THE GOSPEL ACCORDING
TO MATTHEW
CHAPTER
23
1. Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, 2. "The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat; 3. therefore, do whatever they teach you and follow it; but do not do as they do, for they do not practice what they teach. 4. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on the shoulders of others; but they themselves are unwilling to lift a finger to move them
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 23 verses 1 to 4)
Oh God this is a warning for all of us, whether we are laity, priests, lawmakers, or politicians or even parents or people such as myself who are praying on the Word of God. We are to pray to You my God not to mislead others by our way of life, by what we do think and even say, for without knowing our actions can both help and hinder other people's lives, especially those who without our being aware of it are looking up on us as being good people. I pray oh God that people reading these chapters will follow Your example, for I am only a human who is prone to sin. Anything that You reveal to me in a spirit of prayer I include in this blog, however the lesson and message is always primarily intended to teach and instruct me in my ways, and then for others who, may happen to be sinners like me.
5. They do all their deeds to be seen by others; for they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long. 6. They love to have the place of honour at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues, 7. and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, and to have people call them rabbi.
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 23 verses 5 to 7)
If we were to stop and think and make an inner observation of ourselves, we might find a reference to a particular sin or sins as found in verses 5 to 7. We can ask our selves regarding the intention of our action, if they are done for their own sake or to obtain social approval. Do we feel proud when we are noticed by people by our good points or achievements and feel better than others because we have a University degree or diploma?
8. But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all students.
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 23 verse 8)
Oh Jesus You teach us that we are to adopt a humble attitude and never become proud, haughty, for we do not know it all, but are in a constant state of learning.
9. And call no one your father on earth, for you have one Father-the one in heaven. 10. Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Messiah.
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 23 verses 9 to 10)
Oh God my Father its been a long time since I acknowledged You as my one and only true Father. Apart from You I have no other Father, who is truly a loving kind and caring Father. My human father loved me so much that as a consequence of my having had a row on the telephone during which in a fit of anger I called him "Trash" he reported me to the police and wanted to take me to Court. This is the love and care given to me by a human father.
11. The greatest among you will be your servant. 12. All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted.
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 23 verses 11 to 12)
Oh God my Father it is better for us to be raised by others than to raise ourselves over others, or better to be raised by You than by the world that, many times promotes the unjust over those who rightfully merit to be promoted.
13. "But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you lock people out of the kingdom of heaven. For you do not go in yourselves, and when others are going in, you stop them.
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 23 verse 13 to 14 not given )
As Christians we are also to be careful not to be a stumbling block to others. We might be misguided about what we believe in and might lead others in error and thus blocking their way to heaven instead of helping them. This verse makes me aware that as much as we strive to be proficient and excel re issues of the world, we cannot afford to be anything less than professionals.
15. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cross sea and land to make a single convert, and you make the new convert twice as much a child of hell as yourselves.
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 23 verse 15)
Oh Jesus it is the same with many people of power who influence the middle person so much that their subjects not only believe all they say but influence to speak and think likewise. This could be the case in many scenarios in many areas of life such as politics and even religion or belief. A case in point is the group ISIS which by means of its use and abuse of religious principles it has recruited many followers making them worse than themselves.
16. "Woe to you, blind guides, who say, 'Whoever swears by sanctuary is bound by nothing, but whoever swears by the gold of the sanctuary is bound by the oath.' 17. You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the sanctuary that has made the gold sacred? 18. And you say, 'Whoever swears by the altar is bound by nothing, but whoever swears by the gift that is on the altar is bound by the oath.' 19. How blind you are! For which is greater the gift or the altar that makes the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred? 20. So whoever swears by the altar, swears by it and by everything on it; 21. and whoever swears by the sanctuary, swears by it and by the one who dwells in it; 22. and whoever swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God and by the one who is seated upon it.
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 23 verses 16 to 22)
Oh Jesus this is a fantastic argument which can be applied on many levels. There are among us many who reason that they believe in You but not in the Church. When applying the teachings found in verses 16 to 22 one can refute this argument by asking the following question. As Christians we believe that the head of Your body on earth is the Holy Spirit, the rest of the body of which we are a part of is the Church. A body without a head is worthless because it has no direction only an existence like a person who is bed ridden and unconscious. Therefore not to believe in either of the parts is not believing in the body as a whole. One simply cannot believe in the head and not in the body when both parts are needed to make the body whole. Therefore it stands that faith is an all or nothing issue that cannot be split into pieces in order to suit our needs.
