to him as God over all, the supreme Rabbi, Father, and Instructor. The New Testament is filled with teachings from guys with a title, “Apostle” and they call godly men to be “Fathers” of their homes.

Here’s the thing. What makes a good father? Being like and pointing to the heavenly father. What makes a good teacher? Being like and point to the great teacher, Jesus.

It’s one of the reasons I’m constantly saying, Jesus is the head pastor, not me. Because the truth is, only Jesus can really pastor you, I can’t. I constantly say it with guys I’m discipling…I really can’t disciple anyone, only Jesus can really disciple you.

What is our role then? Verse 11 says it is as “servants”, humble servants. If the motive is our own personal gain or glory, God will not put up with it and will eventually take us down. We’re just supposed to be humble servants pointing to Jesus.

Jesus main point in this first section, verses 1-12, is that the whole leadership system and structure has been completely corrupted through and through. The leadership has totally disqualified itself and betrayed the seat of Moses. That’s Jesus charge, the heart and purpose of the spiritual or religious leadership role infected and contaminated …instead of serving the people, the people were being used and abused.

In the next section, Jesus will begin a series of woes, seven of them, where he names seven distinct areas or ways that the Scribes and Pharisees have disqualified themselves. But before we move on to working through them. I just want to pause and look at the things we just heard from Jesus as he describes his overall concern. If your me, when I read these things…I’ve obviously never met a 1st century Jewish Pharisee. But two things happen in me when I read this.

One, I start getting all amped. I’m like, “I can’t believe these guys…freaking jerks….down with man. Bible boxes on head band, come on you imbeciles!” That’s the first thing that happens in me.

But then as Jesus starts unpacking things a little more. Talking about them loving the title “rabbi” and loving the places of honor at dinner and then when he starts talking about being a humble servant something starts to happen in me. It’s kind of like…oh no!

Because I start to realize things about myself. How there is a part of me, if I’m honest, who at times that loves being called “pastor.” And how at times I love being invited to special dinners and being the focal point of the attention and conversation. And then I start to think of how I tend to pride myself in being a good teacher or preacher. And then I’m like, oh no! This is me and I start to get real scared and I just repenting and saying…”I’m sorry Lord, it’s all you…I’m just a lowly servant. Your the pastor, your one to be honored, you deserve the attention, you’re the true teacher and preacher.”

My favorite part really about this first section is that last part. Whoever “humbles himself will be exalted.” It’s my favorite part because it holds out hope for me.

Now, obviously he’s directly addressing spiritual or religious leaders. So I guess this whole text and sermon is just for me. Sorry everyone. But it’s really not is it?

I’m sure, everyone in this room falls into these traps one way or another. Saying one thing but doing another. Holding high expectations of others but rarely following through with what you say you’re going to do. Loving attention or when people think you’re smart, cool, fun, or whatever. Failing as a parent by not pointing to the true God and father over all.

Maybe there’s some things the Lord would have you humble yourself in and repent today? May God’s Spirit do his work in us and kill our inner Pharisee.

II. A Call For Termination (v13-36)

Well, let’s move on and check out the seven main things Jesus will ultimately say earned the Scribes and the Pharisees a pink slip from their job, “A Call For Termination.”

Each one begins with this little word, “woe” which basically means, “watch out because something really bad is about to happen to you.” In the book of Isaiah in the Bible, Isaiah uses it to call down death curse on himself when he recognizes his own personal sinfulness. Woe is serious…it’s like judgment is coming, and soon.

There’s seven woes, which is interesting because seven is the Judaic number of completion…so Jesus probably gives seven to say that his dismissal of the whole religious system is a complete and total cleaning out.

Alright, were going to try and move through the woes pretty quickly, so here we go.

• Reason 1 – Exclusivity (v13-14)

First woe, verse 13, you shut the door in people faces and actually are not even able to ever go in yourself. Sort of like the bouncer at a club. Jesus here says you make it impossible to get into the kingdom of heaven because you make it so hard for people. Notice he uses one of his favorite phrases, “the kingdom of heaven.”

