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Matthew 23:1-39 (ESV)

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¹ Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, ² "The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat, ³ so practice and observe whatever they tell you--but not what they do. For they preach, but do not practice. ⁴ They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. ⁵ They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, ⁶ and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues ⁷ and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others. ⁸ But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers. ⁹ And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. ¹⁰ Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ. ¹¹ The greatest among you shall be your servant. ¹² Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. ¹³ "But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people's faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in. ¹⁴ (OMITTED TEXT) ¹⁵ Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves. ¹⁶ "Woe to you, blind guides, who say, 'If anyone swears by the temple, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.' ¹⁷ You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that has made the gold sacred? ¹⁸ And you say, 'If anyone swears by the altar, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gift that is on the altar, he is bound by his oath.' ¹⁹ You blind men! For which is greater, 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 temple swears by it and by him who dwells in it. ²² And whoever swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by him who sits upon it. ²³ "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. ²⁴ You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel! ²⁵ "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. ²⁶ You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean. ²⁷ "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people's bones and all uncleanness. ²⁸ So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. ²⁹ "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous, ³⁰ saying, 'If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.' ³¹ Thus you witness against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. ³² Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers. ³³ You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell? ³⁴ Therefore I send you prophets and wise men and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues and persecute from town to town, ³⁵ so that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of innocent Abel to the blood of Zechariah the son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar. ³⁶ Truly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation. ³⁷ "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! 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 he who comes in the name of the Lord.'"


This passage relates to the following topic(s):
(v. 11) Serving / Servants - Greatest is the servant to all
(v. 12) Humility - Whoever humbles himself will be exalted
(v. 12) Pride - Whoever exalts himself will be humbled
(v. 15) Evangelism - Pharisees - travel over land / sea to win a single convert, then make him twice as much a son of hell

This passage relates to the following question(s):
(v. 17) Can we call someone a fool or not? The fool says in his heart, "There is no God."

This passage is referenced in the following quiet time(s):
(v. 1) Why Jesus Came (part 2) (2010-06-13)
(v. 1) Ministry - Intimidated or Inspired? (2012-02-01)
(v. 1) God (part I) (2011-11-23)
(v. 1) Jesus with People - Heart Determined to Preach (2009-02-10)
(v. 2) Jesus with People - Heart Determined to Preach (2009-02-10)
(v. 2) Why Jesus Came (part 2) (2010-06-13)
(v. 2) Ministry - Intimidated or Inspired? (2012-02-01)
(v. 2) God (part I) (2011-11-23)
(v. 3) Why Jesus Came (part 2) (2010-06-13)
(v. 3) Jesus with People - Heart Determined to Preach (2009-02-10)
(v. 3) Ministry - Intimidated or Inspired? (2012-02-01)
(v. 3) God (part I) (2011-11-23)
(v. 4) Ministry - Intimidated or Inspired? (2012-02-01)
(v. 4) Why Jesus Came (part 2) (2010-06-13)
(v. 4) God (part I) (2011-11-23)
(v. 5) Ministry - Intimidated or Inspired? (2012-02-01)
(v. 5) Why Jesus Came (part 2) (2010-06-13)
(v. 6) Why Jesus Came (part 2) (2010-06-13)
(v. 6) Ministry - Intimidated or Inspired? (2012-02-01)
(v. 7) Why Jesus Came (part 2) (2010-06-13)
(v. 7) Ministry - Intimidated or Inspired? (2012-02-01)
(v. 8) Why Jesus Came (part 2) (2010-06-13)
(v. 9) Why Jesus Came (part 2) (2010-06-13)
(v. 9) Life to the Full - In His Steps (part 2) (2010-04-19)
(v. 10) Why Jesus Came (part 2) (2010-06-13)
(v. 11) Why Jesus Came (part 2) (2010-06-13)
(v. 11) Servant of God (part II) (2011-02-28)
(v. 12) Why Jesus Came (part 2) (2010-06-13)
(v. 13) Why Jesus Came (part 2) (2010-06-13)
(v. 14) Why Jesus Came (part 2) (2010-06-13)
(v. 15) Why Jesus Came (part 2) (2010-06-13)
(v. 16) Why Jesus Came (part 2) (2010-06-13)
(v. 17) Why Jesus Came (part 2) (2010-06-13)
(v. 18) Why Jesus Came (part 2) (2010-06-13)
(v. 19) Why Jesus Came (part 2) (2010-06-13)
(v. 20) Why Jesus Came (part 2) (2010-06-13)
(v. 21) Why Jesus Came (part 2) (2010-06-13)
(v. 22) Why Jesus Came (part 2) (2010-06-13)
(v. 23) One Another - Center of the Target (2009-06-06)
(v. 23) Why Jesus Came (part 2) (2010-06-13)
(v. 23) Jesus with People - Through the Roof (2009-01-19)
(v. 24) Jesus with People - Through the Roof (2009-01-19)
(v. 24) One Another - Center of the Target (2009-06-06)
(v. 24) Why Jesus Came (part 2) (2010-06-13)
(v. 25) Centrality of the Heart (part II) (2012-11-02)
(v. 25) Christian Joy (part II) (2011-02-07)
(v. 25) Why Jesus Came (part 2) (2010-06-13)
(v. 26) Christian Joy (part II) (2011-02-07)
(v. 26) Centrality of the Heart (part II) (2012-11-02)
(v. 26) Why Jesus Came (part 2) (2010-06-13)
(v. 27) Centrality of the Heart (part II) (2012-11-02)
(v. 27) Why Jesus Came (part 2) (2010-06-13)
(v. 28) Why Jesus Came (part 2) (2010-06-13)
(v. 28) Centrality of the Heart (part II) (2012-11-02)
(v. 29) Why Jesus Came (part 2) (2010-06-13)
(v. 30) Why Jesus Came (part 2) (2010-06-13)
(v. 31) Why Jesus Came (part 2) (2010-06-13)
(v. 32) Why Jesus Came (part 2) (2010-06-13)
(v. 33) Why Jesus Came (part 2) (2010-06-13)
(v. 34) Why Jesus Came (part 2) (2010-06-13)
(v. 35) Why Jesus Came (part 2) (2010-06-13)
(v. 36) Why Jesus Came (part 2) (2010-06-13)
(v. 37) Why Jesus Came (part 2) (2010-06-13)
(v. 38) Why Jesus Came (part 2) (2010-06-13)

This passage is referenced in the following study note(s):
(v. 27) Sermon: We want a McDonalds church (2004-07-11)
(v. 28) Sermon: We want a McDonalds church (2004-07-11)

Definition(s):
Abel (Eh-bel): vanity; breath; vapor
Abel (Eh-bel): a city; mourning
Jesus (Jeez-us): savior; deliverer
Pharisees (Fehr-iss-ees): set apart
Zechariah (Zekh-ar-eye-a): same as Zachariah
So (Soh):