'Woe to You' - Part Two

#4 Woe to You – “For you pay tithe of mint, and anise, and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.” Matt. 23:23

As executers and protectors of the law, Jesus acknowledges an area they performed correctly, tithing. However, He immediately points out what they neglected to uphold – justice, mercy, and faith.

Justice: 1. The quality of being just; conformity to the principles of righteousness and rectitude in all things; strict performance of moral obligations; practical conformity to human or divine law; integrity in the dealings of men with each other; rectitude; equity; uprightness. 2. Conformity to truth and reality in expressing opinions and in conduct; fair representation of facts respecting merit or demerit; honesty; fidelity; impartiality; as, the justice of a description or of a judgment; historical justice.

Mercy: 1. Forbearance to inflict harm under circumstances of provocation, when one has the power to inflict it; compassionate treatment of an offender or adversary; clemency. 2. Compassionate treatment of the unfortunate and helpless; sometimes, favor, beneficence.

Faith: 1. Belief; the assent of the mind to the truth of what is declared by another, resting solely and implicitly on his authority and veracity; reliance on testimony. 2. The assent of the mind to the statement or proposition of another, on the ground of the manifest truth of what he utters; firm and earnest belief, on probable evidence of any kind, especially in regard to important moral truth. 3. (Theol.) (a) The belief in the historic truthfulness of the Scripture narrative, and the supernatural origin of its teachings, sometimes called historical and speculative faith. (b) The belief in the facts and truth of the Scriptures, with a practical love of them; especially, that confiding and affectionate belief in the person and work of Christ, which affects the character and life, and makes a man a true Christian, -- called a practical, evangelical, or saving faith.
Source: Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

#5 Woe to You – “For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence. Blind, Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also.” Matt. 23:25-26

The Jewish leaders appeared to all to be holy. They wore the clothes of religious scholars steeped in symbolism to remind them and others of the importance of remembering the scriptures. They wore the phylacteries (little leather boxes with scripture inside) around their foreheads. They prayed and taught in public. By all accounts, the effort they put into looking holy led others to believe they were holy. However, Jesus told them what He saw in their heart- extortion, self-indulgence, and uncleanness.

Extortion: 1. The act of extorting; the act or practice of wresting anything from a person by force, by threats, or by any undue exercise of power; undue exaction; overcharge. 2. (Law) The offense committed by an officer who corruptly claims and takes, as his fee, money, or other thing of value, that is not due, or more than is due, or before it is due.

Self-Indulgence: Indulgence of one's appetites, desires, or inclinations;

Uncleanness: 1. Not clean; foul; dirty; filthy. 2. Ceremonially impure; needing ritual cleansing. 3. Morally impure.
Source: Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

# 6 Woe to You – “Foy you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.” Matt. 23:27-28

Again, Jesus tells them their outward appearance seems to suggest righteousness to men but again Jesus saw the inside full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

Hypocrisy: The act or practice of a hypocrite; a feigning to be what one is not, or to feel what one does not feel; a dissimulation, or a concealment of one's real character, disposition, or motives; especially, the assuming of false appearance of virtue or religion; a simulation of goodness.

Lawlessness: 1. Contrary to, or unauthorized by, law; illegal; as, a lawless 2. Not subject to, or restrained by, the law of morality or of society; 3. Not subject to the laws of nature; uncontrolled.
Source: Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

#7 Woe to You – “ Because you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous, and say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakes with them in the blood of the prophets’.” Therefore, you are witnesses against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers’ guilt. Matt. 23:29-32

Jesus tells them how they have and will continue to torture, persecute, and kill prophets who come in the name of Jesus because of their unbelief. If they had believed the scriptures and the Old Testament prophets, they would see that the present day prophets were fulfilled prophecy. They would see that Jesus was indeed the Savior and embrace Him as their King. Instead, they will put Him to death within the week.