23. "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint, dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law; justice and mercy and faith. It is these you ought to have practiced without neglecting the others. 24. You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel!.
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 23 verses 23 to 24)
As parents or ministers or priests in the Church or other religion we are to evaluate our practices in order to see if we are being sticklers to the rules to an extreme and are missing out on the rule of love, which is the cornerstone of Your message that is found throughout the whole Bible. If we act out of the flesh alone, we may not act out of love. If we do not act out of love, our actions may be useless and without value for they may be simply a logical response to another act, without any feeling or emotion or any indication of doing so in order to obey and love God. Therefore we need to question the reasons behind our actions and analyze if what we are doing, the service we are giving is for Your glory or our reputation and social standing!
25. "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 26. You blind Pharisee! First clean inside of the cup, so that the outside may become clean.
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 23 verses 25 to 26)
Oh Jesus what we have in our hearts and mind, our innermost being also reflects our behviour during our interactions with others and also within ourselves. If we are not at peace internally this is shown by means of our verbal and non verbal behaviour which show our real self. It does not make sense to appear holy by means of our external actions in public and be sinful and corrupt when in private, for at some time or other the truth will be revealed and all will be aware of our real self. Even though we may try to portray a false impression of ourselves our non verbals get the better of us for they are beyond our control.
27. "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which on the outside look beautiful, but inside they are full of the bones of the dead and of all kinds of filth. 28. So you also on the outside look righteous to others, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 23 verses 27 to 28)
Oh Jesus this is also a warning for all of us, for the image that we project while in the presence of others does not always reflect our private self. During this time of relationship with You oh Jesus while meditating on Your Word, I realize or You help me to realize that when compared to Your teachings I am still far away from being called a 'good person', for my heart and mind at times are still worldly and not based on the teachings that You give me. AsI have discussed with You many times I am still works in progress, the clay in the hands of the potter that is You. I am on the potter's wheel and at times you shape my form to make it look worthy before You, However at times I hurt and rebel and fail to understand why You are shaping me and my life, in ways contrary to my will. However may Your will be done and not mine.
29. "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous, 30. and you say, 'If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.' 31. Thus you testify against yourselves that you are descendants of those who murdered the prophets.
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 23 verses 29 to 31)
Oh God as humans we have a tendency to use the if but reasoning, however according to the laws of probability if we lived in the same time of our ancestors we would have been a bi product of that society and we would have behaved likewise, therefore such reasoning is totally false and irrelevant.
32. Fill up, then, the measure of your ancestors. 33. You snakes, you brood of vipers! How can you escape being sentenced to hell?
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 23 verses 32 to 33)
Oh Jesus if only we could measure up to the holy people who existed such as Mother Theresa, Saint Frances of Assisi and many others of our times. If only we could consider them as sign posts to follow and imitate instead of a dart board on which to throw our destructive arrows of negative criticism.
34. Therefore I send you prophets, sages, and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town, 35. so that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar. 36. Truly I tell you, all this will come upon this generation.
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 23 verses 34 to 36)
Oh Jesus You go totally out of Your way to ensure our salvation both on a personal level and both as an earth. However if we persist on shedding blood of innocent people, or shaming people who do not deserve it by verbal and emotional abuse we are responsible for such actions. As much as You are warning the Pharisees and Scribes You are warning all of us, each in our own sphere and walk of life be it at work, home and or during our moments of leisure or pleasure.
37. "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! 38. See your house is left to you desolate. 39. For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, 'Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.'"
(Gospel of Matthew chapter 23 verses 37 to 39)
Oh Jerusalem oh Jesus can be each one of us. With our tongues we can easily kill each other as with a sharp dagger if we are not careful and loving in how we communicate with each other. I understand oh Jesus that You show love, care and pity for humanity and its condition. Many times You try to intervene in our lives but we are not always receptive, because many times we are alienated by the ways of the world.
Oh Jesus God and Father I would like to end this chapter with the following prayer:-
I pray oh Jesus that You free us from the seeds of hypocrisy, so that we will be able to live and behave as genuine Roman Catholics instead of a form of life that is only similar or tailored according to our needs and personal agendas. I pray for a new baptism of our hearts and minds so that both will be consecrated to do Your will Amen.
