Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You lock the kingdom of heaven before human beings. You do not enter yourselves, nor do you allow entrance to those trying to enter. [14] 15 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You traverse sea and land to make one convert, and when that happens you make him a child of Gehenna twice as much as yourselves. 16 “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘If one swears by the temple, it means nothing, but if one swears by the gold of the temple, one is obligated.’ 17 Blind fools, which is greater, the gold, or the temple that made the gold sacred? 18 And you say, ‘If one swears by the altar, it means nothing, but if one swears by the gift on the altar, one is obligated.’ 19 You blind ones, which is greater, the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred? 20 One who swears by the altar swears by it and all that is upon it; 21 one who swears by the temple swears by it and by him who dwells in it; 22 one who swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by him who is seated on it. 23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You pay tithes of mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier things of the law: judgment and mercy and fidelity. [But] these you should have done, without neglecting the others. 24 Blind guides, who strain out the gnat and swallow the camel!
Matthew 23:13-24 is part of a larger section (Mt. 23:13-36) where Jesus delivers a series of seven woes against the scribes and Pharisees. These woes condemn the religious leaders for their hypocrisy, failure to uphold the true spirit of the law, and for leading others astray through their actions and teachings.
The scribes and Pharisees misuse their authority, teach false interpretations of the Law, and create burdensome traditions that prevent people from understanding and embracing the true message of God’s kingdom. These actions and teachings shut people out of the kingdom. The scribes and Pharisees take advantage of the hospitality and financial support of widows while pretending to be pious through long prayers. Their actions violate the spirit of the Law, which calls for the protection of widows and orphans (cf. Ex 22:21-22; Deut 27:19). The scribes and Pharisees are zealous in converting others, but Jesus criticizes them for leading their converts into a corrupted form of Judaism, which diverts them from true righteousness and leads them to eternal damnation rather than salvation. They are spiritually blind and are incapable of leading others to God because they are unable to perceive the true essence of the faith they claim to uphold.
An oath was a solemn promise, often invoking God as a witness to the truthfulness of one's words or the seriousness of one's intentions. According to the Law, breaking an oath was considered a grave sin because it involved invoking God's name deceitfully (cf. Leviticus 19:12). The Pharisees made subtle distinctions between oaths based on the object by which one swore, which led to a situation where people could swear by something considered less sacred and, if convenient, later disregard their oath without guilt. Jesus criticizes them for emphasizing the gold of the Temple over the Temple itself. In doing so, they prioritize material wealth over the sanctity of God's dwelling place. The temple's sanctity is what gives the gold its significance. The Pharisees are "blind" to the true meaning of the Law and the proper relationship between God, His temple, and His people. Similarly, the Pharisees focus on the material gift placed on the altar rather than the altar that sanctifies it.
Jesus teaches that all oaths are ultimately binding because they are made before God. The Pharisees’ distinctions are meaningless because swearing by anything related to the temple or heaven ultimately means swearing by God Himself. He challenges the Pharisees' attempts to compartmentalize and manipulate religious obligations. They meticulously observe minor tithing laws, like paying tithes of mint and dill and cummin, while neglecting the fundamental aspects of the law, such as justice, mercy, and faithfulness. By using the metaphor of straining out a gnat while swallowing a camel, Jesus portrays the Pharisees as hypocrites who are preoccupied with trivialities while overlooking more serious transgressions.
Heavenly Father, may Your Spirit open our eyes to see the truth and purify our hearts from hypocrisy. Help us to live with integrity, embracing justice, mercy, and faithfulness. Guide us away from superficial piety and lead us to a sincere love for You and for others. This we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen!
References
- McSorley, Joseph. An Outline History of the Church by Centuries (From St. Peter to Pius XII). 2nd ed., B. Herder Book Co., 1944.
- Orchard, Bernard, et al. A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture. Feb. 1953.
- Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
- Faculty of the University of Navarre. The Navarre Bible: New Testament Expanded Edition. Four Courts / Scepter, 2008.
- Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Prentice Hall, 1990.
- Charpentier, Etienne. How to Read the Old Testament. Translated by John Bowden, 1981.
- Komonchak, Joseph, et al., editors. The New Dictionary of Theology.
- McKenzie, John. Dictionary of the Bible. Collier Books, 1965.
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