The Seven-fold Woe

Matthew 23: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew+23&version=NIV

            I haven’t been looking forward to commenting on Matthew 23. It’s a difficult chapter that demands a lot of background and a lot of care in how we apply it. Very briefly, part of the Pharisees’ project was to find ways to apply laws that originally applied to entry into the tabernacle to contemporary life. I’m thinking especially of the laws regarding ritual cleanness. The effect was to create a hyperawareness and with hyperawareness came anxiety: Am I doing enough to maintain my place among the people of God? That’s why Jesus says that Pharisees place cumbersome loads on the people. Remember back in chapter 11? Jesus’ project involves a light yoke and rest. The Gospel is about comfort, not burdens.

            Then follow seven woes against the Pharisees and the teachers of the law. It’s the bulk of the chapter, and it’s great reading because the language is vivid and sharp: I mean, just read it! “Woe to you who go across the sea to make a single convert only to make him twice the son of hell you are!” “You white-washed tombs!” And it fits as a sort of climactic moment in Jesus’ ongoing controversy with the religious leaders of Israel. But what in the world does it mean for us? The most basic lesson for us is a familiar one: faith not works. What matters is a heart renewed through faith in Jesus. Which is not to say that good works are unimportant—it’s just that they’re not of ultimate importance; they don’t save. Any number of people who claim to be Christians, when asked, “Why are you sure you’re going to heaven?” will say, “Because I’ve lived a good life…” That’s giving works ultimate importance; that’s making the mistake of the Pharisees. Here’s a thing that’s stuck with me since my school days: the Law, which demands and doesn’t save, is always asking the question, “Is it enough?” The Gospel, which is the pure gift of God, simply gives. The Gospel is the way of faith; the Law is the way of works.

            It’s a tricky chapter, and we can talk about it more on Wednesday, April 22, at our Facebook Live Bible study. Hope to see you there.