Oh God this is a warning for all of us, whether we are laity, priests, lawmakers, or politicians or even parents or people such as myself who are praying on the Word of God. We are to pray to You my God not to mislead others by our way of life, by what we do think and even say, for without knowing our actions can both help and hinder other people's lives, especially those who without our being aware of it are looking up on us as being good people. I pray oh God that people reading these chapters will follow Your example, for I am only a human who is prone to sin. Anything that You reveal to me in a spirit of prayer I include in this blog, however the lesson and message is always primarily intended to teach and instruct me in my ways, and then for others who, may happen to be sinners like me.
5. They do all their deeds to be seen by others; for they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long. 6. They love to have the place of honour at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues, 7. and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, and to have people call them rabbi.
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 23 verses 5 to 7)
If we were to stop and think and make an inner observation of ourselves, we might find a reference to a particular sin or sins as found in verses 5 to 7. We can ask our selves regarding the intention of our action, if they are done for their own sake or to obtain social approval. Do we feel proud when we are noticed by people by our good points or achievements and feel better than others because we have a University degree or diploma?
8. But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all students.
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 23 verse 8)
Oh Jesus You teach us that we are to adopt a humble attitude and never become proud, haughty, for we do not know it all, but are in a constant state of learning.
9. And call no one your father on earth, for you have one Father-the one in heaven. 10. Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Messiah.
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 23 verses 9 to 10)
Oh God my Father its been a long time since I acknowledged You as my one and only true Father. Apart from You I have no other Father, who is truly a loving kind and caring Father. My human father loved me so much that as a consequence of my having had a row on the telephone during which in a fit of anger I called him "Trash" he reported me to the police and wanted to take me to Court. This is the love and care given to me by a human father.
11. The greatest among you will be your servant. 12. All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted.
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 23 verses 11 to 12)
Oh God my Father it is better for us to be raised by others than to raise ourselves over others, or better to be raised by You than by the world that, many times promotes the unjust over those who rightfully merit to be promoted.
13. "But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you lock people out of the kingdom of heaven. For you do not go in yourselves, and when others are going in, you stop them.
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 23 verse 13 to 14 not given )
As Christians we are also to be careful not to be a stumbling block to others. We might be misguided about what we believe in and might lead others in error and thus blocking their way to heaven instead of helping them. This verse makes me aware that as much as we strive to be proficient and excel re issues of the world, we cannot afford to be anything less than professionals.
15. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cross sea and land to make a single convert, and you make the new convert twice as much a child of hell as yourselves.
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 23 verse 15)
Oh Jesus it is the same with many people of power who influence the middle person so much that their subjects not only believe all they say but influence to speak and think likewise. This could be the case in many scenarios in many areas of life such as politics and even religion or belief. A case in point is the group ISIS which by means of its use and abuse of religious principles it has recruited many followers making them worse than themselves.
16. "Woe to you, blind guides, who say, 'Whoever swears by sanctuary is bound by nothing, but whoever swears by the gold of the sanctuary is bound by the oath.' 17. You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the sanctuary that has made the gold sacred? 18. And you say, 'Whoever swears by the altar is bound by nothing, but whoever swears by the gift that is on the altar is bound by the oath.' 19. How blind you are! For which is greater the gift or the altar that makes the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred? 20. So whoever swears by the altar, swears by it and by everything on it; 21. and whoever swears by the sanctuary, swears by it and by the one who dwells in it; 22. and whoever swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God and by the one who is seated upon it.
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 23 verses 16 to 22)
Oh Jesus this is a fantastic argument which can be applied on many levels. There are among us many who reason that they believe in You but not in the Church. When applying the teachings found in verses 16 to 22 one can refute this argument by asking the following question. As Christians we believe that the head of Your body on earth is the Holy Spirit, the rest of the body of which we are a part of is the Church. A body without a head is worthless because it has no direction only an existence like a person who is bed ridden and unconscious. Therefore not to believe in either of the parts is not believing in the body as a whole. One simply cannot believe in the head and not in the body when both parts are needed to make the body whole. Therefore it stands that faith is an all or nothing issue that cannot be split into pieces in order to suit our needs.