Now there’s a lot in that phrase, but one of the main things is that it is God’s kingdom and the essence of the message of the Bible is God coming to us, to man, and allowing us entry into fellowship or relationship with him…his kingdom. Instead, the Scribes and the Pharisees have made it about rules and regulation.

Really here, what Jesus is getting at is that it is not about religion, it’s about knowing God and entering into life with him. I’m trying not to say it’s not about “religion but relationship” but that’s always sounded so cheese to me…but that’s really what’s going on here.

If you’ve ever thought that Christianity was just all about doing the right things…than you’ve completely misunderstood the religion, if anything it’s about how we’ve all done all the wrong things, but God has had grace on us through Jesus. The gospel is far different than religion…it’s something else entirely.

• Reason 2 – Converting People to Falsehood (v15)

Second woe, verse 15, “Converting People to Falsehood.” Jesus uses the word, “proselyte” which is a fancy way of saying convert. Have you ever noticed how everyone is always trying to convert someone to something? You even have people who are trying to convert people not to try and convert people. How does that work?

Have you ever noticed how the people who get all hyped on things that are not true are often the most evangelistic or missional about their heresy? Wolves are great convert makers. I had this lady call me this week on the phone, I don’t know how she got my cell phone number, but she was calling me to try and get me to vote for the governor she was representing. I was sort of in a funny mood so I decided to entertain the call and I shared with her some of my personal convictions about some things because of what I believe the Bible teaches about leadership roles. Right away, she couldn’t even help herself, she completely forgot about the candidate she was representing and starting telling me how I really shouldn’t have religious beliefs like that. And she was passionate and persuasive. I had to hang up the phone quick because she almost converted me into not being a Christian anymore.

James 3:1 says this, “Not many of you should become teachers” because they will be judged more strictly. Why is that? Because of what Jesus says here in verse 15. “When he becomes a proselyte (or a convert), you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves.” Ouch!

Look, if you are just trying to convert people to religion and not to Jesus, Jesus here says all you are doing is converting people to a hotter and faster path to hell.

• Reason 3 – Disregard of God (v16-22)

Unsurprisingly then, the third woe is all about the “Disregard of God” in verses 16-22. Now there’s a bunch of weird stuff in this one about oaths and altars and swearing. Basically what is going on is that the Scribe and Pharisee Rabbis wrote this whole other book called the Mishnah, which is essentially extra rules to follow to make sure that you don’t break the commandments of the Bible. In this book, the Mishnah, there was a whole chapter on oaths, what you could and could not swear and by what object you could swear by. So for example, you couldn’t say, “I swear on my mother’s grave!”

Why do they have that? Well, for example the ninth commandment of the ten God gave Moses to give to everyone else is thou shall not lie. My mom isn’t dead. At least I hope not, I haven’t talked to her in a couple days. So I’d be lying to say, “I swear on my mother’s grave.” But there’s not a verse in the Bible that says that. Scribes and Pharisees’ answer, oh, well make one for you.

Here’s what Jesus says. Just don’t lie! If there is a God then he sees and hears everything. But if there is no God then there’s no point at all and don’t worry about it. In getting all technical about what counts as a lie and what doesn’t you’ve completely disregarded God himself. God’s existence as the source and the ground for what is right and true and holy is what makes lying wrong.

This is huge for us. Jesus point is that right and wrong is not just this stale law or ethical code, it come from a living being, God. So when we do something wrong, we didn’t just break a rule, we offend the one who gave and keeps the rule rightly working in the universe, God. When you tell the truth, you do so as verse 22 says “by the throne of God and by him who sits upon it.”

• Reason 4 – Neglecting Care for Others (v23-24)

Okay, next one, “Neglecting Care for Others.” In the Scribes and Pharisees extra book onto The Book, they basically decided exactly how much money they were going to give every time to church. They did it with mint, dill and cumin and made sure it was measured out exactly as a tenth or 10%.

