Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You cleanse the outside of cup and dish, but inside they are full of plunder and self-indulgence. 26 Blind Pharisee, cleanse first the inside of the cup, so that the outside also may be clean. 27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You are like whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and every kind of filth. 28 Even so, on the outside you appear righteous, but inside you are filled with hypocrisy and evildoing. 29 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the memorials of the righteous, 30 and you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have joined them in shedding the prophets’ blood.’ 31 Thus you bear witness against yourselves that you are the children of those who murdered the prophets; 32 now fill up what your ancestors measured out! 33 You serpents, you brood of vipers, how can you flee from the judgment of Gehenna? 34 Therefore, behold, I send to you prophets and wise men and scribes; some of them you will kill and crucify, some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and pursue from town to town, 35 so that there may come upon you all the righteous blood shed upon earth, from the righteous blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, the son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar. 36 Amen, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.
Jesus intensifies his condemnation of the scribes and Pharisees, denouncing them for their outward display of righteousness, which conceals their internal corruption and hypocrisy. In Matthew’s Gospel, hypocrisy refers to a disconnect between one’s inner moral state and external religious observance.
Jesus compares the scribes and Pharisees to a cup and dish that are clean on the outside but filthy inside. The metaphor highlights their meticulous observance of external rituals while neglecting the more important moral laws. They exploit others (“plunder”), are self-centered (“self-indulgence”), and are filled with inner corruption. Jesus indicates that they lack spiritual insight and need inner purification so that their external actions will reflect a purified heart.
Jesus further uses the image of whitewashed tombs to describe the Pharisees, who are spiritually dead. These tombs look attractive on the outside but are filled with decay internally. Jesus accuses them of being hypocrites and spiritually superficial. Though their actions may appear godly, their hearts are filled with "evildoing."
in their self-righteousness, the Pharisees honor the prophets and try to distance themselves from their ancestors' actions, claiming they would not have participated in the persecution of the prophets. However, they fail to recognize that they are perpetuating the same sins. By claiming they would have acted differently, they acknowledge their connection to their ancestors and, in doing so, condemn themselves. The same spirit of persecution that led to the prophets' deaths is now leading them to reject Jesus, paralleling their ancestors' rejection of the prophets. Jesus tells them to complete (“fill up”) the sins of their ancestors by rejecting him, which will culminate in their collective guilt and bring severe divine judgment.
Jesus refers to the scribes and Pharisees as cunning and evil, signaling the spiritual peril they are in. He foretells the their rejection and persecution of his disciples, who will continue his prophetic ministry, just as their ancestors persecuted the prophets. Jesus connects the Pharisees' actions with the entire history of righteous bloodshed, from Abel (the first martyr) to Zechariah, a prophet killed within the Temple precincts (2 Chron. 24:20-22). By doing so, he shows that the Pharisees are part of a long history of opposition to God’s messengers.
Almighty God, cleanse our hearts from hypocrisy and deceit and grant us the grace to seek true righteousness, not in outward appearances, but in humble obedience to Your will. Help us to align our inner lives with Your truth, so that our actions may reflect Your love and purity. 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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