23. "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint, dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law; justice and mercy and faith. It is these you ought to have practiced without neglecting the others. 24. You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel!.
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 23 verses 23 to 24)
As parents or ministers or priests in the Church or other religion we are to evaluate our practices in order to see if we are being sticklers to the rules to an extreme and are missing out on the rule of love, which is the cornerstone of Your message that is found throughout the whole Bible. If we act out of the flesh alone, we may not act out of love. If we do not act out of love, our actions may be useless and without value for they may be simply a logical response to another act, without any feeling or emotion or any indication of doing so in order to obey and love God. Therefore we need to question the reasons behind our actions and analyze if what we are doing, the service we are giving is for Your glory or our reputation and social standing!
25. "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 26. You blind Pharisee! First clean inside of the cup, so that the outside may become clean.
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 23 verses 25 to 26)
Oh Jesus what we have in our hearts and mind, our innermost being also reflects our behviour during our interactions with others and also within ourselves. If we are not at peace internally this is shown by means of our verbal and non verbal behaviour which show our real self. It does not make sense to appear holy by means of our external actions in public and be sinful and corrupt when in private, for at some time or other the truth will be revealed and all will be aware of our real self. Even though we may try to portray a false impression of ourselves our non verbals get the better of us for they are beyond our control.
27. "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which on the outside look beautiful, but inside they are full of the bones of the dead and of all kinds of filth. 28. So you also on the outside look righteous to others, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 23 verses 27 to 28)
Oh Jesus this is also a warning for all of us, for the image that we project while in the presence of others does not always reflect our private self. During this time of relationship with You oh Jesus while meditating on Your Word, I realize or You help me to realize that when compared to Your teachings I am still far away from being called a 'good person', for my heart and mind at times are still worldly and not based on the teachings that You give me. AsI have discussed with You many times I am still works in progress, the clay in the hands of the potter that is You. I am on the potter's wheel and at times you shape my form to make it look worthy before You, However at times I hurt and rebel and fail to understand why You are shaping me and my life, in ways contrary to my will. However may Your will be done and not mine.
29. "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous, 30. and you say, 'If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.' 31. Thus you testify against yourselves that you are descendants of those who murdered the prophets.
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 23 verses 29 to 31)
Oh God as humans we have a tendency to use the if but reasoning, however according to the laws of probability if we lived in the same time of our ancestors we would have been a bi product of that society and we would have behaved likewise, therefore such reasoning is totally false and irrelevant.
32. Fill up, then, the measure of your ancestors. 33. You snakes, you brood of vipers! How can you escape being sentenced to hell?
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 23 verses 32 to 33)
Oh Jesus if only we could measure up to the holy people who existed such as Mother Theresa, Saint Frances of Assisi and many others of our times. If only we could consider them as sign posts to follow and imitate instead of a dart board on which to throw our destructive arrows of negative criticism.
34. Therefore I send you prophets, sages, and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town, 35. so that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar. 36. Truly I tell you, all this will come upon this generation.
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 23 verses 34 to 36)
Oh Jesus You go totally out of Your way to ensure our salvation both on a personal level and both as an earth. However if we persist on shedding blood of innocent people, or shaming people who do not deserve it by verbal and emotional abuse we are responsible for such actions. As much as You are warning the Pharisees and Scribes You are warning all of us, each in our own sphere and walk of life be it at work, home and or during our moments of leisure or pleasure.
37. "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! 38. See your house is left to you desolate. 39. For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, 'Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.'"
(Gospel of Matthew chapter 23 verses 37 to 39)
Oh Jerusalem oh Jesus can be each one of us. With our tongues we can easily kill each other as with a sharp dagger if we are not careful and loving in how we communicate with each other. I understand oh Jesus that You show love, care and pity for humanity and its condition. Many times You try to intervene in our lives but we are not always receptive, because many times we are alienated by the ways of the world.
Oh Jesus God and Father I would like to end this chapter with the following prayer:-
I pray oh Jesus that You free us from the seeds of hypocrisy, so that we will be able to live and behave as genuine Roman Catholics instead of a form of life that is only similar or tailored according to our needs and personal agendas. I pray for a new baptism of our hearts and minds so that both will be consecrated to do Your will Amen.