Part of the pastor’s job is to make sure that church takes care of it’s own…if there is someone in need to have the church faithfully bear the burden and exercise justice and mercy. Instead, these guys are collecting all kinds of money…so the church bank roll is doing well, and they’re never giving any of the money out. They’re just sitting on it and thinking they’re fine because they’ve already done their part by giving out their exact amount of mint, dill and cumin!

Jesus says this is like being so careful when you drink notice and pick out any gnats that end up in your wine glass so you don’t end up swallowing a little bug but in the process you end up swallowing a camel instead. Not caring for others is a far worse sin than not putting the right amount of money in the box at church one week.

• Reason 5 – Greed and Self-Indulgence (v25-26)

Reason 5, verse 25, Jesus says they are full of “greed and self-indulgence.” Here’s the example he gives this time. They clean the outside of the cup and the plate but not the inside…the inside is full of greed and self-indulgence.

This is what’s going on with this one. The inside of the cup and the plate is what food and drink they are having. You can’t tell from the the outside, but inside their cups is the choicest wine and on their plate the choicest food.

These guys aren’t drinking two-buck chuck, they’re drinking good stuff and their having steak and lobster every night. Here he calls them “hypocrites” which is a word that literally means “play acting” like players in a play or actors in a movie. It’s all just a show.

It’s sort of like pointing out that no one really knows how you live behind closed doors. You might live in a cheap looking house from the outside but inside you’ve not only got lavish things but there’s simply is no real spiritual life in your home. The only time you look spiritual is when there’s other people around. Then you talk about God. But at home you to ever talk to God.

• Reason 6 – Inner Spiritual Deadness (v27-28)

Why is that? Jesus drives at it in his sixth woe, addressing “Inner Spiritual Deadness.” Each woe digs deeper and deeper. With this one in verses 27-28 Jesus says the reason for the play acting is that there is an internal spiritual deadness, any righteousness is just a show and isn’t a true reality in their heart.

He says it’s like “whitewashed tombs”, a beautiful white, clean tombstone. But if you dug up the coffin, would it be beautiful? No, it would be dirty and inside would not be a beautiful person but a skeleton of dead bones.

Things get heavy with this one. Look at verse 28, it says “you outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.”

I was listening to the band Arcade Fire this week while I was working on my sermon. Anyone heard of them? If you haven’t they’re this indie rock band. It’s not “Christian Music” whatever that is. Actually I’m pretty sure, these guys are pretty bitter about God and especially Christianity. But sometimes because of God’s general revelation of truth and himself in all the things he has made, even those who don’t know him can say things which are almost exactly correct.

Their song, “City With No Children” says this in one of the stanzas, “When you’re hiding underground, the rain can’t get you wet.” So you’re in the ground…when you’re there…next line, “Do you think your righteousness could pay the interest on your debt? I have my doubts about it.”

Phenomenal. You can try and do all the righteous works or deeds you want and none of that can ever address the heart, which is the place where all of the motives for hypocrisy and lawlessness are birthed. Hypocrisy, acting for others. Lawlessness, the desire to do our own thing and go our own way rather than God’s.

• Reason 7 – Murdering God’s Men (v29-36)

Last reason, Reason and woe number 7, the worst of all, murder…the “Murdering of God’s Men” in verses 29-35. There’s three main things to point out here with this, completing reason for ejecting the Scribes and the Pharisees as the leaders of God’s people.

First, Jesus recalls the well known awareness that many of God’s prophets were not popular in their day and many were in fact killed for their prophesies. Several of the guys who have books in the Bible in the Old Testament, the first two-thirds of the Bible were put to death by the religious leaders of their day. Jesus looks at the Scribes and the Pharisees and say they are those same type of religious leaders, who would have done that back then if they were there and in verse 34 he says they will do it themselves very soon. “…You will kill and crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues and persecute from town to town.”

Second, in verse 34 also says something astounding. Jesus says he is the one who sent or sends the prophets. “I send you prophets and wise men and scribes.” That’s a pretty crazy statement because all throughout the Bible it is said that God is the one who sends the prophets into the world. Here, Jesus says he does, thus here he puts himself on par with God the Father and claims deity.

