Matthew 23:13 Commentary - Dr Peter Masters

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Matthew 23:13

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The scribes and Pharisees also showed their hypocrisy in a series of ways, which Christ now draws attention to. First, they refused to enter the kingdom of heaven themselves. They hated the thought of confessing their sins, humbling themselves, and admitting that God was right and they were wrong. They hated Christ and could not bring themselves to acknowledge that he was sent from heaven, and that the test of their submission to God was their submission to this one who walked among them as a lowly individual. Everything about him aroused their hatred. They hated what they saw of his honesty, his straightforwardness, his simplicity of life, his skill in handling his words. They hated his miracles and his exposure of their sins. Everything about his stirred up their resentment, and yet, as they searched for reasons to criticise him, and to justify themselves, they realised that they had no good reason for rejecting him. Yet although they claimed to be men of truth, they persisted in this path. They understood the gospel message; they knew perfectly well the teaching of John and now of Christ: that there is a kingdom of heaven and that they must enter it. But as they thought about what would be involved, they realised it would cost them too much. They would have to let go of the acclamation of the people. They would have to admit that all that they were known for publicly was worthless. How hard it is to dislodge that sense of greatness once it enters a man! Some of the chief rulers, John tells us, did believe in Christ (John 12:42), and we know that Nicodemus came to see Christ early on (John 3), and later defended him (John 7:50-51), and finally identified with him publicly (John 19:39), but, for most part, the chains of pride could not be broken.But there was something worse which compounded this evil. For someone to refuse to do something good themselves, because they are too stubborn or too proud, even though they know it is right: that is one thing. But for them to stop others doing that good thing, shows a level of wickedness which is even greater. Now jealousy has entered in as well. This is the evil that is in Satan’s heart. They could not bear that others should do what was right, because it would potentially draw attention to their own mean-spiritedness, and unwillingness. Why is this hypocrisy? Because hypocrisy always conceals itself, and it tries to cover its tracks. The fear of the scribes and Pharisees was not only that they would lose disciples, but that they would be shown up as intransigent, and unwilling to obey God’s prophet and the Messiah himself. They had to justify their refusal, but that would become harder if others with a willing spirit did what they had failed to do. Therefore they went public with their hostility to Christ; they criticised him before the people, they threatened those who were considering becoming his disciples, and they threw them out of the synagogues, and tried to make life as uncomfortable as they could for them.

Application

Suppose there is some new initiative that certain people in a local church would like to start. It is not something unbiblical, but something the church ought to have been doing, but has failed to do until now. Certain individuals have had it laid on their hearts that they should commit themselves to this new work and they are willing to make the sacrifice to do it, but there are other more long-standing people in the church who have never done this thing, and not only will they not be persuaded to start doing it, but they want to block others from doing what they have failed to do. It might be the start of an evangelistic Sunday School, or the visitation of the neighbourhood. It will involve hard work. But if others begin this work, it will show up these more long-standing members, so they block it, using what authority they have.

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Matthew 23:13 Commentary and Bible Study