The seven woes in Matthew 23 are directed at the scribes and Pharisees, who were the religious leaders and teachers of that time. A “woe” is an exclamation of grief by Jesus. These warnings apply to anyone who assumes the teaching role, emphasizing the importance of integrity, humility, and genuine care for those they teach. Let’s look at those seven “woes.”
The first of Jesus’ seven woes criticized the scribes and Pharisees for preventing people from entering the kingdom of heaven. He said, “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces.” One of the principal roles of leaders and teachers is to lead people to God!
In the second of the seven woes, Jesus condemned the leaders for teaching the same hypocrisy they practiced. They led their converts into a religion of works but not into true righteousness. In Matthew 13:15 , we find a striking condemnation: “For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise, they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn, and I would heal them.”
The third woe has Jesus calling the religious elite “blind guides” and “blind fools” (Matthew 23:16-17). Their spiritual blindness caused them to be ignorant of many things, including the identity of the Messiah and the way of salvation. They were not only blind to the true meaning of Scripture but also unable to see their sins. We see this in society today. There is a high interest in arguing over irrelevant matters and finding loopholes in the rules (Matthew 23:16-22). Few people seek God’s Truth!
The fourth of the seven woes called out the scribes and Pharisees for their hypocrisy in their generosity. They gave a tenth to the temple of what did not matter. However, they “neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy, and faithfulness” (Matthew 23:23).
In the fifth woe, Jesus compares them to dishes that were scrupulously cleaned on the outside but left dirty inside. Their public actions made them appear clean and virtuous, but inwardly, their hearts were full of “greed and self-indulgence” (Matthew 23:25).
The sixth woe has Jesus comparing them to “whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean” (Matthew 23:27). Hypocrisy is like a rotting corpse inside a tomb, they appeared righteous on the outside, but they were just beautified tombs; inwardly, they were spiritually dead.
The seventh woe was explicitly targeted at those who teach the law. Jesus calls them “blind guides” (Matthew 23:16). It gets worse. Jesus then calls them “snakes” and “brood of vipers” (Matthew 23:33). Jesus prefaced His seven woes by explaining to the disciples that they should obey the teachings of the Jewish leaders—as they taught the law of God—but not emulate the behavior of the Pharisees and Scribes. The teachers did not practice what they preached (Matthew 23:3).
So, what is the Bottom Line for Today’s World?
The Seven Woes were meant for teachers of the time to focus attention on their roles and responsibilities.
- Practice What You Preach: Teachers should ensure that their actions align with their teachings. Hypocrisy, where one preaches one thing but does another, is strongly condemned (Matthew 23:3-4).
- Avoid Unnecessarily Burdening Others: Teachers should not impose heavy, unnecessary burdens on their students. Instead, they should offer compassionate and supportive guidance (Matthew 23:4).
- Seek Humility Over Recognition: Teachers should not seek honor and recognition for themselves but should focus on serving others humbly (Matthew 23:5-7, 11-12).
- Lead Others to Truth, Not Away from It: Teachers are responsible for guiding others towards truth and righteousness, not to mislead them or block their path to spiritual growth (Matthew 23:13).
- Be Genuine and Sincere: Teachers should be sincere in their faith and teachings, avoiding any form of deceit or pretense (Matthew 23:25-28).
- Show Compassion and Justice: Teachers should emphasize the importance of justice, mercy, and faithfulness rather than focusing solely on minor details of the rules or law (Matthew 23:23-24).
- Reflect Inner Purity: Teachers should strive for inner purity and integrity, ensuring that their outward actions reflect a pure heart (Matthew 23:25-28).
Conclusion
By applying these principles, anyone in a teaching role can strive to positively and authentically influence their students, fostering an environment of trust, respect, and genuine learning.
(James 3:1) – “Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.”
Contemplations
- How can teachers ensure their actions align with their teachings to avoid hypocrisy?
- Ideas to Explore: How does the importance of practicing what you preach apply to both youth and adult education? Should teachers be role models who demonstrate integrity and authenticity in their actions?
- What strategies can teachers use to lead others toward truth and spiritual growth rather than misleading them?
- Ideas to Explore: How would a secular teacher guide students toward genuine understanding and spiritual development? What would the impact be of providing explicit, truthful, and compassionate instruction to young and adult learners?
- How can teachers balance emphasizing justice, mercy, and faithfulness with the need to teach specific rules and laws?
- Ideas to Explore: What is the role of teachers in promoting core values such as justice, mercy, and faithfulness while ensuring that students understand the importance of rules and laws? How is this balance crucial in both youth and adult education?