Jesus begins by warning his listeners about the scribes and Pharisees then turns his attention to addressing them directly. He really gives them the business. Jesus didn’t go around all the time speaking softly like Mr. Rogers with a big dumb Joel Osteen smile on his face. This chapter ends with a lament for Jerusalem.
Matthew 23
Then Jesus spoke to the crowd, and to his disciples,
2 Saying “The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat:
3 Whatever they tell you to do, listen and do that; but do not do what they do, for they teach but do not practice.
4 For they tie heavy burdens and place them on people’s shoulders, but they will not lift a finger to move them themselves.
5 They do all their works to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and lengthen the tassels of their garments,
6 They love the places of honor at feasts, and the best seats in the synagogues,
7 And greetings in the markets, and to be called Rabbi by men.
8 But as for you, do not be called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all you are brothers.
9 And call no man on the earth your father: for one is your Father, who is in heaven.
10 Do not be called master either, for one is your Master, even Christ.
11 But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.
12 Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and he that humbles himself shall be exalted.
13 But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: you do not go in yourselves nor allow them that are going to enter in.
14 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye devour widows’ houses, and make long prayers for show: therefore you shall receive the greater punishment.
15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel over land and sea to make one proselyte, and then you make him twice the child of hell that you are.
16 Woe to you, you blind guides, who say ‘Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor!’
17 You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifies the gold?
18 You say ‘Anyone that swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gift that is on it, he is guilty.’
19 You blind fools! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifies the gift?
20 Whoever shall swear by the altar, swears by it and everything on it.
21 Whoever shall swear by the temple, swears by it and by him that dwells inside.
22 And he that shall swear by heaven, swears by the throne of God, and by him that sit on it.
23 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithes of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law; judgment, mercy, and faith: these you should have done and not left the other undone.
24 You blind guides, which strain at a gnat and swallow a camel.
25 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the platter, but within they are full of greed and self-indulgence.
26 You blind Pharisee, first clean what is inside the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.
27 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like white washed graves, which indeed appear beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness.
28 You also appear outwardly righteous to men, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
29 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you build the tombs of the prophets, and decorate the monuments of the righteous,
30 And say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.’
31 Therefore you are witnesses to yourselves, that you are the children of them which killed the prophets.
32 Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers.
33 You snakes, you brood of vipers! How can you escape the damnation of hell?
34 Therefore I am sending you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: some of them you will kill and crucify; and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute them from city to city;
35 So that on you may fall the guilt of all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zachariah son of Barachiah, who you killed between the temple and the altar.
36 Truly I say to you, All these things will come upon this generation.
37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you that kills the prophets, and stones those who are sent to you, how often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you would not!
38 Behold, your house is left to you desolate.
39 For I say to you, You shall not see me again until you shall say, ‘Blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord.’”
The Master's Table 