Third, it is innocent blood they shed. He mentions Abel, who was the first person ever recorded as being murdered and Zechariah, the last prophet to be murdered in Jewish history. The prophets did not say or do anything worthy of death and yet they were put to death and verse 35 Jesus says they are responsible and accountable for it all.

What’s crazy to me about this woe is realizing the extent of what we are capable of in the pursuit of something which sounds and seems good…the religious worship of God! Yet, because of the corruption of the heart, pride and hatred can grow so strong it can cause us to do things we would have never dreamed possible of committing.

If you read interviews of murderers who are in jail…most of them, if they talk about it, will say they never would have dreamed they could ever do such a thing.

Seven solid reasons Jesus gives for ousting and ending the spiritual leadership of Israel that had been entrusted by God to the Scribes and Pharisees. In just a few days they would crucify him and within a few years later as we know now from history, the whole temple and town would be destroyed and it would be the end of them just as Jesus said. It’s dark and it’s painful.

III. A Cry of Pain and a Promise (v37-39)

But lest us think Jesus is being cold and heartless here in this chapter, we’re given verses 41-46…where we see and hear Jesus’ humble, servant’s heart which is broken by the failure of the Pharisees. Let me re-read it. “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not! See, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again, until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’”

“A Cry of Pain and A Promise.” Our last point this morning. Do you hear the pain in Jesus’ voice? I wouldn’t be surprised if when Jesus’ was speaking these words he was in tears by this point.

Briefly look at the second half of verse 37 with me. “How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings.” Jesus, the God-man here, expresses the heart and care of a mother. The prophets, including Jesus himself, did not come just to be mean in calling people out on their sin and wickedness. They were sent out of love.

It’s the most loving thing in the world to tell someone when they are heading toward a cliff they are about to run off and be killed when they fall. 2 Peter 3:9 says that God, in the complexity of his emotive being is not desiring that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

Let me say it like this. Sometimes I feel like the bad guy as a preacher. To say, guys…you’re not living right. It’s sin and you need to repent, receive Jesus forgiveness and love God. Honestly, it’s really really hard for me to stand up here and say, your a sinner and you need to repent. But it’s the most loving thing I could ever tell you. It’s the only thing that can heal your heart and give you life.

The beauty of this chapter is it does not end in pain but in promise…the promise of life, of new life. It’s that last phrase of the last verse, “You will not see me again until…Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.” Here, Jesus looked forward to the point when he defeated sin, death and hell on the cross and came into his kingdom. When he comes into his kingdom is in his death and resurrection.

You see, Jesus’ death on the cross was not an accident. Jesus planned it since before the foundation of the world. Jesus knows the hardness of our hearts better than any other person. He know that though he stretch out his arms to gather us under his wings, that we are reluctant to come. So he went to the cross to do the most humble and serving act of all by stretching out his arms on a cross and giving up his life so we might be forgiven and changed.

When he did that he came into his kingdom and God raised him up from the dead and he is alive today and alive in this room to work in our hearts by his Spirit.

Conclusion

You see the truth is, this chapter is not just for pastors like me but for all of us because we’ve all got an inner Pharisee and we all deserve the judgment of God. We’ve been exclusivistic, we persuaded others to things that were not true or helpful, we’ve all disregarded God, neglected care for others, been greedy and self-indulgent, been spiritually dead and dry to the things of God, and we’ve all had hatred at one point toward our brothers and sisters. If we’re honest we’re a mess and deserve death.

The good news of the gospel is Jesus has not been like us. He like us but unlike us. He’s fully human but fully God and never failed as we have and he gave up his perfect life on the cross to die the death we deserve in our place. And he rose again, is alive today, and forgives us and receives us when we believe in him and his work. When we do, that begins to change our heart and our lives.

Some of you today need to become Christians. Some of you today need to repent of your Pharisee-ism. Some of you need to humble yourself and be dependent and needy before God.

Let’s go before his table, his body and blood in the bread and wine and let’s worship Jesus, thank Jesus, repent to Jesus, and have him minister to us.

Let’s pray.