← All Chapters The Book of Matthew · Chapter 23

Matthew 23: Warnings Against Hypocrisy

Jesus warns the crowds about the leaders' hypocrisy, pronounces solemn woes, and grieves over Jerusalem.

Coming soon

Matthew 23 (WEB)

1 Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to his disciples,

2 saying, “The scribes and the Pharisees sat on Moses’ seat.

3 All things therefore whatever they tell you to observe, observe and do, but don’t do their works; for they say, and don’t do.

4 For they bind heavy burdens that are grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not lift a finger to help them.

5 But all their works they do to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad, enlarge the fringesof their garments,

6 and love the place of honor at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues,

7 the salutations in the marketplaces, and to be called ‘Rabbi, Rabbi’ by men.

8 But don’t you be called ‘Rabbi,’ for one is your teacher, the Christ, and all of you are brothers.

9 Call no man on the earth your father, for one is your Father, he who is in heaven.

10 Neither be called masters, for one is your master, the Christ.

11 But he who is greatest among you will be your servant.

12 Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

13 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses, and as a pretense you make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation.

14 “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against men; for you don’t enter in yourselves, neither do you allow those who are entering in to enter.

15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel around by sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much of a son of Gehennaas yourselves.

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 obligated.’

17 You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifies the gold?

18 ‘Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gift that is on it, he is obligated?’

19 You blind fools! For which is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifies the gift?

20 He therefore who swears by the altar, swears by it, and by everything on it.

21 He who swears by the temple, swears by it, and by him who was livingin it.

22 He who swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God, and by him who sits on it.

23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint, dill, and cumin, and have left undone the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faith. But you ought to have done these, and not to have left the other undone.

24 You blind guides, who strain out a gnat, and swallow a camel!

25 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and unrighteousness.

26 You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the platter, that its outside may become clean also.

27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitened tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but inwardly are full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness.

28 Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

29 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets, and decorate the tombs of the righteous,

30 and say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we wouldn’t have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.’

31 Therefore you testify to yourselves that you are children of those who killed the prophets.

32 Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers.

33 You serpents, you offspring of vipers, how will you escape the judgment of Gehenna?

34 Therefore behold, I send to you prophets, wise men, and scribes. Some of them you will kill and crucify; and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city;

35 that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zachariah son of Barachiah, whom you killed between the sanctuary and the altar.

36 Most certainly I tell you, all these things will come upon this generation.

37 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets, and stones those who are sent to her! How often I would have gathered your children together, even 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 tell you, you will not see me from now on, until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’”

Summary

Jesus speaks to the crowds and his disciples about the scribes and Pharisees, who sit on Moses' seat but do not practice what they preach. They lay heavy burdens on others, do their works to be seen, love titles and honor, while true greatness is humble service. Jesus then pronounces a series of woes, exposing leaders who shut up the kingdom, who tithe carefully yet neglect justice, mercy, and faith, who clean the outside of the cup while inside is full of greed, who look beautiful as whitewashed tombs but are inwardly dead. He warns that the blood of the prophets will come upon that generation. Finally, his tone turns to lament: Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how often he longed to gather her children as a hen gathers her chicks, but she would not. He sees her house left desolate, yet points ahead to a coming welcome.

Main Characters

  • Jesus — The faithful teacher who exposes hypocrisy, calls for humble service, and laments over Jerusalem with tender grief.
  • The scribes and Pharisees — Religious leaders rebuked for outward show, heavy burdens, and neglect of justice, mercy, and faith.
  • The crowds and disciples — Listeners whom Jesus warns to honor God's truth without imitating the leaders' empty practice.
  • Jerusalem — The city Jesus mourns, longing to gather her children as a hen gathers her chicks, though she would not.

Key Verse

Matthew 23:11-12 (WEB)

But he who is greatest among you will be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

Lessons Learned

  • God looks past outward appearance to the true condition of the heart.
  • True greatness in God's kingdom is found in humble service, not in titles or honor.
  • Justice, mercy, and faith are the weightier matters God will not let us neglect.
  • Even in rebuke, Christ's heart longs to gather and shelter those who turn to him.
  • Faith must be lived, not just spoken. The leaders 'say, and don't do' (Matthew 23:3, WEB); Jesus calls us to practice what we profess.
  • True greatness is servanthood. 'He who is greatest among you will be your servant' (Matthew 23:11, WEB), reversing the world's love of honor.
  • Humility is the path God blesses. 'Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted' (Matthew 23:12, WEB).
  • God values justice, mercy, and faith. Jesus names 'the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faith' (Matthew 23:23, WEB), not to be left undone.
  • Inner purity comes before outward show. 'First clean the inside of the cup and of the platter, that its outside may become clean also' (Matthew 23:26, WEB).
  • Christ's heart longs to gather us. 'How often I would have gathered your children together, even as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings' (Matthew 23:37, WEB).
  1. What is the danger Jesus exposes when leaders say but do not do?
  2. How does Jesus redefine greatness for his followers in this chapter?
  3. What are the weightier matters of the law the leaders neglected, and why do they matter?
  4. What does Jesus' image of a cup clean outside but unclean inside reveal about hypocrisy?
  5. Where might you be tending the outward appearance of faith while neglecting the heart within?
  1. When leaders say but do not do (23:3), they burden others with demands they will not carry and mislead by example. Jesus exposes the danger of a faith that is all profession and no practice, which dishonors God and discourages those watching.
  2. Jesus says the greatest will be servant of all, and the one who exalts himself will be humbled (23:11-12). Greatness is not titles, honor, or visibility, but lowly service. He calls his followers to seek to bless others rather than be praised by them.
  3. The weightier matters are justice, mercy, and faith (23:23). The leaders tithed tiny herbs while neglecting these. They matter because God cares first about how we treat people and trust him, not merely about careful religious detail. Both should be honored, but the heart of the law comes first.
  4. The cup clean outside but unclean within (23:25-26) pictures a religion of appearances hiding inward greed and impurity. Jesus teaches that God begins with the inside; when the heart is cleansed, the outward life follows. Image management cannot substitute for genuine transformation.
  5. This is a personal application question. Invite members to examine the inner heart behind their outward practices, gently and without shame. As leader, model honesty about your own heart, keep the tone grace-filled like Jesus' lament, and assure the group of his welcome to all who turn to him.

Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible (WEB), the King James Version (KJV), and the American Standard Version (ASV), all of which are in the public domain.