Matthew 23
TFGMatthew 23:1-39
(In the court of the Temple. Tuesday, April 4, A. D. 30.) M 1-39; M 38-40; L 45-47. [he spoke in the most public manner] [As teachers of the law of Moses the scribes and Pharisees were the only religious guides whom the people had, so they were obliged to follow them as expounders of that law, but they were no means to look to them as living exemplification of that law.] [The law itself was a heavy yoke , but these teachers added to the burden of it a vast volume of traditions, but they themselves did not keep these traditions, excusing themselves by inventing subtle distinctions like those in reference to the Corban and to oaths . See , , , . These were enclosed in a leather case and were fastened to the forehead and left arm. The authority for wearing them was purely traditional, and the practice seems to have arisen from a literal interpretation of , , , . The Pharisees made the leather case large, that their righteousness might be more conspicuous] [These were the fringes mentioned in , . But the Pharisees offended again, even in their obedience, by wearing broader fringes than other people, that they might appear more religious] [This robe was a professional dress, as marked as that worn by priests and kings.
It showed that its wearer was professionally religious] [see , .] [Christ] [See .] [See , , . Thus Jesus reproves those who make religion a matter of praise-seeking ostentation, whether they do so by seeking position, or by peculiarity of dress, or by assuming or accepting titles of honor or distinction.
This sin of ostentation was the first enumerated sin of the Pharisees.] [Our Lord’s language is figurative and presents the kingdom of God as a house around the door of which the Pharisees have gathered, not entering in themselves, and blocking the way against those who would enter. This they did by their opposition to Jesus. For a similar charge see .] [Proselytes here meant are not those converted from heathenism to worship God, but Jews converted to Phariseeism. These become worse than their instructors, because each generation drifted farther from the law and became more zealously and completely devoted to the traditions.] [Jesus above denounced them for their hypocrisy, but this woe is pronounced upon them for their [608] ignorance and folly] [The word “debtor” is here meant to describe one who owes it to himself and to God to keep his oath. The Pharisees graduated oaths according to their own foolish conceptions of the sanctity of the object invoked, so that if the object by which a man swore was not sacred enough, he was not forsworn if he did not keep his oath. Esteeming the gold of the temple more sacred than the temple itself, they held that an oath by the former was binding while an oath by the latter was not.
The gold meant is probably the golden ornaments on the temple.] [Our Lord designed to teach that all oaths were binding. See .] [See .
The anise was used for medical purposes and also for culinary seasoning, so that Pliny says “the kitchen can not be without it.” Cummin also was a condiment and a medicine, the bruised seed mixed with wine being used as a styptic, especially after circumcision. It was also used as an ingredient for salves and plasters such as were applied to the ulcers of cattle produced from the bites, grubs, etc., of insects.] [609] [A proverbial expression, indicating care for little faults and a corresponding unconcern for big ones.] [Jesus here compares the Pharisees to a woman who washes the outside of her dishes and leaves the inside unclean. But in describing that inner uncleanness he passes from the figure to the reality, and specifies that it consists of extortion and self-indulgence. They made their outside clean by traditionary ablutions. See .] [Here again the literal peeps through the figurative: a pure inner life makes clean outward conduct.] [Luke records Jesus as having taught this lesson by an exactly opposite figure. See .
There men were contaminated by the touch of a grave because there was nothing outside to notify them of its presence. Here men are contaminated by the same thing because the outside is rendered so white and beautiful that men are deceived into thinking that the inside is harmless.] [See .] [See .] [610] [See .] [See .] [FFG 606-611]